Sheriff Zaruba began his career at the Sheriff's Office in 1974 working in virtually every area of the office, including law enforcement, corrections, court security, planning and research, internal affairs and accreditation. He served as Undersheriff from 1989 until April of 1997 when he was appointed as DuPage County Sheriff. Sheriff Zaruba was elected as Sheriff in November 1998, and again in 2002.
    Sheriff Zaruba has brought many innovative programs to DuPage County. As an advocate for crime victims, he has focused on combating domestic violence by implementing programs to protect the victims of this and other violent crimes. His commitment to community policing is demonstrated by his organization of a special unit focused on developing long-term relationships with county residents. He has provided new services such as the Guardian, Cell Link, and First Step Programs to address the needs of senior citizens, families and youth. Sheriff Zaruba's partnerships with municipal police departments have resulted in several county-wide initiatives to fight gang crime and illegal drugs, and his implementation of cost saving programs in the jail have saved taxpayers millions of dollars. Sheriff Zaruba is also a leader in Homeland Security serving as the co-chairman of the Illinois Alarm Systems Board (ILEAS).
    Sheriff Zaruba holds an associate's degree in science from the College of DuPage, a bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice from Western Illinois University, and a master's degree in criminal justice from Lewis University. He has also attended several training programs including, the National Sheriffs' Institute, Illinois Law Enforcement School of Law Enforcement Executive Management, and Northwestern University's Police Staff and Command School and several others.