DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — Howard Buffett, a son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has been sworn in as interim sheriff of Macon County in central Illinois.

Dozens of friends and family were in attendance Friday when Howard Buffett was sworn in by Macon County Circuit Judge A.G. Webber. He will begin full-time duties immediately and continue until a new sheriff is elected next fall.

Macon County Sheriff Thomas Schneider, a Democrat who has served as sheriff since 2008, announced in April that he would not seek re-election. He said in a statement Friday that he was retiring early.

The Macon County seat is Decatur, about 170 miles (273.58 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. Buffett’s foundation has contributed more than $55 million in the region over the past two decades.