After graduating from Morgan City High School, Gary Driskell joined the United States Army serving actively until 1990. He then joined the reserve and was called up for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. During his military career, he worked as an MP and reached the rank of Sergeant.

Driskell joined the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in 1990 at the parish jail. Since then, he has worked his way up through the ranks being promoted to supervisor in each division he was assigned; the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, Uniformed Patrol Section, Narcotics Section, and Criminal Investigation Section.

On January 8, 2018, Driskell was promoted to Chief Deputy. He was responsible for supervising personnel and managing the overall daily operations of the agency and assisted Sheriff Smith by promoting overall agency efficiency.

In the fall of 2023, Gary Driskell ran for Sheriff and won with 77% of the vote in a 4-candidate race. He was poised to be sworn in to take office on July 1, 2024, when the fiscal year began for Louisiana Sheriffs. 

However, Gary Driskell was sworn in early when Sheriff Blaise Smith passed away in February 2024. Driskell would complete the Sheriff's remaining four months of the current term before his formal swearing-in ceremony to begin his first elected term.

Sheriff Gary Driskell, his wife, Courtney, and son Jase reside in Morgan City.