Indiana DNR Names Conservation Officer Of The Year For District 9

District 9 covers Rush, Fayette, Union, Decatur, Franklin, Jennings, Ripley, Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio, and Switzerland counties.

Josh Thomas. Photo provided.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana Conservation Officer Josh Thomas, who serves Jefferson County, has been selected as the 2020 District 9 Indiana Conservation Officer of the Year. He has served as a conservation officer for seven years.

Thomas serves as a drill instructor and is a member of the Honor Guard program, use of force instructor, patrol rifle instructor, field training officer, and public relations officer.

District 9 covers Rush, Fayette, Union, Decatur, Franklin, Jennings, Ripley, Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio, and Switzerland counties.

The district award puts Thomas in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top overall conservation officer in Indiana and selected from the 10 district award winners.

The Pitzer award is named after Indiana Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.