A former Jennings County resident has been honored for his work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). IDNR Spokesman Joshua Thomas says that Officer Brad Reinholt was named the 2015 District 9 Officer of the Year by his peers.

Officer Reinholt is assigned to Dearborn County, one of eleven counties within District 9.

Reinholt was born in Commiskey. He graduated from Jennings County High School in 1993. He enlisted in the United States Army shortly after, serving from 1993 to 1996, before moving on to the Indiana National Guard from 1996 to 2005. Reinholt is a Purdue University graduate, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry in 2003. He worked as a forester for nine years before becoming an Indiana Conservation Officer.

Thomas says that Officer Reinholt became an Indiana Conservation Officer in 2012, assigned to Fayette County. After a short time, he transferred to Dearborn County, where he and his family currently live. Reinholt’s father, Steve Reinholt, served 35 years as an Indiana Conservation Officer in Jennings County.

Thomas adds that being selected as the District 9 Officer of the Year will qualify Reinholt for the James D. Pitzer award. The Pitzer Award is given annually to the top Officer in the State. Thomas explains that the award was created in memory of Officer Pitzer, who was killed in the line of duty while checking rabbit hunters on January 1, 1961.