PARKE COUNTY, Ind – Indiana Conservation Officer Nathan Lutz, who serves Parke County, has been selected the 2018 District 5 Officer of the Year.

Lutz is originally from Parke County. He graduated from Turkey Run High School in 2010. In 2014 he was hired as an Indiana Conservation Officer and assigned to Parke County. He graduated from Purdue University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree, majoring in wildlife biology.

Lutz serves as a district public information officer. He is also a sonar operator, airboat operator, and is certified as a breath test operator.

The district award puts Lutz in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top overall Conservation Officer in the state of 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. 1, 1961 in Jay County.