ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland Natural Resources Police held a promotional ceremony Wednesday evening where 38 officers were recognized for rising in ranks from corporal through lieutenant colonel at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold.
The event began with the promotions of Lieutenant Colonel Brent Trautman and Major Christopher Morris who joined the executive command ranks. Lieutenant Colonel Trautman, a 29-year NRP veteran, was formally promoted to Deputy Superintendent and will serve as the second-in-command to NRP Superintendent Colonel Orlando D. Lilly. Major Morris begins his role as Assistant Superintendent and Commander of the Executive Services Bureau, where he will oversee strategic planning, accreditation, policy, and more.
Remarks were delivered by Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz, NRP Superintendent Colonel Orlando D. Lilly, and retired Connecticut State Police Lieutenant Dr. Eric Murray.
“I’m inspired by the growth mindset and selfless leadership our officers possess and we’re incredibly proud to recognize their accomplishments,” Sec. Kurtz said. “It takes a distinct level of dedication to protect and police our natural resources, and it’s even more recognizable to take the next step and lead others toward agency and department pursuits for the greater benefit of Marylanders.”
Three commissioned officers were promoted from lieutenant to captain:
- Captain Lindsey Markert was named Regional Commander for the Field Operations Bureau.
- Captain Brian Chris Miller was promoted to Commander of the Special Operations Division.
- Captain April Sharpeta was named Commander of Training, Recruitment, and Outreach.
Six officers also entered the commissioned ranks as lieutenants, assuming leadership roles supervising patrol officers and specialized units:
- Lieutenant Michael Greenfield,
- Lieutenant Robert Karge,
- Lieutenant Ethan Leonard,
- Lieutenant Kimberly Smith,
- Lieutenant John Vogt, and
- Lieutenant Sean Wiles.
Seven officers were promoted to sergeant, marking their first formal leadership assignments within the agency:
- Sergeant John Butts,
- Sergeant Martin Kaetzel,
- Sergeant Albert Leavell,
- Sergeant Heshimu McCray,
- Sergeant McKenzie Neville,
- Sergeant Christopher Stancliff, and
- Sergeant Brian Walter.
The largest group of promotions included 20 officers advancing to the rank of corporal. Assigned throughout the state across the Field Operations, Special Operations, and Support Services bureaus, these newly promoted first-line supervisors are:
- Corporal Nathan Bradley,
- Corporal Thomas Burt,
- Corporal Joseph Caw,
- Corporal Liam D’Aoust,
- Corporal Devin Dieter,
- Corporal Zachary Dix,
- Corporal Scott Garren,
- Corporal Joseph Hambrick,
- Corporal Melissa Harris,
- Corporal Christian Helwig,
- Corporal Cody Linton,
- Corporal Joseph Markiewicz,
- Corporal Donald Medtart,
- Corporal Vernon Owens,
- Corporal Bryce Parrish,
- Corporal Lucas Pratt,
- Corporal Brendan Ryan,
- Corporal Andrew Shifflett,
- Corporal Brett Simon, and
- Corporal Stephen Street.
The ceremony was attended by several law enforcement leaders from across Maryland, including Maryland State Police Colonel Michael Jackson, Maryland Capitol Police Colonel Glend McGuire, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Acting Colonel Ronce Alford, and Annapolis Police Department Acting Chief Amy Miguez.
A full photo album of the event can be found on the department’s Flickr page.
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