News Releases

FWC opens December meeting with recognitions

News Release

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Media contact: Gabriella B. Ferraro, 772-215-9459

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) opened its December meeting Wednesday in Weston by honoring several individuals for their contributions in helping the FWC manage and protect the state's precious natural resources. Three sportsmen, an author, a prosecutor and an FWC law enforcement officer were recognized for their efforts.

South Florida outdoor enthusiasts Mike Zimmer, Rick Murphy and Barkey Haddad produce "Sportsman's Adventures" and the "Chevy Florida Insider Fishing Report" for the Sun Sports cable channel. These programs help promote Florida as the Fishing Capital of the World and expose thousands of viewers, including young people, to critically important conservation messages.

The FWC also recognized fifth-generation native Floridian Harvey Oyer. Oyer penned two popular children's books based on the real-life adventures of his ancestors, who were among Palm Beach County's original settlers. In the stories, young readers learn about Florida's environment and history.

Pasco and Pinellas County Assistant State Attorney Holly Grissinger was recognized for her dedication to the prosecution of fish and wildlife cases. Grissinger is a supervisor who has chosen to personally handle more than 1,000 of the FWC's most difficult misdemeanor and felony cases. She also has provided legal training to the FWC officers in her area to assist them in bringing high-quality cases to the state attorney's office for prosecution.

Lastly, the Shikar-Safari Club International presented FWC Law Enforcement Officer Rich Wilcox, of the FWC's Northeast region, with its Officer of the Year award. Since joining the FWC in 2005, Wilcox has made significant cases involving accused fish and wildlife violators. Last year, Wilcox earned the agency's lifesaving award after he successfully rescued a missing Putnam County woman. Wilcox is also the FWC's Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

The entire agenda is available at MyFWC.com/Commission. The meeting is open to the public.