State Law Enforcement Chiefs Association honors 6 FWC officers at annual ceremony
Six Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) employees were honored during the April 28 State Law Enforcement Chiefs Association meeting in Tallahassee. SLECA annually honors the best and brightest in Florida’s law enforcement community. Lt. Mattison Prowant was awarded the Outstanding Law Enforcement Trainer of the Year Award. FWC Investigator Greg Loque was nominated for the Investigator of the Year Award, Capt. Alberto Maza was nominated for the Leadership Award, Officer Specialist Asa Dias was nominated for Officer of the Year Award, Capt. Rachel Bryant was elected president of the organization for 2021-2023 and Lt. Dana Russell was elected to a vice president position.
Lt. Matt Prowant, the recipient of this year’s SLECA Outstanding Trainer of the Year Award, has been an FWC officer since 2009 and currently serves as an FWC Academy Training Lieutenant at the Florida Public Safety Institute. He, along with the other members of the FWC Academy team, is responsible for transforming recruits into the best conservation law enforcement officers in the country. He has led the successful implementation of a statewide fitness program, water safety and survival training, development of an FWC Memorial Wall and was named to the Defensive Tactics Coordinator position. During the past year, he coordinated DT training for nearly 80 FWC recruits, assisted with in-service training for headquarters and prepared numerous DT training lesson plans. Recently, Prowant oversaw the training of Recruit Class 40 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He designed a program to onboard 40 recruits - issuing laptops, completing necessary human resources paperwork, and delivering uniforms and equipment to multiple locations across the state. Simultaneously, he developed a process to teach the Basic Recruit Curriculum remotely. His transformational approach to leadership and his ability to motivate others makes him an excellent choice for this award.
Officer Asa “Bo” Dias, FWC’s current Officer of the Year, was also nominated for SLECA’s Officer of the Year Award. Dias regularly lends his free time to his community and participates in outreach activities. His work as an FWC officer and involved community member sets him apart. He has led numerous targeted enforcement actions and has been involved in the closing on numerous important resource protection and boating safety cases.
Investigator II Greg Louque was nominated for the Investigator of the Year Award for his continued excellence and comprehensive investigative skillset. Just this past year, Investigator Loque closed out a 13-month investigation which resulted in 75 misdemeanor charges in four north Florida counties, which then expanded into an investigation of related activity resulting in four felony charges and another 20 misdemeanors.
Capt. Alberto Maza was nominated for the Leadership Award for his work in FWC’s South Bravo Region, where he is well known by fellow law enforcement professionals as well as the community he serves. In addition to his regular supervisory duties as a Field Captain, he leads South Region Bravo’s Special Operations Group, oversees the region’s busiest BUI and boating safety squads and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided tools to enable his team to do their jobs while minimizing exposure in the region of highest concern in Florida.
In addition to the award winner and nominees, FWC was also honored this year by the election of two officers to leadership positions within SLECA.
Capt. Rachel Bryant, an FWC officer for 20 years, was elected president of SLECA for the 2021-2023 term. Capt. Bryant has been involved in SLECA for the past 10 years, performing various leadership roles. Her leadership skills and track record as an efficient and collaborative team member make her an excellent choice to lead the organization. Within the FWC, Bryant serves in the division’s Boating and Waterways Section, supporting enforcement efforts, boating safety, education, accident investigations and waterway management for the Boating Capital of the World.
Lt. Dana Russell was elected to the Third Vice President position, where she will lend her time and talents to the management of the organization. Russell has been with the FWC for 19 years, and currently serves in the DLE’s Policy and Professional Standards Section, where she is responsible for supporting strategic and operational planning, program policy development and communication, rules review coordination, external policy coordination, strategic plan development, and staff inspections.
“I’m very proud of the work that our officers and employees do every day, and it is gratifying to see them recognized by this prestigious association,” said Col. Curtis Brown, director of the FWC Division of Law Enforcement. “They are a testament to the strength, professionalism and dedication all FWC staff exhibit while working to protect the people of Florida and conserve our natural resources.”
About SLECA
The State Law Enforcement Chiefs’ Association is an association promoting better understanding among state law enforcement organizations, to secure unity of action in all law enforcement matters relating to its members and to serve the state purpose of enhancing law enforcement for the state of Florida. SLECA annually awards the best and brightest in Florida’s law enforcement community. Awards are presented to deserving candidates from all over the state of Florida.