August 2023 Blue Friday Honoree - Amanda Nevel: Full Interview

Amanda Nevel joined the Department of Wildlife Resources in 2016 as a Conservation Police Officer serving in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Amanda has a passion for outreach and education initiating a Women and Youth Hunter Education Class, which is going on its sixth year. The class focuses on getting
students out of the class and into the works for hands-on training. She won a DWR Regional Outreach award for her work with the Women's program. Amanda even started a National Night Out program in Richmond County to raise awareness for the different first responders in the area. She is passionate and
driven when it comes to natural resource protection. In a year-long investigation of a poacher, she discovered over 50 wildlife violations including over the limit, shooting from the road, trespassing, license violations, and more. She has conducted several investigations for fatal boat accidents, as well as boating and hunting accidents with injuries. Amanda won the Conservation Police Officer of the Year for the State for 2022. She is passionate about teaching the next generation of CPOs, assisting at the last two CPO academies. Amanda was recently promoted to the Basic Academy Training Sergeant in June 2023. Before DWR, Amanda spent 5 years in the United States Marine Corps as a Military Police Officer with the Presidential Helicopter Unit, HMX-1. During this time, Amanda traveled to over 21 different countries and served under two different Presidents.
In her free time, she furthered her education completing two Master's Degrees in conservation. Amanda also enjoys section hiking the Appalachian Trail and currently has 350 miles completed.