The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently added 10 new agents. The conservation agent class of 2016 graduated during a special ceremony at the Department’s Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City on Wednesday, Oct. 5. During the graduation, the new agents were pinned with a badge by their families and also took the oath to become conservation agents.

“Conservation agents are a very important piece of conservation in this state,” MDC Interim Director Tom Draper said. “These new agents will be some of the finest this agency has. They will be recognized as the face of conservation. We thank you for that and we thank all of your families for sharing you with us.”

These 10 new agents will be joining the 180 existing MDC agents in serving and protecting Missouri’s fish, forest, and wildlife.

The class of 2016 conservation agents and their assignments are:

Nicholas Bommarito: New Madrid County
Derick Childers: St. Clair County
Sarah Ettinger-Dietzel: Iron County
Christopher Horn: Cole County
Clayton Lewis: Madison County
Parker Rice: Buchanan County
Caleb Sevy: Washington County
Zachary Swindle: Shannon County
Matt Wheaton: Putnam County
Zachary White: Clinton County