Mariposa Warden Receives Distinction

Mariposa, CA — A California Department of Wildlife Officer in Mariposa County has been named the 2015 “Officer of the Year.”

CDFW announces that Frank Milazzo, a 27-year-veteran, has received the prestigious honor. He has built a solid reputation as a “go-to resource for all fish and wildlife related issues.

In announcing the award, CDFW writes, “Milazzo has developed a reputation for deep community involvement. In 2014, he was selected by Mariposa County Judge Dana Walton to serve on the Mariposa County Civil Grand Jury, where he served with distinction for a one-year term. Milazzo is a past member of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District and was selected by the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors for a position on the Mariposa County Historical Sites and Records Preservation Commission.”

It is not the first significant honor for Milazzo. In 1993 he received the Director’s Achievement Award for his outstanding accomplishments in support of CDFW’s conservation goals. In 2008 he was awarded the Governor’s Medal of Valor, which is the highest honor bestowed to a state employee. Milazzo was recognized for his selfless acts of heroism in deterring an armed, suicidal and homicidal suspect.