Long-time MDC conservation agent wins state NWTF award

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agent Cpl. Susan Swem’s long-term dedication to conservation has earned her the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) Missouri Wildlife Officer of the Year.

Cpl. Swem, who has been a conservation agent in Polk County for 35 years, will represent MDC at the NWTF’s National Convention and Sport Show in February in Nashville.

More than three decades of being a conservation agent has made Cpl. Swem a familiar face to many outdoor enthusiasts in southwest Missouri, but it has not slowed her down in her enforcement duties.

Besides her regular duties as a conservation agent, Cpl. Swem has been part of MDC’s Canine Unit since its origin in 2021. She and MDC’s yellow Labrador, “Astro,” have worked numerous MDC cases in that time span and have also assisted other law enforcement agencies in investigations.

In addition to these enforcement duties, Cpl. Swem and Astro have served as ambassadors for conservation by presenting programs for thousands of people across the state each year. As an example of this, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Swem and Astro conducted 90 programs through which they reached 4,000 people.

When she’s not working as a conservation agent, Cpl. Swem assists with programs at the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch in Polk County, a therapeutic center focused on intervention, education, and recreation for at-risk youth. Swem also presents conservation programs to the Polk County 4-H Club.

Cpl. Swem is a Neosho native and a graduate of Crowder College and Missouri Southern State University. She graduated from the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Agent Academy in 1989.

“Corporal Swem’s dedication to serving Missouri’s citizens to promote and protect our fish, forest, and wildlife resources is an example for all wildlife enforcement officers to follow,” said Capt. Jason Dickey, the Protection Branch Supervisor for MDC’s 17-county Southwest Region. “We are all very proud of Corporal Swem’s dedication, professionalism, and hard-work ethic, and we congratulate her on being selected for this important award."