Indiana Conservation Officer Max Winchell has been promoted to the rank of sergeant for Indiana DNR Law Enforcement District 5.
Sergeant Winchell will serve as the direct supervisor of the 16 field officers in District 5. District 5 includes eight counties: Greene, Sullivan, Parke, Clay, Vigo, Vermillion, Putnam, and Owen counties.
Sergeant Winchell has served as a conservation officer since 1995, entirely in Vigo County.
While working as a field officer, his duties have included officer training, scuba diver and instructor, sonar operator, and public information officer. Winchell was chosen by his peers as the District 5 Officer of the Year in 2021 and 2023, selected as the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators Boating Officer of the Year for Indiana in 2024, and was recognized for a life saving award in 2025.
Winchell has been a member of the ICO Scuba Team since 1998. He became a scuba instructor in 2011. In his time with the ICO Scuba Team, Winchell has been involved with hundreds of underwater search and recovery operations and has played a pivotal role in the team’s success and advancements over the years.