A conservation warden who serves Door County was recognized on the Assembly floor Tuesday in Madison.  Mike Neal was honored as the “First Responder of the Year” for District One by Rep. Joel Kitchens.  Neal has been a Department of Natural Resources game warden for nearly 30 years and serves the northeast region.  Neal says he is humbled by the award and considers it a representation of the teamwork provided by all first responders. 

Neal has helped save numerous lives in the waters of Door County, including the 43 people that were stranded on unstable ice off of Larson’s Reef last year.  He also saved four people who experienced incidents with their paddleboards and kayaks earlier this year.  Each of the state’s 99 Assembly districts established a program to recognize a First Responder of the Year in 2019.