AFWA and NFWF Name 2026 Guy Bradley Award Winners: Brian G. Smith and Eric Mark Holmes

# Overview Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced the 2026 Guy Bradley Award recipients at AFWA's Annual Meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The award recognizes one state and one federal wildlife law enforcement officer for leadership, public service, and concrete contributions to protecting natural resources.

# Who received the awards

• Retired Colonel Brian G. Smith — Law Enforcement Director (Retired), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
• Retired Senior Special Agent Eric Mark Holmes — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement (Retired).

Both were recognized for careers spanning three decades or more and for mentoring the next generation of conservation officers.

# Why they were honored Smith's career (30 years with FWC) is noted for operational excellence and mentorship. Specific areas called out include modernization of training programs, leadership during disaster responses, and work on major legislative initiatives that influenced agency culture, public safety, and wildlife conservation across Florida.

Holmes is recognized for a 32-year USFWS career focused on complex, high-profile investigations and cross-border cooperation. He helped advance enforcement techniques, trained incoming agents, and built strong interagency partnerships.

# About the Guy Bradley Award The award was established by NFWF in 1988 to recognize outstanding achievements in wildlife law enforcement. It commemorates Guy Bradley, a Florida game warden killed in 1905 while performing his duties. The award highlights activities that directly advance law enforcement goals of state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. Since 2024, AFWA, NFWF, and USFWS present the award together.

# What AFWA and NFWF leaders said AFWA leadership emphasized the recipients' decades of dedication, leadership, and mentorship. NFWF leadership highlighted their contributions to enforcement advancements and the mentorship they provided that will influence wildlife conservation efforts going forward.

# Practical implications Recognition of these two officers draws attention to several ongoing needs in wildlife law enforcement: improved and modernized training programs, disaster-response capacity, legislative engagement to support enforcement work, and sustained investment in mentorship and interagency collaboration. Their careers illustrate concrete ways agency practices and culture can be strengthened through leadership and training.

# Where this sits in the broader conservation community

# Bottom line The 2026 Guy Bradley Award recognized two long-serving enforcement leaders whose careers combined operational leadership, training reform, investigative skill, and mentorship. The awards spotlight practical investments—training, disaster response, legislation, and partnerships—that support effective wildlife law enforcement.