By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

The Bureau of Land Management Price Field Office had reason to celebrate on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as they welcomed new Price Field Manager Nick LaFazio to the team. 

Officially starting his duties on Jan. 12, LaFazio spoke to Castle Country Radio about what he was most excited about in working with the Price Field Office. “The diversity of the job. I came from a traditional law enforcement background and worked for the federal government. But the diversity, range, working with coal, everything changes constantly.”

LaFazio has an extensive background in law enforcement dating back to 1997 where he served as a California Deputy Sheriff and Police Sergeant. According to a press release from the BLM,” In 2006, he joined the BLM in El Centro, California, as the agency’s first certified Field Training Officer. His BLM career includes a promotion to Special Agent in Casper, Wyoming, where he worked with the Special Investigation Group on multistate oil and gas investigations. In 2011, LaFazio joined the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG) as a Special Agent in Denver, Colorado, where he investigated reports of fraud, waste, and abuse.”

When asked how he sees his law enforcement background impacting his new position, he answered,” It’s the management. My management style is being able to multitask and work with a diverse group of people on projects. When I was in the OIG, you wouldn’t know what program you were getting assigned to. So you had to ramp up to become an expert really fast.”

According to the BLM,” As Field Manager, LaFazio will oversee the management and stewardship of public lands within the Price Field Office, collaborating with a dedicated team to uphold the BLM’s multiple-use mission in Utah.”