KATY MAGAZINE l JUNE 2019
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy Magazine is profiling a series of notable first responders in our Everyday Heroes section.
Troy Nehls
Fort Bend County Sheriff
A Legacy of Public Service
Coming from a long line of public servants, there was little doubt that Nehls would eventually become a sheriff. His father Edwin Nehls and older brother Todd Nehls both served as the elected Sheriff of Dodge County, Wisconsin. His twin brother Trevor currently serves as an elected constable in precinct 4.
Nehls moved to Fort Bend County in 1994 and began his service in Texas with the Richmond Police Department.
Nehls now has over 25 years of law enforcement experience and is completing his second four-year term as Sheriff of Fort Bend County. He holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of Houston Downtown, and an undergraduate degree from Liberty University.
Devoted Veteran
Nehls proudly served 21 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of major. During his time in the military, Nehls was deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan and received two Bronze Star medals. He's also a life member and former commander of VFW Post 3903 in Rosenberg.
Remembering Veterans
Nehls feels strongly about service and is part of various civic and community projects. Recently, the Katy community saw Nehls in one of his most beloved roles - Chairman of the “Fort Bend Salutes America” Memorial Day ceremony.
"I started the Memorial Day Ceremony back in 2002 after discovering a county-wide program didn’t exist," says Nehls. "The intent behind our program was to give citizens an opportunity to attend a Memorial Day Ceremony in Fort Bend County."
Seeing Double
If you meet up with Nehls in the community, you may be in for a surprise. His identical twin brother Trevor serves as the elected Constable Precinct 4 for Fort Bend County, the same position Troy held prior to becoming sheriff.
Proud Husband and Father
Nehls and his wife Jill have three girls, 18, 13, and 6. "After serving as principal for 10 years, (Jill) is moving to Bentley Elementary as principal for the 2019 school year," says Nehls proudly. The Nehls family resides just outside of Richmond.
Katy Magazine would like to thank Sheriff Troy Nehls for his dedicated service to the residents of Fort Bend County.