City of Madison Police Captain Diana Nachtigal was honored as one of Wisconsin’s most influential Native American Leaders for 2025. The award was presented by Madison365 and recognizes elected leaders, business leaders and community leaders for difficult and important work.
In MPD’s Community Outreach and Resource Education and Mental Health units, Nachtigal oversees a variety of community-focused initiatives and outreach groups, such as Amigos en Azul, Black Officer Coalition and MPD Pride. She also organizes and hosts the department’s community academy and youth summer camps.
Law enforcement is Nachtigal’s second career and follows her work as an accountant at biotech company Promega. She joined MPD as an accounting technician in 1998 and became a sworn officer in 2004. Since then, she has served as a mental health liaison officer, criminal intelligence officer and detective in the violent crime unit. She was promoted to captain and placed in charge of the community engagement unit in December 2024.
