SEATTLE, Wash. (Sept. 14, 2016) – During its 57th annual meeting, held in Seattle Wash., Sept. 11-14, 2016, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) presented its prestigious national Boating Educator of the Year award to Erika Brooks with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Generously sponsored by BoaterExam.com, the Boating Educator of the Year Award was launched by NASBLA in 2011 to recognize those who go above to engage students and boaters, raise awareness, and make boating education initiatives relevant, thorough and exciting.
Erika Brooks has held her position as boating education coordinator since 2004, working within the division of Education. Mrs. Brooks brought her knowledge, training and education within the realm of marketing to a new perspective within the departments boating education programs.
Erika was instrumental in working with the BLA and five boating enforcement specialist in planning and implementing the 2014 Marine Officer Survival Training, which spanned across 9 months, training 170 certified law enforcement officers across three divisions in a multitude of marine topics, two being the In-Water Officer Survival course where she participated as a safety swimmer and Marine Tactical firearms course.
Erika served on the NASBLA Education Committee for 8 years and was the Policy and Best Practices Sub-Committee Chair for 4 years. Erika developed and implemented the New Boating Education Coordinator Orientation training that eventually morphed into the Certified Recreational Boating Professional credentialing program developed by NASBLA.
Erika is a graduate of the Kansas University School of Management’s Leadership Academy and the National Boating Education Instructor and Instructor Trainer through the National Safety Boating Council and NASBLA. Erika became certified as an instructor for Stand Up Paddleboarding and has travelled across the state for the past 2 years teaching and instructing paddlesport safety.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. NASBLA offers a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards and publications. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, the organization affects the lives of over 76 million American boaters. To learn more about how NASBLA continues to make the waterways safe, secure and enjoyable, visit http://www.nasbla.org.