Award Winners Honored at the 63rd Annual NASBLA Conference
The 63rd Annual NASBLA Conference was held in Manchester, New Hampshire from Sept. 27 – 30, 2022. During the awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 29, NASBLA presented the association’s annual national awards, recognizing NASBLA members and colleagues in the recreational boating safety community for their outstanding contributions to boating and water safety. NASBLA had the opportunity to recognize 21 award winners at this year’s event.
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Captain Merri Walker, Massachusetts Boating Law Administrator, Massachusetts Environmental Police
- Joe Carro, Program & Operations Analyst and Boating Safety Specialist, USCG Boating Safety Division
Garner Leadership Award
- Jeff Wheeler, Deputy Chief, USCG Office of Boat Forces
NASBLA Award
- Lieutenant Mark Brown, Oklahoma Boating Law Administrator, Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Boating Safety Award
- Luke Martinez, Marine Safety Officer & Boating Safety Advocate, Curry County Sheriff’s Office
Compass Award
- Oregon State Marine Board
Bonner Award
- Dave Dahms, Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation (ret.)
Daniel Maxim Award for Distinguished Service
- Dave Considine, BOAT Program Director, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
Regional Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educators of the Year
- Northern Region: Lieutenant John Girvalakis, Massachusetts Environmental Police
- Southern Region: Trooper Tyler W. O'Brien, Missouri State Highway Patrol
- Western Region: Kim Jackson, Boating & Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Education Program Manager, Arizona Game and Fish Department
National Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year
- Kim Jackson, Boating & Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Education Program Manager, Arizona Game and Fish Department
Regional Boating Officers of the Year
- Northern Region: Sergeant Brian Piernicky, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Southern Region: Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Western Region: Game Warden Victor Jordan, Nevada Department of Wildlife
National Boating Officer of the Year
- Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
Click here to learn more about the National Officer of the Year.
Operation Dry Water Awards
The Operation Dry Water (ODW) Awards Program recognizes law enforcement officers and agencies that are making a positive impact on boating under the influence (BUI). During the ceremony, the ODW Officer of the Year, Top Agencies and Media Award winners were honored for their hard work and dedication to boating under the influence prevention and the Operation Dry Water campaign. Click here to read more about the 2022 ODW award winners.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators would like to congratulate all of the 2022 national award winners. If you would like to learn more about the awards or this year’s recipients, please click here.
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The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit, 501(c)3 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.
We offer a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards, publications and more. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, we affect the lives of over 76 million American boaters.