NASBLA Announces Regional Winners of the 2025 Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2025) – The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is pleased to announce the 2025 regional recipients of the Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year Award, generously sponsored by Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc. Established by NASBLA in 2011, this prestigious award recognizes educators who demonstrate exceptional commitment to engaging students and boaters, raising awareness, and delivering innovative, comprehensive, and impactful boating education programs.
Each NASBLA member state and territory is eligible to nominate their outstanding boating educator for consideration for both regional and national awards. The 2025 regional winners are invited to receive their awards at the 66th Annual NASBLA Conference, held in Des Moines, Iowa, from September 16–18, 2025. The awards will be presented during the banquet on Thursday, September 18.
Travis Ferguson, an officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), has been named the 2025 Northern Region Educator of the Year. Ferguson has served with the ODNR for 13 years, earning praise for his engaging Ohio Boater Education Courses. His extensive knowledge, drawn from years on Lake Erie, and enthusiastic teaching style make him a favorite among students. In 2024, he taught five courses to 74 students, logging 78 hours of classroom instruction, and provided 184 hours of on-the-water training. Beyond the classroom, Ferguson completed 65 vessel safety checks, conducted 156 hours of boat patrol, and trained new probationary officers to prepare them for fieldwork. Following a devastating tornado at Indian Lake, he dedicated 46 hours to debris removal, ensuring safer waterways for the community. Learn more about Travis Ferguson’s career achievements.
The 2025 Southern Region Educator of the Year is Wildlife Officer Hunter Wisecarver of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Wisecarver serves in TWRA’s District 42, which covers 10 counties in eastern Tennessee and includes several major reservoirs and river systems. Though primarily assigned to Douglas Lake, Wisecarver routinely patrols a wide range of regional waterways, including the Holston, Nolichucky, Pigeon, French Broad, and Watauga rivers. Since joining TWRA more than three years ago, Wisecarver has established himself as a leader in boating education and public engagement. In 2024, he taught four boating safety classes and certified 67 students who were required by law to complete the course, along with others who participated voluntarily. Read more about Wildlife Officer Hunter Wisecarver’s achievements throughout his career.
Annie Grenier, education coordinator for the Alaska Office of Boating Safety, has been named the Western Region Educator of the Year for 2025. Grenier, who joined the Alaska Office of Boating Safety in 2016, has significantly expanded the state’s boating safety outreach. She expanded the Kids Don’t Float program to reach more than 100,000 children, including 12,654 students in 2024 alone. Nearly 100 teens have graduated as youth instructors through the program’s ambassador initiative, empowering them to teach others. She also co-launched the Save It for the Shore campaign, which urges boaters to wait until they’re on land to consume alcohol. Backed by more than 40 Alaska breweries and distributors, the campaign’s non-confrontational tone is embraced by boaters and law enforcement alike, reducing alcohol-related incidents on the water. Find out more about Annie Grenier’s accomplishments.
NASBLA celebrates the remarkable contributions of these educators to boating safety and community engagement. Their innovative approaches and unwavering dedication continue to inspire safer waterways nationwide.
The 2025 National Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year will be announced at the NASBLA Awards Banquet on Thursday, September 18. For more information on the Educator of the Year Award, please visit www.nasbla.org/awards.
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The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) 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 nearly 85 million American boaters.