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Award Winners Recognized at the 2021 NASBLA Annual Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2021
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Award Winners Recognized at the 2021 NASBLA Annual Conference The 62 nd Annual NASBLA Conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Sept. 26 – 29, 2021. During the awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 28, NASBLA presented their 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 18 award winners at this year’s event. Chair’s Award Captain Kenneth Ryan , New Jersey Boating Law Administrator, New Jersey State Police Marine Unit Amanda Pérez , Director of Education, BoatUS ...
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NASBLA names Game Warden Hani Raja Ataya the 2021 National Boating Officer of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2021
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NASBLA names Game Warden Hani Raja Ataya the 2021 National Boating Officer of the Year The 2021 National Boating Officer of the Year award was presented to Texas Game Warden Hani Raja Ataya on Tuesday, September 28, at the awards ceremony during the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ (NASBLA) Annual Conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National Boating Officer of the Year  award recognizes a law enforcement officer who has made an outstanding contribution to boating safety through enforcement and has performed an outstanding service to the agency or state in any facet of recreational boating safety. Texas Game ...
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Jerry Desmond recognized as the 2021 NASBLA Boating Educator of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2021
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Jerry Desmond recognized as the 2021 NASBLA Boating Educator of the Year During its  62nd Annual Meeting , held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sept. 26 - 29, 2021, the  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) presented its prestigious national Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year award to Jerry Desmond with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”). Generously sponsored by  Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc. , the Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year award was launched by NASBLA in 2011 to recognize those who go above and beyond to engage students and boaters, raise awareness, and ...
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Award Winners Recognized at the 2021 NASBLA Annual Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2021
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Award Winners Recognized at the 2021 NASBLA Annual Conference The 62 nd Annual NASBLA Conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Sept. 26 – 29, 2021. During the awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 28, NASBLA presented their 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 18 award winners at this year’s event.   Chair’s Award At the end of his/her term, the NASBLA Chair selects individuals to honor with special recognition for their contributions during the past year to boating ...
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2021 NASBLA Annual Report Released

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-20-2021
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2021 NASBLA Annual Report Released The  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) , a national nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety, has released its  2021 Annual Report . The report covers a variety of accomplishments achieved by NASBLA and its members, stemming from NASBLA policy committees, grant projects, annual events, national awards and more. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. “Despite the challenges of the previous year, NASBLA has enjoyed an incredibly productive committee and project year ...
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Operation Dry Water Awards Winners Honored at the 62nd Annual NASBLA Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-07-2021
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OCTOBER 07, 2021: The winners of the 2021 Operation Dry Water (ODW) awards were announced on Tuesday, September 28, at the awards ceremony during the NASBLA Annual Conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The ODW Officer of the Year, Top Agencies and Media Award winners were recognized for their hard work and dedication to boating under the influence prevention and the Operation Dry Water campaign. The  Operation Dry Water Awards Program recognizes law enforcement officers and agencies that are making a positive impact on boating under the influence (BUI) enforcement and outreach within their communities. The 2021 Operation Dry Water Officer of the ...
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Indiana Boating Law Administrator Elected NASBLA Chairman

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-05-2021
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Indiana Boating Law Administrator Elected NASBLA Chairman LEXINGTON, KY. (October 5, 2021) – During its 62nd annual meeting, held in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 26 – 29, 2021, the  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) elected Lieutenant Kenton Turner, Boating Law Administrator for Indiana, as chairman of the organization for the 2021-2022 year. He succeeds Captain Timothy Dunleavy, New Hampshire's Boating Law Administrator. 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 ...
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The Power of NASBLA

By Taylor Matsko posted 09-15-2021
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The Power of NASBLA As an association supporting implementation of recreational boating safety and our state and territorial members, the   National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)   is often called upon to wear many hats across the nation’s maritime community. As NASBLA members and industry supporters watched hurricane Ida bare down on the Gulf Coast, one of NASBLA’s associate members reached out with an offer of assistance. Anthony Covelli and Steve Caldero from  Sirius Signal , active members on the NASBLA Enforcement and Training Committee, contacted NASBLA  on  Saturday, August 28th with an offer to provide rescuers ...
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USCG announces appointment of 20 individuals to serve as members of NBSAC

By Hannah Helsby posted 09-08-2021
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The U.S. Coast Guard announces the appointment of 20 individuals to serve as members of the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC) The NBSAC was established on December 4, 2018, by § 601 of the  Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 , Pub. L. No. 115-282, 132 Stat. 4192 and amended by § 8331 of the  Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act of   2020 , Pub. L. No. 116-283.  That authority is codified in  46 U.S.C. § 15105 .  The NBSAC members are selected from disciplines within the following fields of expertise: State Boating Safety Programs, Recreational Vessel and Associated Equipment Manufacturers; and National ...
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Sea Tow Foundation Restocks & Adds New Life Jacket Loaner Stations

By Taylor Matsko posted 09-07-2021
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Sea Tow Foundation Restocks & Adds New Life Jacket Loaner Stations [ SOUTHOLD, NY ] – The Sea Tow Foundation – a national nonprofit dedicated to the education and awareness of safe boating practices – announced today that it will be working with 154 organizations and agencies to establish new Life Jacket Loaner Stations and restock existing stations for the 2021 summer boating season, as part of the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to keep boaters safe. With more than 750 Life Jacket Loaner Stations already located throughout the United States, the Sea Tow Foundation is providing 50 life jacket loaner station building kits to organizations, agencies ...
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Nevada Game Warden Receives US Coast Guard Lifesaving Medal

By Taylor Matsko posted 09-01-2021
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Nevada Game Warden Receives US Coast Guard Lifesaving Medal [LAS VEGAS, NV] – As Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) Game Warden Sean Flynn arrived on the scene of a capsized boat on Lake Mead on Mother’s Day of last year, he saw fellow game wardens Thomas Hamblin and Casey Humphries near the shoreline with the capsized boat that was now partially submerged. Hamblin and Humphries, the first to arrive on the scene, had just pulled multiple people from the water and were now coordinating with other wardens and National Park Service Rangers to search for a missing 3-year-old girl who was believed to be stuck under the boat. It was dusk and the boat was ...
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New Mexico announces new Boating Law Administrator

By Taylor Matsko posted 08-10-2021
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New Mexico announces new Boating Law Administrator The  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is pleased to welcome Chief Manuel Overby, the new Boating Law Administrator (BLA) for the state of New Mexico.  Chief Manuel “Manny” Overby is a New Mexico State University graduate and began his law enforcement career in 1998 at the City of Rocks State Park. Chief Overby then went on to serve with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for 15 ½ years as a district officer in the Taos area, and most recently in Santa Fe. During that same time, Chief Overby served as the interim supervisor for the Chama and Taos supervisory districts. ...
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ABYC Publishes Updated Boat Building and Repair Standards

By Taylor Matsko posted 08-04-2021
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ABYC Publishes Updated Boat Building and Repair Standards [ANNAPOLIS, MD] – The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) published its 61st supplement of Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft , which provides the marine industry with the latest in boat building and repair standards. The 2021-2022 updates are available to purchase as a book or in digital format via the ABYC online library and desktop subscription. ABYC standards are continually researched, developed, and revised by over 400 volunteer technical experts and marine professionals participating in Project Technical Committees (PTCs). “This is the largest update ...
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Oklahoma and Texas Boating Enforcement Agencies Conduct Joint Special Emphasis at Lake Texoma

By Taylor Matsko posted 08-04-2021
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Oklahoma and Texas Boating Enforcement Agencies Conduct Joint Special Emphasis at Lake Texoma Troopers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) Marine Enforcement Section and game wardens from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) held a joint Boating Under the Influence special emphasis operation at Lake Texoma on Saturday, July 24, 2021. Straddling the border between Oklahoma and Texas, Lake Texoma covers over 88,000 surface acres and has more than 580 miles of shoreline. It is the largest lake in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District and is the twelfth largest Corps-administered lake in the nation. During the 14-hour patrol period ...
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USCG Awards NASBLA with Seven Nonprofit Grants

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-28-2021
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USCG Awards NASBLA with Seven Nonprofit Grants Among the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ (NASBLA) core values is collaboration with a broad community of stakeholders. To help move the association forward, NASBLA works annually to construct nonprofit grant project proposals to meet the needs of members through research, training, innovation and standards development. As a result of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Nonprofit Organization Recreational Boating Safety Grant Program applications, NASBLA was awarded funding for seven grant projects, detailed below. Each of these projects is intended to support members and stakeholders ...
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Rhode Island names new Boating Law Administrator

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-27-2021
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Rhode Island names news Boating Law Administrator The  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)  is excited to welcome Lieutenant Michael Schipritt, the new Boating Law Administrator (BLA) for the state of Rhode Island. Lt. Michael Schipritt has been with the  Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management , Division of Law Enforcement (Environmental Police) for more than 18 years. He spent his first eight years in the marine patrol unit and the following eight years in one of the upland areas. Lt. Schipritt has been a Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) officer, as well as a range officer and an active shooter instructor. ...
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2021 Regional Boating Educators of the Year Announced

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-07-2021
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2021 Regional Boating Educators of the Year Announced LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 07, 2021) – The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is pleased to announce the regional winners of the 2021  Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year Award . Generously sponsored by  Fresh Air Educators and  Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc. , the Boating Educator of the Year Award was launched by NASBLA in 2011 to recognize those who go above and beyond to engage students and boaters, raise awareness, and make boating education initiatives relevant, thorough and exciting. As a member of NASBLA, every state and territory is eligible to nominate their ...
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NASBLA 2021 Regional Boating Officers of the Year Announced

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-07-2021
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NASBLA 2021 Regional Boating Officers of the Year Announced LEXINGTON, Ky . (July 07, 2021) - The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is excited to announce this year’s regional winners of the  Butch Potts Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award . This award symbolizes the highest level of achievement among boating law enforcement officers throughout the United States. The selection process for this award began in January with NASBLA soliciting nominations from each state and territory to nominate their boating law enforcement officer of the year. Next, each regional association of boating law administrators chose ...
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NASBLA names the 2021 Western Region Officer of the Year award winner

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-07-2021
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NASBLA names the 2021 Western Region Officer of the Year award winner Sergeant Ken Mencl, of the  Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office ( TFCSO) , has been named the  2021 Western Region Officer of the Year . Sergeant Mencl is the supervisor of the School Resource Officer (SRO) program for the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office in Idaho. Over the last two years, he, along with his fellow SROs, has made significant strides in making the marine program one of the strongest programs in the state. The bulk of the marine work in both 2019 and 2020 fell primarily on the backs of two school officers, with some help from other deputies who signed up to work. From ...
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Texas Game Warden named the 2021 Southern Region Officer of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-07-2021
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Texas Game Warden named the 2021 Southern Region Officer of the Year Texas Game Warden Hani Raja Ataya, of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) , has been named the  Southern Region Officer of the Year for 2021. Warden Ataya is stationed in Orange County, Texas, and regularly patrols all of its major waterbodies for recreational water safety enforcement. As a coastal warden, he has the added responsibility of patrolling the coastal marshes, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico for recreational and commercial fishing, shrimping, and crabbing activity throughout the year, which is much more demanding than traditionally seasonal recreational boating safety ...
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