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NASBLA Highlights 2022 Top Accomplishments

By Taylor Matsko posted 18 days ago
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NASBLA Highlights 2022 Top Accomplishments Each year in its Annual Report , the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) highlights some of the major accomplishments reached by the organization over the past year. NASBLA Executive Board members presented these achievements to the NASBLA membership during the 63 rd Annual Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire. Over the course of the past year, NASBLA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Program delivered more than 200 courses, A Guide for Multiple Use Waterway Management, Third Edition ...
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NASBLA mourns loss of Emily King, Education Coordinator, Water Rescue Expert and Boating Safety Champion

By Taylor Matsko posted 18 days ago
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NASBLA mourns loss of Emily King, Education Coordinator, Water Rescue Expert and Boating Safety Champion NASBLA mourns the loss of Emily King, 66, who passed away on November 10, 2022. Emily was a consummate professional recognized as an international expert in boating education and water rescue representing the National Safe Boating Council and previously the State of Ohio. Emily was an active member of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ (NASBLA) Education and Paddlesports Committees, member of the National Boating Education Standards Panel and training director for the National Safe Boating Council. Emily was ...
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Memorandum of Understanding Between NASBLA and Mothers Against Drunk Driving

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2022
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Memorandum of Understanding Between NASBLA and Mothers Against Drunk Driving The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have partnered to reduce and prevent incidents related to boating under the influence. Both organizations recognize the value of enhancing their collaborative relationship to help put an end to impaired boating. This partnership will strengthen the impact of each organization through greater coordination through outreach, education, training and support of law enforcement. “This is an important step forward in the national recognition and awareness of the devastating ...
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Award Winners Honored at the 63rd Annual NASBLA Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2022
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Award Winners Honored at the 63 rd Annual NASBLA Conference The 63 rd 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 & ...
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NASBLA Names Arizona’s Kim Jackson the 2022 National Boating Educator of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2022
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NASBLA Names Arizona’s Kim Jackson the 2022 National Boating Educator of the Year The 2022 National Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year award was presented to Kim Jackson, with the Arizona Game and Fish Department , on Thursday, September 29, at the awards ceremony during the  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ (NASBLA) Annual Conference held in Manchester, New Hampshire. 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 make boating ...
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Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams Recognized as the 2022 NASBLA National Boating Officer of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2022
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Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams Recognized as the 2022 NASBLA National Boating Officer of the Year During its  63rd Annual Meeting , held in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sept. 27 - 30, 2022, the  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)  presented its prestigious National Boating Officer of the Year award to Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) . 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 ...
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Award Winners Honored at the 63rd Annual NASBLA Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-26-2022
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Award Winners Honored at the 63 rd Annual NASBLA Conference The 63 rd 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 NASBLA first began presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. This award is designed to recognize a person who has contributed ...
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NASBLA Publishes Vessel Type Classification Guide

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-25-2022
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NASBLA Publishes Vessel Type Classification Guide Several years ago, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) amended its regulations regarding the Standard Numbering System, the Vessel Identification System and the Boating Accident Reporting Database. These changes went into effect January 1, 2017. One of the objectives of this effort was to both modernize and standardize the information recorded in these various systems across U.S. states and territories.   This included, among other things, a requirement to more consistently record vessel types, which is important for everything from boating incident analysis to search-and-rescue. As such, the USCG ...
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Operation Dry Water Award Winners Recognized at the 2022 NASBLA Annual Conference

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-12-2022
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OCTOBER 12, 2022: The 2022  Operation Dry Water (ODW)  award winners were recognized in-person on Thursday, September 29, at the awards ceremony during the NASBLA Annual Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire. 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. 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 2022 Operation Dry Water Officer of the ...
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2022 NASBLA Annual Report Released

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-11-2022
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2022 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   2022 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. “Although this report represents only a snapshot of this year’s key activities, it also reflects the next volume ...
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Iowa Boating Law Administrator Elected NASBLA Chair

By Taylor Matsko posted 10-05-2022
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Iowa Boating Law Administrator Elected NASBLA Chair LEXINGTON, KY.  (October 5, 2022)  – During its 63rd Annual Conference, held in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sept. 27 – 30, 2022, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)  elected Susan Stocker, Boating Law Administrator for Iowa, as chair of the organization for the 2022-2023 year. She succeeds Lieutenant Kenton Turner, Indiana'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 U.S. territories. ...
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Inland Boat Operation & Marine Patrol Fundamentals Course POST-Certified in Nevada

By Taylor Matsko posted 09-07-2022
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Inland Boat Operation & Marine Patrol Fundamentals Course POST-Certified in Nevada Game Warden Captain Brady Phillips of the   Nevada Department of Wildlife , Division of Law Enforcement has announced the   Inland Boat Operation and Marine Patrol Fundamentals (IBO-MPF)   course is now certified by NV’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). According to NASBLA Deputy Executive Director John Fetterman, “This announcement from Nevada is NEWS Worthy!! It is the first state to have this new program POST certified, a notable accomplishment.”   The Train-the-Trainer component of this course, developed by the NASBLA BOAT program, ...
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Florida names new Boating Law Administrator

By Taylor Matsko posted 08-16-2022
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Florida names new Boating Law Administrator The   National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)   is excited to welcome Lieutenant Seth Wagner, the new Boating Law Administrator (BLA) for the state of Florida. Lt. Wagner will replace retiring BLA, Capt. Gary Klein. “As the fishing and boating capital of the world and home to more than a million registered recreational vessels, Florida plays an important role within NASBLA,” said   Wagner. “I’m extremely honored to be named as the BLA for Florida and am excited for the opportunity to use my experience within boating and waterways to further our safe boating mission. Lt. Wagner ...
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CA State Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways Recognized by MADD for BUI

By Taylor Matsko posted 08-02-2022
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California State Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways Recognized by MADD for BUI The California State Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways , Marine Law Enforcement Training Unit, Boating Under the Influence (BUI) instructor cadre and training coordinator were recognized for their efforts to educate marine patrol officers on how to assess and subsequently make arrests of impaired vessel operators. They were awarded the Cynthia & Sophie Peterlin award for outstanding service. This award is given to those who provide extraordinary service in BUI enforcement and education by taking a proactive approach to implementing ...
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Idaho names new Boating Law Administrator

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-26-2022
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Idaho names new Boating Law Administrator The   National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)   would like to welcome Phoebe Wallace, the new Boating Law Administrator (BLA) for the state of Idaho. Wallace was selected as the new Boating Program Supervisor for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) in May of this year. She transferred to IDPR after working for the State in several other roles, including community outreach, inter-agency relations, and aquatic invasive species management. Before working in state government, Wallace earned a Bachelor's degree in biology with a focus on ecology from Boise State University ...
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NASBLA announces the 2022 Regional Boating Officers of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-19-2022
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NASBLA Announces the 2022 Regional Boating Officers of the Year LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 19, 2022) –   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 ...
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NASBLA names the 2022 Regional Boating Educators of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-19-2022
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NASBLA names the 2022 Regional Boating Educators of the Year LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 19, 2022) –   The  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)  is pleased to announce the regional winners of the 2022  Pamela S. Dillon Boating Educator of the Year Award . Generously sponsored by  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 state‐level boating ...
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2022 Western Region Educator of the Year award winner announced

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-19-2022
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2022 Western Region Educator of the Year award winner announced Kim Jackson, of the  Arizona Game and Fish Department , has been named the NASBLA Western Region Educator of the Year  for 2022. Kim Jackson is an innovative and dedicated Boating Safety Education Manager with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). She tirelessly works with partner agencies and the public to promote life jacket wear, and significantly contributes to making boating and paddlesports safer for everyone. Jackson has developed partnerships throughout Arizona that have been instrumental in furthering the safety of the recreational boating community within the state. ...
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NASBLA names the 2022 Southern Region Educator of the Year award winner

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-19-2022
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NASBLA names the 2022 Southern Region Educator of the Year award winner Trooper Tyler W. O'Brien, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol , has been named the  2022 NASBLA Southern Region Educator of the Year . Trooper O'Brien is a Marine Enforcement Trooper working in Troop F, Zone 19. He is one of three members of Zone 19, which covers 10 counties, in Central Missouri. Trooper O'Brien has become a standout in water safety education within his Zone, Troop, and State. Whether he is working enforcement during Missouri's primary boating season, teaching the boater education course in the off-season, or teaching other law enforcement agencies, Trooper O'Brien's ...
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NASBLA announces the 2022 Northern Region Educator of the Year

By Taylor Matsko posted 07-19-2022
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NASBLA announces the 2022 Northern Region Educator of the Year Lieutenant John Girvalakis, of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP), has been named the 2022 NASBLA Northern Region Educator of the Year . Lt. Girvalakis has provided continual outreach and education to the recreational boating public in his role as the Lead Instructor for the Boat Safety Bureau of the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP). As the bureau lieutenant, Girvalakis has been successful in providing recreational boating safety (RBS) instruction to all incoming MEP officers while he maintains regular Bureau missions. As COVID-19 significantly impacted MEP presence ...
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