Boating Officer of the Year

nominating: boating officer of the year

Nominations are open to all commissioned, certified or sworn peace officers authorized by the state to enforce the recreational boating safety laws of that state. Boating law administrators should nominate candidates who have made an outstanding contribution to boating safety through enforcement. A nominee should have performed an outstanding service to the agency or state in any facet of recreational boating safety including but not limited to enforcement, education, search and rescue, outreach, innovation, partnership, BUI enforcement, incident investigation, community service, and heroic action. Posthumous nominations are not eligible.

Three regional finalists will be chosen from among the state nominees and will win a paid trip to the NASBLA Annual Conference where the national boating officer of the year will be announced and recognized during the Awards Ceremony.

Nominations for this award must be submitted by a boating law administrator.

The nomination deadline for the Officer of the Year award was March 31, 2024. Nominations for 2024 are now closed.

View sample application.

National boating officer of the year

NASBLA is pleased to announce the regional winners of the Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. This award symbolizes the highest level of achievement among boating law enforcement officers in the U.S.

The selection process for this award began in January with NASBLA soliciting nominations for each state and territory boating law enforcement officer of the year. Next, each regional association of boating law administrators chose one regional award recipient, making that officer eligible for consideration for the national award. The national award recipient is announced during the NASBLA Annual Conference. 

National Winner 2024

Conservation Officer James Fogarty
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Conservation Officer James Fogarty, of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) – Law Enforcement Division, has been named the 2024 NASBLA Northern Region Officer of the Year. Since joining the DNR in July 2016, Officer Fogarty has demonstrated unwavering dedication to boating law enforcement. He has consistently gone above and beyond normal duties, volunteering for special assignments such as interview boards for new hires, assisting with the Correctional Officer (CO) entrance exam, participating in recruiting events, and engaging in public speaking and media events.

Officer Fogarty's positive attitude and dedication to public safety are recognized by his supervisors, partners, and the community. His extensive on-the-water patrol time allows him to explain laws and regulations, discuss boating equipment, provide safety advice, and make boating recreation more enjoyable for everyone. Congratulations Conservation Officer James Fogarty! Read the full press release. 

Southern Region

Deputy Adam Peterson
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Adam Peterson, of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, has been named the NASBLA Western Region Officer of the Year for 2024. For the past four years, Deputy Peterson has provided exceptional service in all aspects of marine law enforcement and the boating community throughout Oregon. He has demonstrated outstanding commitment through education, public outreach, technological innovation, enforcement of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) laws, incident investigation, and community service.

Deputy Peterson's exceptional service to his peers, the boating public, and boating safety is exemplary. His pursuit of excellence in marine law enforcement makes him a deserving recipient of the 2024 NASBLA Western Region Officer of the Year award. Congratulations, Deputy Adam Peterson! Read the full press release. 

First presented in 2000, the Marvin “Butch” Potts Memorial Award, known as the Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award, is presented annually to the boating law enforcement officer who has made outstanding contributions to the field of boating law enforcement. The award program consists of three levels: state, regional and national.

Northern Region

Officer Eugene Deifenbach, Connecticut

West Rhodes, Delaware

Conservation Officer Marc Waterlander, Iowa

Conservation Police Officer Austin Priest, Illinois

Officer Max Winchell, Indiana

Patrol Officer James Mayotte, Maine

Conservation Officer James Fogarty, Minnesota

Conservation Officer Jaden Porter, Nebraska

District Game Warden Shawn Sperling, North Dakota

Waterways Conservation Officer Michael Z. Blair, Pennsylvania

Sergeant Joshua Beuth, Rhode Island

Waterways Conservation Officer Don Allaway, South Dakota

Southern Region

Corporal Lyndle Crownover, Arkansas

Game Warden Cory Bohannon, Georgia

Conservation Officer Dylan Martin, Kentucky

Corporal Josh Harris, Louisiana

Officer First Class Thomas Burt, Maryland

Trooper Matthew D. Easton, Missouri

Wildlife Enforcement Officer Carson Billings, North Carolina

Officer Montana Michelson, Tennessee

Game Warden James Adcock, Texas

Officer First Class Adam Roberts, Virginia

Sergeant Shane Duffield, West Virginia

Western Region

Officer Michael Undlin, Arizona

Tracy Cikanek, Kansas

Deputy Adam Peterson, Oregon

(Those in bold text are the regional boating officers of the year.)

Previous Recipients