History of the FCW Captain’s Award
The Captain’s Award was launched in 2001. The award is to honor individuals, groups, or organizations for distinguished service in protecting and preserving local waterways and adjacent lands. Directors nominate a recipient to the board of directors, and a decision by the board is made by June of each year. The recipient is kept secret until announced at the August FCW Annual Meeting.
The recipients’ names are affixed to a plaque that hangs outside the town manager and select board office in the Town Hall at 549 Main Street.
The 2026 Captains Award was given to Dr. Sarah Griscom to honor her years of advocacy for Chatham's waterways.
Sarah Griscom has a Ph.D. in oceanography with a long history in the field and academia on issues related to marine science and costal oceanography and has worked with both the US Geological Survey and the Harvard School of Public Health. Locally Sarah is a powerful force on environmental issues in our community. Through her work with the town of Chatham, including on several town committees, she has put water quality and climate change at the top of our agenda. Not only has she facilitated the many aspects of water quality testing, she is driving the analysis and making sure we are using the data thus improving our ability to monitor and care for our most precious natural resources. At Pleasant Bay Community Boating, she assisted, playing a key role, in obtaining the first ever coast guard approval of a solar powered vessel for PBCB's floating classroom.
Sarah's secret sauce is her ability to bring science, education and community together. Whether it is training water testers, supporting the Chatham Climate Action Network, or teaching children about bivalves during spring camps, her leadership and skills are providing critical information, growing knowledge and driving action across municipal government, local organizations, the scientific community and our children and their families. Sarah is truly a Captain in our community.
Captain's Award
Captain's Award
Presented by Friends of Chatham Waterways to honor distinguished service in the protection and preservation of Chatham’s waterways and neighboring lands. The Captain Award plaque hangs in Chatham Town Hall to the left of the door to the Selectmen’s office.
Award Criteria
- Honor the work or an individual, group or organization in protecting and preserving Chatham’s waterways and neighboring lands.
- Recognize efforts on a specific project or activity over a period of years.
- For an individual(s) in Chatham’s schools for exceptional effort to instruct pupils on the importance of conservation and what steps can be taken to achieve it.
- Elected or appointed Public Officials are also eligible.
- Current FCW board members are not eligible.
YEAR HONOREE(S)
2024 Frank Messina
2023 Thomas G. King
2022 Barbara Cotnam
2021 Charles J. Bartlett
2020 William C. Coleman
2019 Deborah S. Ecker
2018 Walter Butler
2017 Martha Stone
2016 Kristin Andres
2015 George Cooper
2014 Kurt Hellfach
2013 George Olmsted
2012 William Appleyard
2011 Jane S. Harris
2010 Fred O. Jensen
2009 Norman and Carol Pacun
2008 Richard Batchelder
2007 Rob Carlisle, Barbara Waters
2006 Gordon Pearce
2005 Paul R. Kelley
2004 Jean A. Young
2003 Coleman C. Yeaw
2002 Douglas B. Wells
2001 Richard N. Miller
The Captain’s Award plaque hangs in the downtown Chatham town hall to the left of the door to the office of the town manager and select board.
