Tom King Captains Award
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 2023 Captain’s Award recipient, Thomas G. King, is a longtime FCW member, and former FCW president. Tom is a descendant of Thomas Howes who founded Dennis, Massachusetts in 1613 and shortly thereafter the Howes family moved to Chatham. He is one of nine children and was affectionately known as #4 and was lucky enough to spend every summer growing up sailing the beautiful waters of Stage Harbor, Pleasant Bay and Nantucket Sound. His parents moved to Chatham year-round during his high school years where he graduated from Chatham High School. After graduation, Tom embarked on a 6-year Alaskan fishing career in the Bering Sea working on numerous fishing boats. Starting out as a half share bait boy and eventually earning the top job as deck boss on a 185 ft king crab vessel out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. He went back to college and earned a BA from the University of Washington and married the love of his life Jessica.
Tom had a 38-year career in the life insurance industry working for Hooper Holmes, Inc. as a regional vice president of operations and later worked for the Medical Information Bureau as vice president, national sales manager. During this time, they lived in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Jersey and moved fulltime to Chatham in 2005. Currently, Tom is the chairman of the town of Chatham south coastal harbor plan committee. He is a two-term president of Friends of Chatham Waterways and served on the FCW board for 12 years. He was commodore of Stage Harbor Yacht Club (2009-2010) and served on the town of Chatham waterways advisory committee (2008-2018). Tom and Jessica have two wonderful children Alexa & Peter and their first grandchild, 2-year-old Milow.
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)
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.
