March 10, 2010

National advocacy group recognizes top coastal allies

Members of Congress, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official among honorees

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In appreciation of their outstanding work to preserve America's beaches, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) will recognize its top coastal allies at a special awards reception on Capitol Hill during the association's 2010 Coastal Summit. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.

ASBPA honorees and their awards include:
• Rep. James Oberstar, 8th District, Minnesota, with the "Friend of the Coast" Award, which spotlights a Member of Congress for his or her efforts on behalf of specific coastal issues;

• Rep. John Mica, 7th District, Florida, with the "Friend of the Coast "Award, which spotlights a Member of Congress for his or her efforts on behalf of specific coastal issues;

• Olivia Kurtz, with the office of Rep. Mike Castle, with the "Congressional Staff" Award, for her tireless staff service in support of coastal issues and legislation;

• Mark Copeland, with the office of Rep. Tim Bishop, with the "Congressional Staff" Award, for his tireless staff service in support of coastal issues and legislation;

• Don Cresitello, for the National Hurricane Program, with the "Corps of Engineers" Award, spotlights a Corps employee for his or her consistent support for coastal management;

• Guidry News Service, with the "Friend of the Coast Media" Award, which spotlights a media organization for its consistent support of coastal issues.

"America's beaches are priceless elements of American life, environmentally, economically and recreationally," said Harry Simmons, Mayor of Caswell Beach, NC and President of ASBPA. "Without the support of many outstanding public servants, such as our 2010 award recipients, we would surely lose the battle to preserve many of our coastal treasures. We are pleased to be able to recognize their hard work and steadfast commitment to the critical tasks at hand."

Following is some additional background on the award winners:

Rep. Jim Oberstar
Rep. Jim Oberstar represents the 8th Congressional District of Minnesota, which encompasses most of the state's Lake Superior coastline. In his 18th term as a Member of Congress, Oberstar serves as the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In that capacity, he exercises direct oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the execution of its civil works mission. "An eloquent speaker, gifted legislator and smart politician, Chairman Oberstar understands the needs of the coast, the value that it holds for our nation, and the absolute necessity for the federal government to remain committed to preserving it," Simmons said.

Rep. John Mica
Rep. John Mica represents the 7th Congressional District of Florida, which encompasses a large stretch of Florida's Atlantic Coast including the famed Daytona Beach. In his ninth term as a Member of Congress, Rep. Mica serves as the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. As such, he plays a pivotal role in the projects and policies directed by Congress to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its civil works mission.

Olivia Kurtz
Olivia Kurtz serves as a legislative assistant to Rep. Mike Castle, the only member of the House of Representatives from Delaware. As Castle's legislative assistant, Kurtz handles all things "coastal" for Rep. Castle. Given the elemental coastal nature of Delaware, Kurtz's work for Castle is of tremendous importance to the state and the nation.

Mark Copeland
Mark Copeland serves as legislative director to Rep. Tim Bishop, who represents the 1st Congressional District of New York, which encompasses eastern Long Island. As Bishop's legislative director, Copeland is the point person for all matters concerning the coast. His work is particularly important given Rep. Bishop's seat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, the panel that oversees the Corps' civil works mission. In recent years, Copeland has played an important role in helping to sustain Congress' commitment to the Fire Island to Montauk Point Hurricane Protection and Storm Damage reduction project. That project encompasses five reaches of the south shore of Long Island, stretching 83 miles, or approximately 80 percent of the total ocean frontage of Long Island.

Donald Cresitello
Donald Cresitello has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, for approximately seven years. His primary experience is with coastal storm damage reduction projects in New Jersey and New York. Cresitello is also involved in a number of national efforts, including, supporting the Corps' National Center of Expertise for Coastal Storm Damage Reduction, managing the District's Regional Sediment Management program, and managing the Shore Protection Systems effort. Additionally, he manages the New York State Hurricane Evacuation Study Program and serves as the technical planner for the Hurricane Planning and Preparedness Study for the New York metro region, and he is a member of the National Local Government Liaison Cadre.

Guidry News Service
Jim Guidry established Guidry News Service on July 8, 1996, in Galveston, Texas. Guidry News Service has three publications that cover public meetings and special events in Harris, Galveston, Jefferson and Brazoria counties: Gulf Coast E-news, GuidryNews.com, The Online News Station and the Guidry News Gazette. The Guidry News Service is dedicated to providing information about the coast to its readership.

For more information, please visit www.asbpa.org.

# # #

ABOUT ASBPA: Founded in 1926, the ASBPA promotes the integration of science, policies and actions that maintain, protect and enhance the coasts of America. For more information on ASBPA, go to www.asbpa.org, facebook or www.twitter.com/asbpa.