People for Puget Sound

A premier organization that actually cares for Puget Sound (certainly our section of the Salish Sea) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, as well as making a change in its leadership. People for Puget Sound has been working for the Sound's protection and recovery since 1911, and boaters and non-boaters alike owe them our thanks - - lots of thanks.


Mike Sato, Director of Communications, Education and Involvement, issued a press release earlier this week announcing the hiring of Tom Bancroft as the organization's next executive director.

"Tom Bancroft, who holds a PhD in ecology, has had a distinguished career as an environmentalist and leader. Most recently he was Chief Scientist and Vice President of the National Audubon Society. Prior to that he was Vice President of The Wilderness Society. While he will be new to the Puget Sound region, he is well-acquainted with our challenges. Just last year, he headed up National Audubon’s scientific evaluations of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf. He has worked for many years on restoration and management of the Everglades, and he is familiar with Puget Sound and its watersheds from his work with The Wilderness Society."


Dr. Bancroft will be  succeeding founder and Executive Director Kathy Fletcher who will be retiring at the end of June 2011.


Dr. Bancroft explained that he boated a lot more when he was working in the Everglades and out into the Florida Keys but not much since then. He hope to be on the water here both for pleasure and for work.


In celebrating its anniversary People for Puget Sound will be taking the S/V Adventuress and the M/Y Carmelits on voyages to communities around the Sound, "reprising the inaugural voyage that launched People for Puget Sound in 1991". For details go to www.onepugetsound.org/voyage.


Retiring leader Kathy Fletcher has been an extraordinary founder-executive director. A personal connection for me, besides supporting People for Puget Sound in this blog, our youngest daughter, while at Western Washington University's environmental science program, did an internship under Kathy. I later met Kathy aboard the classic tug "Owl" while doing some boathandling coaching on Lake Union.


Now we welcome Tom Bancroft onto our waters and into our concerns for a healthy Sound.


This is a most worthy organization, one that has well earned the respect of many in the Puget Sound area and far beyond, boaters as well as non-boaters. You can keep up with them by subscribing (free) to their news clips and weather postings email list entering "subscribe" in the subject line, subscribing (again free) to their electronic newsletter, and, hopefully, then supporting them.