Gulf of Maine Council Recognizes Three NH Winners

Three New Hampshire award winners, including NHDES Assistant Director of the Water Division Ted Diers, were among the individuals and organizations honored by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment at an international ceremony hosted by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management in Boston on June 7, 2023. The Gulf of Maine Council presented international awards to honor individuals and organizations that have made a significant difference in protecting the health and sustainability of the Gulf of Maine watershed. Joining Diers as New Hampshire winners were Donald Clement and Jay Diener.

Ted Diers

Diers was recognized with the Susan Snow-Cotter Leadership Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership. The Susan Snow-Cotter Leadership Award is bestowed in memory of Susan Snow-Cotter, a long-time friend and supporter of the Gulf of Maine Council. This award is given to an individual from one of the five states and provinces bordering the Gulf of Maine to recognize a coastal management professional who exemplifies outstanding leadership or exceptional mentoring in the Gulf of Maine watershed.

An image of Ted Diers receiving his award.Over the past 25 years, Ted Diers has focused his work on state and federal ocean policy, salt marsh and river restoration projects; assisting in revisions of state regulations; managing controversial and diverse issues; and facilitating numerous planning efforts. He is a past chair of the Gulf of Maine Council Working Group, Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC) and Coastal States Organization.  

He also helped form and served on the initial board of directors of the Northeast Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems. He was the vice-chair of the National Ocean Council’s Governance Coordinating Committee and is currently serving as state co-chair for the Ocean Planning Committee of NROC.

Don Clement

An image of Don Clement receiving his award.Don Clement was honored with the 2023 Longard Award, which is presented to an individual or group of individuals from one of the five states and provinces bordering the Gulf of Maine to recognize volunteer commitment to environmental protection and sustainability within the Gulf of Maine. Clement was honored for his outstanding volunteer contributions toward protecting these coastal resources. Clement has been an exceptional volunteer within the Gulf of Maine watershed for over two decades, volunteering thousands of hours to advocate for the protection of water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in the Exeter-Squamscott River watershed.

Clement has worked as Chair of the Exeter-Squamscott River Local Advisory Committee, chair of the Town of Exeter Select Board, and a member of the Town of Exeter Conservation Commission. His leadership was critical to the removal of Exeter’s Great Dam to improve water quality and fish migration, the adoption of local stormwater management and shoreland protection land use regulations, the construction of Exeter’s new wastewater treatment plant to reduce the discharge of nitrogen to the river, and permanent conservation of hundreds of acres of land.

Jay Diener

Jay Diener of New Hampshire was awarded a Gulf of Maine Council Visionary Award. Visionary Awards are presented to individuals or organizations within each of the five Gulf of Maine jurisdictions recognizing innovation, creativity and commitment to promoting a healthy Gulf of Maine.

Diener has been a steadfast leader as a member and chair of the Hampton Conservation Commission and a participant on special interest committees like the Master Plan Update and Coastal Hazards Adaptation Team. While serving as president of the Great Bay Stewards board of trustees, Diener
recognized that his local Hampton-Seabrook Estuary needed an advocate to protect and preserve its unique ecological functions and help to build resilience. He spearheaded the formation of the Seabrook Hampton Estuary Alliance (SHEA) in 2013. Diener’s natural leadership and dedication continue to spark the group’s work on critical efforts to support the estuary.

More Information

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was established in 1989 by the Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to foster cooperative actions within the Gulf watershed. The Council’s mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations. For more information, please go to: http://www.gulfofmaine.org.

Additional information about the Gulf of Maine Council 2023 awards, including recipient highlights, is available on the Gulf of Maine Council's website.