DIFW recognizes great work by its staff

Fifteen staffers at Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have been recognized for their good work. Here’s the agency’s press release. If you know any of these good people, send them a congratulations!

IFW Employees Honored With Awards For Outstanding Work

AUGUSTA, Maine – Lindsay Tudor, a wildlife biologist specializing in shorebirds, was awarded one of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s highest honors, the Kenneth Anderson award, given annually to the member of the department who has made exemplary contributions towards the enhancement of the state’s inland fisheries and wildlife. Lindsay was one of several employees honored last week for their outstanding service to the department and state.

“We are a small agency with an incredible impact in the state,” said Chandler Woodcock, Commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, “Hunting, fishing,  and wildlife watching is a billion dollar industry in this state, and the employees that we honored are outstanding in protecting and enhancing this resource.”

In a career that has lasted nearly 30 years, Lindsay has led the department’s successful piping plover management plan. Under her guidance, the number of endangered piping plovers successfully nesting as well as the number of chicks fledging has increased, due to a community-based management program that includes towns, landowners, Maine Audubon and the Maine Warden Service as stewards of this endangered shorebird.

Lindsay has also been instrumental in developing and implementing a purple sandpiper monitoring program that includes a shorebird telemetry study, and it was noted that she works tirelessly collecting survey data concerning significant wildlife habitat in Maine.

Elizabeth Thorndike, a fisheries biologist in the Rangeley Lakes region, was honored as the fisheries division employee of the year. Noted as amazingly driven, Elizabeth was lauded for her innovative work on the arctic charr program at Bald Mountain Pond, her eagerness to take on and complete new job responsibilities, her work in simplifying the fishing lawbook, her work interacting with the public, as well as her passion, dedication and commitment to the state’s fisheries.

Cory Mosby, a wildlife biologist in the department’s Wildlife Resource Assessment Section was recognized as the wildlife division employee of the year. Cory was cited for his work on Maine’s bat species, including implementing a new species monitoring system; his work further strengthening the furbearer program; developing monitoring protocols with the University of Maine for marten, fishers and coyotes, and working with UMO to develop a DNA-based surveying technique for threatened northern bog lemmings.

In the Information and Education Division, Emily MacCabe was honored for her service to the public, particularly her work on developing a brand guide for the entire department, her ongoing work redesigning and updating the department’s website and implementing a department-wide communications and marketing plan.

Angela Vo was recognized as the licensing and registration employee of the year. Her extremely courteous and helpful demeanor towards customers and coworkers was noted, as was her ability to remain calm and pleasant no matter what situation arises. She is also quick to offer assistance whenever an area is short-staffed.

The hatchery section honored Greg Massey for his tireless work ethic. Greg was noted for his eagerness to assist other hatcheries, his ability to work marathon-long stocking runs, assist fisheries staff with their projects, and perform daily maintenance duties efficiently and pleasantly no matter the situation. It also was noted he constantly is looking to improve how we raise fish, how to perform hatchery duties more efficiently and effectively.

Michelle McAtee was recognized as the employee of the year for administrative support. Michelle’s ability to go above and beyond what is expected was praised, as well as her efforts in overseeing and leading two extremely successful large-scale fundraisers for two employee families in need.

Sue Brann and Wendy Parker were recognized for their outstanding service for their work preparing multiple final reports and closing the account on several large federal funding grants. These federal grants supported multiple projects, dozens of jobs and hundreds of contracts. Their perseverance, follow-up, and determination ensured these were completed on time, and completed properly in order to avoid any penalty.

Six IFW employees were honored with the teamwork award for their work in reviewing, revamping and updating the department’s complex wildlife in captivity regulations. James Connolly, Nathan Webb, Christl Theriault, Phillip DeMaynadier, Jason Czapiga and Derek Yorks worked for over a year to design regulations that protected Maine’s people and wildlife, as well was reasonable, and that struck a balance between competing interest groups. They also completed a monumental task in updating the “unrestricted” species list.

 

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.