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    PFBC Recognizes Staff for Oustanding Achievements in Service

    November 07, 2024

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (November 7) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to recognize several staff members for outstanding achievements in service.  Awards were announced during the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ (NASBLA) conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in September 2024, and recognized by the PFBC Board of Commissioners during their quarterly business meeting on October 21, 2024.

    Michael Blair, Sergeant, Southeast Region, PFBC Bureau of Law Enforcement, has been named NASBLA Boating Officer of the Year for Pennsylvania.  Blair, a 2016 graduate of the PFBC’s Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety, was recently promoted to Sergeant, and previously served as Waterways Conservation Officer for southern Bucks County which contains the Delaware River and is one of the most active boating districts in the Commonwealth.  The award recognizes Blair’s commitment to boating education, which included serving as instructor for multiple boating safety courses and providing education to boaters while on the water by conducting over 300 boat boardings in 2023.  In addition to his education and enforcement efforts, Blair also recently received a Life Saving Award for his efforts in August 2023 to assist four individuals that were in distress in the Delaware River after their boat collided with a channel marker. 

    Colonel Jeff Sabo, WCO Michael Blair and Executive Director Tim Schaeffer pictured together honoring WCO Blair's outstanding service with the PFBC

    Chris Calhoun, PFBC Lead Water Rescue Instructor, Butler County, has been named the 2024 Northern Region Educator of the Year by NASBLA.  The award recognizes Calhoun’s 35 years of commitment to improving safety and training on Pennsylvania's waterways and beyond.  In addition to his role with PFBC, Calhoun is a full-time professor and coordinator for the park and recreation management program at Butler County Community College, where he teaches paddling, boating, and water safety.  Calhoun has instructed training programs in 14 states, is recognized internationally as an expert in his field, and has contributed to Pennsylvania’s unique status as having the nation’s only FEMA-approved water rescue program.

    Chris Calhoun pictured holding his award at the NASBLA Annual Conference for 2024 Northern Region Educator of the Year.

    All photos courtesy PFBC. 

    (Above) Pictured Left to Right: Col. Jeffrey Sabo, Award recipient Sgt. Michael Blair, PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer.

    (Below) Pictured: Chris Calhoun.

    Media Contacts

    Mike Parker

    Communications Director (717) 585-3076
    Fish and Boat Commission Media