A New Baykeeper Is Named

Peconic Baykeeper, the not-for-profit advocate for protection of the Peconic and South Shore estuaries, has named Brady J. Wilkins as the organization’s baykeeper. Mr. Wilkins succeeds Kevin McAllister, who had served in that position for 16 years, until March.

A Suffolk County native, Mr. Wilkins is a New York State licensed educator with a master’s degree in childhood education and has taught general education, special education, and science in several school districts. He is also a Coast Guard Merchant Marine officer, master of inland waters, and has served as captain and crew on vessels on the Great South Bay and Washington State’s Puget Sound.

“We are very excited to get Brady on board, and we believe he will be a great addition to the organization,” Daniel Gulizio, Peconic Baykeeper’s interim executive director, wrote in an email. Peconic Baykeeper, he wrote, “will continue its clean water advocacy mission with Brady. However, we also felt it was necessary to expand our efforts to include more community outreach and education in addition to our previous advocacy efforts.”

To that end, he said, the group has separated the positions of baykeeper and executive director. That reorganization, Mr. Gulizio wrote, “will allow us to reach more communities and a broader array of water quality issues than we have accomplished in the past. We look forward to expanding our presence in East Hampton waters.”

“My job will be going to local school districts,” Mr. Wilkins said, adding that Peconic Baykeeper is developing a curriculum focusing on wastewater treatment. “During the summer, my job will be working with scientists from Stony Brook and Suffolk County groups, taking them on board the vessel.”