Washington, DC – A volunteer with the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Alan Brooks of Olympia, Washington, is being honored with the first ever ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Award by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program.

Brooks is serving his second year as Chairman of the Olympic Coast Sanctuary Advisory Council where he has distinguished himself as a passionate and extremely effective advocate of ocean habitats and marine life. In addition to his duties on the Council, Brooks is the District 5020 Rotary Foundation Chair for the 81 Clubs in Northwestern Washington State and all of Vancouver Island, British Columbia and has used his contacts to develop new Sanctuary partnerships with business leaders. He has also arranged for Sanctuary staff to give presentations to numerous organizations in communities adjacent to the Sanctuary.

“During his four-year tenure on the Sanctuary Advisory Council, Al Brooks has tirelessly sought to elevate the stature and public awareness of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, as well as the National Marine Sanctuary Program as a whole, said Carol Bernthal, the Sanctuary’s Manager. “As a result of his actions, the Council has taken on a much more active role and many members have reached out to their constituent groups, achieving the national goal of having an effective and engaged Sanctuary Advisory Council.”

Despite his obvious impact, Brooks said the national award surprised him. “I am astounded by the personal recognition because I know full well that success comes from the support and cooperation of all those around you,” said Brooks. “It has been a personal growth experience working with different views and philosophies and experiencing these divergent opinions come together in a common consensus and at other times respectfully disagreeing – always with the complete resolve to support the mission of the Sanctuary.”

Brooks and a volunteer from Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will receive their ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Awards at a gala dinner Tuesday, June 10th in Washington, D.C. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is also presenting its first annual Leadership Awards that evening to U.S. Senator Ernest Hollings (SC) and U.S. Representative Jim Saxton (NJ) for their roles in introducing the Oceans Act of 2000.

“The Foundation is delighted to honor these volunteers and Members of Congress, whose enthusiasm and diligence have contributed so much to our National Marine Sanctuary Program and to ocean preservation in general,” said Lori Arguelles, the Foundation’s Executive Director.
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Leadership Awards Dinner will also feature renowned ocean explorers and Foundation Trustees Jean-Michel Cousteau and Dr. Robert Ballard, who will present the Awards, as well as Actress Lauren Hutton, an avid diver, who will serve as Master of Ceremonies. This event kicks off Capitol Hill Oceans Week, a two-day symposium on Capitol Hill, June 11-12.

Now in its third year, the symposium, also co-hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, has established itself as one of the most important events of the year for exchanging knowledge and ideas about ocean issues and policies. “Capitol Hill Oceans Week is intended to build bridges among the various ocean constituents, as well as to place ocean issues prominently before our nation’s leaders,” said Lori Arguelles, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “It is our intention to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge and ultimately to make progress in areas of common ground.”

This year, representatives from government, private industry, nonprofits, and academia will focus on the latest discoveries and the future of ‘Ocean Exploration’ (Wednesday, June 11) and the challenges and solutions to ‘Managing Marine Areas’ (Thursday, June 12). Each panel discussion will begin with an overview from a Member of Congress. Congressional co-hosts of CHOW 2003 include the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the House Committee on Resources, the House Committee on Science, and the House Oceans Caucus.