Environment

Latest Peconic Baykeeper resigns his post after seven months

Baykeeper_Web
Brady Wilkins in September 2014, after it was announced he’d be taking over as the face of the Peconic Baykeeper nonprofit advocacy group.

The search for the next Peconic Baykeeper is once again on.

Seven months after he signed on as the public face of the nonprofit water protection advocacy group, Brady Wilkins resigned from the Baykeeper position last Monday, said Brendan McCurdy, the organization’s chairman.

Mr. McCurdy said the split was amicable and that Mr. Wilkins plans to return to his teaching career. 

Mr. Wilkins, a U.S. Merchant Marine officer and former captain and crew member of passenger ferries and excursion vessels in the Great South Bay and on the West Coast, joined the organization in September.

Prior to accepting the job, Mr. Wilkins also taught a number of classes, including science, in Suffolk County.

“He really wants to devote his professional career to the classroom,” Mr. McCurdy said. “There is no animosity. He did great work when he was with us. We wish him well.”

Mr. McCurdy said the organization’s board of directors is in the process of finding Mr. Wilkins’ replacement. He noted that they still have “a bunch of résumés” from the last round of hiring for the position. Mr. Wilkins replaced longtime Baykeeper Kevin McAllister, who last year was abruptly dismissed from the organization he helped found. Mr. McAllister has since started his own water protection group called Defend H2O.

Mr. McCurdy said he hopes to fill the position as soon as possible.

“We are going to take our time and be deliberate about it, but we do need to have a Baykeeper,” he said. “Summer is staring us right in the face and we want to get our boat on the water.”

Mr. Wilkins could not immediately be reached for comment.

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