Maurice K. Goddard
September 13, 1912 - September 14, 1995
- Born in Massachusetts. Grew up in Kansas and then made Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, his home.
- Earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry at University of Maine in 1935 and a master’s degree in forestry at the University of California-Berkley in 1938. Taught forestry at Penn State University, where he was the director of the School of Forestry. The university later named the director position as the Maurice K. Goddard Chair.
- Served directly under General Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. Left the Army as a lieutenant colonel and received the Legion of Merit Award and the Bronze Star.
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Served as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters from 1956 to 1971, and then as secretary of the Department of Environmental Resources from the agency’s inception in 1972 until 1979. During his years with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dr. Goddard:
- Worked vigorously to ensure the enforcement of Pennsylvania's clean stream and air pollution control laws.
- Served as Chairman of the Water and Power Resources Board, the State Forestry Commission, and the Geographical Board, and as a member of the Sanitary Water Board, the Governor’s Executive Board, the Commission on Interstate Cooperation, State Planning Board, Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Land Reclamation Board, and numerous other boards and ad hoc groups.
- Established a state park system that allowed every resident of Pennsylvania to be within at least 25 miles of a state park.
- Served from 1962 to 1970 on the Interstate Advisory Committee (IAC) on the Susquehanna River Basin. In 1963, IAC members selected him as the permanent Chairman of the committee. The IAC drafted the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, which established the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Goddard worked tirelessly leading up to the legislative enactment of the Compact.
- Served from 1972 to 1980 on the Susquehanna River Basin Commission as the alternate commissioner to the Governor of Pennsylvania.
Recipients of the Maurice K. Goddard Award
2018: Mark Hartle
Mr. Hartle was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the protection of fisheries in the Susquehanna River Basin. His coordination on the technical review of energy sector water use applications before the Commission, his key role in developing ecological flow standards for the River and its tributaries, and his participation on the Commission’s advisory committees are just a few of his remarkable contributions.
2013: James J. Brozena
Mr. Brozena was recognized for his enormous contributions to flood hazard mitigation which helped protect public health, safety, and welfare. These contributions included the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project that significantly addressed flood protection structures and stormwater runoff and enhanced mitigation planning and recreational opportunities. In June 2007, Mr. Brozena became the first Executive Director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority. He will always be recognized for his achievements as the project manager of the Wyoming Levee Raising Project. This project involved raising existing levees and flood walls to protect communities from flooding and significantly enhanced local recreation and riverfront access.
2011: Willard (Bill) Harman, Ph.D.
In his role as Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Biology Department at SUNY Oneonta, Dr. Harman contributed significantly to aquatic research, including concerns related to invasive species. He contributed to more than 198 technical publications. Dr. Harman was also actively involved in public information and education projects because he understood the importance of raising public awareness of Otsego Lake's unique ecosystem. Among his many achievements, Dr. Harman led the acquisition of 44 years of data that has enabled Otsego Lake to be used as an Ecological Reference site and serve as the foundation for the Otsego Lake Watershed Management Plan.
2009: David Nicosia
As a Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y., Mr. Nicosia made enormous contributions to flood mitigation with unwavering commitment to the public he serves. Before, during, and after flood events, he worked non-stop to make sure emergency officials and flood managers got the information they needed to make good decisions. The Commission has worked closely with Mr. Nicosia to enhance flood forecasting, to raise awareness on the dangers of driving on flooded roads, and to reach out to communities to help them better prepare for flooding.
2000: Maryland Delegate David Rudolph (District 34B)
Delegate Rudolph was recognized for his outstanding leadership in the Maryland House of Delegates in protecting the Lower Susquehanna River watershed by bringing to the forefront issues affecting this region, including debris and sediment management and flood and drought management.
2007: William Gast
As Chief of the Division of Water Use Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Mr. Gast was recognized for his 38 years of dedicated service to DEP and for his invaluable assistance as Pennsylvania's alternate commissioner for nearly 10 years. In his capacity as alternate commissioner, he was a devoted and active member of the Commission's Water Resources Management Advisory Committee, Drought Coordination Committee, Interagency Committee on the Susquehanna Flood Forecast and Warning System, as well as numerous issue-specific, ad hoc committees. He was an essential player in the Commission's regulatory program--reviewing water withdrawal and use applications, regulatory policies and guidances, and the revision of the Commission's regulations.
2004: Leroy M. Young, Jr.
Mr. Young, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's (PFBC) Chief of Aquatic Resources Section in the Division of Environmental Studies, was recognized for 23 years of service at PFBC where he made significant contributions to the protection of fisheries--a vital resource management function of the Basin. He also served as the Regional Director for Region 54 of the Instream Flow Council, an international organization of state and provincial government instream flow biologists. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Young worked with an interagency team to develop the Pennsylvania/Maryland Instream Flow Model. Additionally, he specializes in training and has been involved in the design, review, and implementation of numerous instream flow studies in Pennsylvania.
2003: Jennifer Fais
Ms. Fais, Principal Planner at the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board, was recognized for her excellent contributions to watershed management, community environmental planning, wellhead protection, and water quality programs. Over the years, Ms. Fais has provided technical and planning assistance to Steuben, Corning, Chemung, and Schuyler Counties in New York. Ms. Fais has also been an integral part of the Chemung River Basin Trail Partnership.
2002: Richard St. Pierre
Mr. St. Pierre was recognized for 29 years as a fishery management biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He oversaw the multi-agency migratory fish restoration effort on the Susquehanna River in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Mr. St. Pierre chaired the Fish Passage Workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Program using matching federal funds to reopen more than 1,000 miles of dammed tributary streams to anadromous fish spawning runs in the Chesapeake watershed.
2001: N.G. Kaul, P.E.
Mr. Kaul was recognized for his work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation serving as Director, Division of Water, who is responsible for water quality and quantity. Mr. Kaul worked for the departments of Water Quality Planning Studies, Non-point Source Pollution, and as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Environmental Quality.
2000: Michael S. Smith and Michael A. Sprague
Mr. Smith and Mr. Sprague were recognized for their enormous contributions to flood preparedness and response. Mr. Smith served as Director of the Chemung County Office of Fire and Emergency Management in the state of New York. He was responsible for the duties of Fire Coordinator, Emergency Manager, and Communications/E9-1-1 Operations. Mr. Sprague served as the Director of the Steuben County Office of Emergency Services. He was responsible for the duties of Fire Coordinator, Emergency Manager, Communications, and management of the office and its budget.