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Elizabeth J. Fellows Award

Presentation of First Elizabeth Jester Fellows Award to Dr. Emery Cleaves

Emery Cleaves being presented the first Elizabeth Jester Fellows Award at the National Water Monitoring Conference in May 2002, Madison, Wishconsin. Pictured from left to right are: David Denig-Chakroff, Representative for Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies; Emery Cleaves, Maryland Geological Survey; Charles S. Spooner, Co-Chair, National Water Quality Monitoring Council; and Linda Green, University of Rhode Island..

This award is to honor both Elizabeth Jester Fellows and Dr. Emery Cleaves for his leadership and insight as he has championed and supported water-quality as the State Geologist in Maryland and as a member of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council.

Elizabeth Jester Fellows died suddenly on Saturday, November 10, 2000. When she died, she was the Director of the Assessment and Watershed Protection Division in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. She had been the Chief of the Monitoring Branch in this Office for 6 years, during which time she was the EPA Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality, the predecessor to the National Water Quality Monitoring Council. She was one of the most insistent voices to proclaim that the National Water Quality Monitoring Council be chartered to succeed the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality.

Elizabeth’s commitment to public service and environmental protection was felt deeply. She brought to everyone a seemingly inexhaustible reservoir of high energy and intense focus on results. With that, however, she also brought us her unyielding optimism and a deeply held belief in empowerment and each person's positive potential. And so, as she pushed each of us to excel, she always did so with enthusiasm and personal concern.

A member of the Council noted that the impact of her loss represents the loss of what is not going to be accomplished. To remind us of our continuing support for the goals which she established, the National Water Quality Monitoring Council has created this award as a way of permanently honoring her.

We are pleased to award it to Dr. Emery Cleaves who has worked closely with Elizabeth and with the Council to foster effective collaboration between groups that see ground water and surface waters as separate resources and with organizations at different levels of government with similar missions.

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council has long noted the importance of establishing monitoring councils in states to coordinate monitoring. Dr. Cleaves started the first of these in Maryland and served as its chair for years. His experience with the Maryland Water Monitoring Council has been shared by his many visits to other states who want to know of the benefits and to learn how to establish and maintain a state monitoring council.

The Council has noted Emery’s achievements. Emery was a member of the National Council for many years but left the Council last year because of the press of other duties and opportunities. He is remembered for his contributions and also as a gracious gentleman and good friend to the monitoring community.


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