Poland alumni named educator of the year

During its 54th annual conference in Boise, Idaho on Sept. 14-18, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) announced Officer Valerie Cox, with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a 1990 graduate of Poland Seminary High School, as the Regional Boating Educator, as selected by the Northern Association of Boating Administrators.

The Boating Educator of the Year Award was launched by NASBLA in 2011 to recognize those who go above to engage students and boaters, raise awareness and make boating education initiatives relevant, thorough and exciting.

Cox connects easily with people and maintains a positive working rapport with staff, volunteers, other state organizations and partners.

A dedicated officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Watercraft, she currently serves as the boating education coordinator and is responsible for the coordination of numerous programs and projects that ultimately benefits the boaters of Ohio. She is a leader in training for both classroom and skill development courses.

At the end of 2012, Cox was awarded the Division of Watercraft’s Administrator of the Year Award for her extraordinary efforts.

Cox is tasked with the upkeep of Ohio’s mandatory boater education program. Cox is responsible for the maintenance and inventory of all course materials, trains and certifies new instructors each year, provides annual updates to over 180 instructors and actively teaches the classroom course to boaters each year.