Flint Riverkeeper wins conservationist of year

By Pete Skiba (2291)
pete.skiba@albanyherald.com

Saturday, March 13, 2010
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Photo by Laura Williams

ALBANY -- A state conservation organization honored the Flint Riverkeeper's Executive Director Gordon Rogers for his work by naming him River Conservationist of the Year.

The Georgia River Network announced the honor was given to Rogers at its recent sixth annual conference.

"Gordon's passion for protecting rivers, his understanding of how rivers work and his ability to bring people together have led to many successes for Georgia rivers," said Dana Skelton, the organization's director of administration.

Less than a year into his job, the honor was unexpected, Rogers said.

"I can only be humble about the award, because there are many others who have done much more to be recognized than I have to preserve our rivers," Rogers said. "It is awfully nice to be recognized by one's peers."

Rogers' love of rivers and water dates back to his fishing trips with both his grandfathers, he said.

"I remember the fun I had fishing with my maternal and paternal grandfathers," Rogers said. "The attraction of the water environment influenced my life."

A Georgia native, Rogers graduated from Oxford College of Emory University and did graduate work at the University of Georgia.

He was employed at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. After that he worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division.

Also honored by the river environmental network were: Watershed Group of the Year the Coosa River Basin Initiative, of Rome, and as Volunteer of the Year, Lee Becker, of Athens.

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