Maryland DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz and Governor Wes Moore present Professor Thomas Miller with the 2025 ‘Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay’ Award in the governor’s office. Photo by Polly Irungu, Office of the Governor.
Maryland 2026 - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is once again hosting a public nomination process for the Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay Award this year and is now accepting new nominations for potential awardees.
Instituted by Governor J. Millard Tawes in 1959, the admiral is a lifetime achievement award bestowed by the governor upon individuals who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to the conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.
DNR is looking for nominees who have dedicated their careers to organizing communities, leading restoration efforts, deepening our understanding of Bay science, or otherwise helping to improve the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
People interested in nominating an individual for the award can fill out the public nomination form on DNR’s website. The nomination period will close August 31. The nominations will be reviewed by a committee of staff volunteers at the Department of Natural Resources who will make recommendations to the Secretary and Governor. Award winner(s) will be announced publicly when chosen, as has occurred previously. DNR plans to announce award winners by the end of the year.
Last year was the first year that DNR offered a public nomination process for this prestigious award. The process resulted in Professor Thomas Miller, a longtime fisheries biologist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, being selected for the award during a public ceremony featuring Gov. Wes Moore at the Board of Public Works.
Previous Admirals of the Chesapeake Bay–there are now more than 100–include Captain Eldridge Meredith, a waterman and charter boat captain who worked in and around the Bay for 80 years; David M. Goshorn, DNR’s current Deputy Secretary and former DNR Chesapeake Bay restoration officer; and John Page Williams, a master naturalist and environmental educator who worked for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for 46 years.
