NESS Founder Spike Lobdell Receives US Sailing's Martin Luray Award

"The Marty," as it is known, is the highest community sailing honor bestowed by US Sailing.
 
The New England Science & Sailing Foundation is proud to announce that CEO and Founder of NESS, Michael "Spike" Lobdell, has been awarded the prestigious US Sailing Martin A. Luray Award. The award recognizes Lobdell's outstanding and unselfish contributions to further public access sailing. Known popularly as "The Marty," the award is the highest honor bestowed by US Sailing, the sport's governing body, for community sailing programs.
 
According to US Sailing, Lobdell, "has been responsible for guiding NESS's vision, directing the execution of its strategy, organizing its governance, overseeing its staffing, managing the facility, directing community relations, and driving growth." They add, "Lobdell has shared his wealth of knowledge, his program resources, and his support with countless sailing centers and individuals across the country, and has grown community sailing immensely. These efforts, along with his direct work with NESS, reflect Lobdell's vision, leadership, and, importantly, belief in water as a platform for learning."

Lobdell founded NESS in 2002 and has been energetically working to build the nonprofit's capacity to provide access to sailing and the water for all-especially underserved youth and persons with disabilities. "It's a great honor to receive this recognition and the award is truly a reflection of the work of our dedicated NESS team who, day after day, represent NESS's four core values of Inclusiveness, Experiential Learning, Personal Growth, and Stewardship," says Lobdell.
 
In 2106 Lobdell received the National Recreation Foundation's Robert W. Crawford Achievement Prize-an award that recognizes the individual that has done the most to advance the lives of inner-city youth through recreation. The same year, he was previously recognized by US Sailing as the Outstanding Organizational Leader of a sailing organization.

New England Science & Sailing Foundation, Inc. (NESS), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) ocean adventure education organization that engages students in experiential learning to build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. Marine sciences, adventure sports, powerboating, and sailing are platforms for inquiry-based learning, personal discovery, teaching respect and responsibility for the sea, and creating connections with the community. NESS operates year-round with families, schools, and organizations to provide high-quality programs that blend an innovative curriculum with exciting ocean adventure activities. For more information, visit www.nessf.org.