On Tuesday, June 13th, we gathered in the Boat House at Great Harbor Yacht Club for a celebration of twenty years of the Nantucket Shellfish Association! We heard updates from our Co-President, Bruce Beni, our Treasurer, Martin McKerrow, and our Executive Director, Samantha Denette. We also had the honor of hearing from our founder, Dan Drake, about the early years of the Shellfish Association, how and why we came to be, and the work we have done and the fun we have had since then!

A highlight of our evening was honoring a number of people who have been incredibly impactful to the Shellfish Association and are worthy of celebration!

2023 Lifetime Achievement Award - aka The Golden Scallop Award - Dan Drake

Dan founded the Nantucket Shellfish Association in 2003, when it was born out of Sustainable Nantucket. He was a diligent steward of the organization and its commitment to clean and healthy harbors for over 15 years. Dan now supports the NSA on its Board of Advisors. We are endlessly grateful for the foundation that he built and the support he continues to give the NSA. On our 20th Anniversary, we honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award, known in our shellfish circle as The Golden Scallop Award. Thank you for everything Dan!

Patron of the Year - Don Van Dyke

Don has been a member of our Board of Directors for over a decade. In that time, he has been a strong voice for support of our fishery and education of our community. We are grateful to Don for his advice and guidance in areas of nonprofit governance and his commitment to the Shellfish Association’s new initiatives.

Fisherman of the Year - Bruce Cowan

In April 2022, we sent the all-call to the Fishermen’s Council for help moving scallop seed in Madaket Harbor. The first to answer that call was Bruce Cowan! Over two weeks in April, he welcomed our director, Samantha, onto his boat to move scallop seed, teaching along the way. Bruce was one of the founding members of the Shellfish Association and he has been steadfast in his support of the organization since then.

Volunteers of the Year - Sofia Flores-Boynton and Tanya McQueen Forman

We know that The Scallopers Ball is the best event of the year. And last year, it proved to be fruitful for the NSA in even more ways! We got to know Sofi and Tanya while they served on the Host Committee, helping plan, organize, assemble sponsors and auction items, and more. Sofia and Tanya were such impactful volunteers that we are proud and excited to welcome them to our Board of Directors this year!

2023 Annual Meeting

Clean Water Coalition Events

2023 Scholarship Recipients