COLUMBUS, OH - Jeffrey N. Hoedt, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft since January 1996, will leave that post August 9 to become chief of the Program Management Division, Office of Boating Safety at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C.
In his new position, Hoedt will have responsibilities for legislative and regulatory issues relating to recreational boating and boating law enforcement, supervision of the National Boating Accident Reporting System and fiscal management of the Office of Boating Safety. He will also serve as executive director of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC).
ODNR Director Sam Speck praised Hoedt for his leadership of Ohio's recreational boating program over the past six and a half years. Jeff Hoedt has helped implement a number of important customer-focused improvements, including the introduction of mandatory boater education, a new on-line boat registration system and an increased enforcement presence on our waterways, Speck said. Thanks to his efforts, Ohioans in growing numbers enjoy safer, more accessible boating than ever before.
Hoedt, a native of Euclid, Ohio, first joined ODNR in 1979 as a watercraft officer, and later as assistant district supervisor, stationed at Cleveland. He later served as boating program supervisor for the Idaho Department of Parks before joining the Coast Guard's headquarters staff in 1993. In 1996 he returned to Ohio to accept the chief's position at the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
For Further Information Contact:
Andy Ware , ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882
-or-
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
(614) 265-6695