Grover Fugate was Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). In his role of 34 years, Fugate was responsible for overseeing the development of all policies and programs for the state’s coastal program. He recently was the project manager of the Council’s new Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (SAMP), which is a forward-looking plan at how climate change is impacting Rhode Island’s shoreline and developing appropriate responses to this threat and protecting the state’s coastal infrastructure.
Due to his leadership with the Ocean SAMP project and other coastal planning efforts, Fugate has earned many significant awards, including the 2018 Regional Adaptation Leadership Award from the American Society of Adaptation Professionals; two prestigious international 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards: one as winner for ‘Excellence in Solutions’ for Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan and the second for New England Regional Ocean Plan. He has also been awarded the 2017 New England Environment Business Council, Ira W. Leighton, Jr. Outstanding Environmental – Energy Technology Achievement Award for the Block Island Wind Farm Project; the 2016 Congressional Service Award for the Ocean SAMP; the 2010 Susan Snow‐Cotter Award for Excellence in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Fugate is also the recipient of the 2010 Regional Sea Grant Outstanding Outreach Award, the 2008 Coastal America Award for Habitat Restoration and the 2008 Rhode Island Sea Grant Lifetime Achievement Award.
