Friends of the Bay Appoint New Director

Paul DeOrsay has been appointed Executive Director of Friends of the Bay, the organization's directors announced this week .

DeOrsay had served as Executive Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum for more than a decade, and holds a deep respect and passion for the history and environmental integrity of the Oyster Bay – Cold Spring Harbor watershed and the communities that surround it.

"We are pleased to have found a new director who will build upon the projects developed over our 25-year history, and the collaborative relationships established under the leadership of former director Pat Aitken," Friends of the Bay President Barry Lamb said. "We are confident that with Paul's familiarity with the community and the bay, we can transition smoothly and carry our program forward."

Lamb and DeOrsay agree that their first objective is to build the organization's capacity to achieve its mission.

"Our Bay and Harbor are such valuable and fragile resources, bringing so much to the quality of life we enjoy," said DeOrsay, a lifelong sailor. "But we have only to look around the Sound to appreciate that this healthy and beautiful estuary is under constant threat. It is a privilege to be working with a community of supporters and volunteers so committed  to the goal of protecting, preserving and restoring this delicate ecosystem."

Friends of the Bay is a private, non-profit educational organization. Its annual Harbor Cleanup Day is April 27.