Ask the Expert: Boating & Safety Education Issues About the Moderator Born in Bristol, Connecticut, Cecilia Duer has lived all of her life on/near the water. An Ohioan since 1968, her interest and passion for boating and water related activities has grown through the years. A tireless worker, Cecilia is a champion of water-safety education. For the past seven years, Cecilia has served as Executive Director of the Youth Education Program of the Mentor, OH based Spirit of America Foundation (SOAF). Each year since the inception of the program, Spirit has received local, state, regional and last year, national awards for providing outstanding water safety and boating safety education to youth in Ohio. In 2002, the Foundation was recognized with the prestigious national "Boating Education Advancement Award (BEAA)." Spirit has also been recognized twice in the past with the Northern United States BEAA. Plus, under Cecilia's leadership the SOAF has received the Boston Whaler Youth Program of Excellence for the United States, as well as the Award of Merit from the National Water Safety Congress (each of the past eight years). Additionally, Cecilia was recently named the new - and first - Executive Director of the National Water Safety Congress (NWSC), a national 501c-3 organization created in 1951 to promote safe recreational use of our nation's waterways. The NWSC encourages individual states to establish and maintain effective water safety programs. Cecilia has published water and boating safety information and brochures locally and nationally. She has been recognized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft with the "Education Award" for "Outstanding Achievement in Boating Safety Education", and with "outstanding contributions and service to the Division of Watercraft. Cecilia is a very strong proponent of water and boating safety education. She is a firm believer that through education our waterways will be a safer, more enjoyable place to enjoy all types of boating and water related activities. Married with four children - all avid sailors and kayakers - Cecilia looks forward to answering your questions and receiving your input.