Many believe that former New Bedford Mayor John Bullard is poised to become the new Northeast regional administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A former New Bedford mayor and member of the Clinton administration, Bullard is president of the Sea Education Foundation, a $14 million, non-government organization that gives approximately 175 college students a year an "at-sea semester" on campus in Woods Hole and aboard one of SEA's two 134-foot sail training vessels, according to the organization's 2010 filing with the Internal Revenue Service in lieu of taxes.
His candidacy was supported in writing by Sen. John Kerry.
The other finalist, George LaPointe, who recently ended a long run as director of marine resources in Maine, was endorsed in writing by a number of political and government officials including New Hampshire Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Frank Guinta; and by Maine Rep. Michael Michaud and former Maine Gov. Angus King.
In the process of picking a successor to Kurkul, who in December ended a tumultuous term lasting more than a decade as Regional administrator for the Northeast, NOAA solicited stakeholder input for the first time.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.