Last month, Tracy Warncke retired from state service after serving as the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program’s administrative assistant for thirty years. Prior to joining the NEP, Tracy’s interest in Buzzards Bay water quality began in 1986 when the Town of Bourne began closing shellfish beds due to bacterial contamination. Her husband was a commercial shellfisherman and these closures threatened her family’s welfare. She offered to volunteer for the Board of Health, but they instead hired her to run their water quality monitoring program. During her time with the Board of Health, she served on the Cape Cod Marine Water Quality Task Force and collaborated with Barnstable County Department of Health and the Environment and USGS on several projects including the use of well-point samplers to track bacteria pathways and nutrients from septic systems around Buttermilk Bay. In 1987, she helped with the creation of the non-profit Buzzards Bay Coalition, and was a participant in the first State of the Bay conference.

In 1989, she joined the NEP in an administrative role, however in subsequent years she assisted in a wide range of projects including report and outreach document preparation, purchasing, contract management, organizing workshops, water quality sampling, and website management. Tracy was always a valuable asset when managing calls and questions to the NEP offices from concerned residents on any issue, answering their questions or directing callers to the appropriate state agency or town department.

In May, Ann Rodney similarly retired from the U.S. EPA after 30 years of services, including acting as the NEP’s project officer during the last eight years. Prior to that work, Ann had worked in guiding the first boat no-discharge zone in Buzzards Bay during the 1990s, and also worked in the EPA grants office and Regional Administrators office, often on Buzzards Bay issues.

At the May Buzzards Bay Action Committee meeting, both Tracy and Ann received a certificate of appreciation in their longtime service to the protection and restoration of Buzzards Bay. Thank you Tracy and Ann for your dedicated work over the last 30 years. You will be missed. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.