The board of directors of the Friends of the Upper Delaware River announced Wednesday Jeff Skelding has been named the group’s first executive director.

Skelding most recently served as director of the Healing Our Waters--Great Lakes Coalition. He has spent decades working in various positions with the National Wildlife Federation and other conservation-minded groups.

“We are excited to have Jeff on board to help the protection and enhancement of the Upper Delaware community reach the next level,” said Dr. Peter C. Bousum, secretary of the FUDR board.

Dan Plummer, board chairman, added, “The mission of FUDR is to protect, preserve and enhance the ecosystem and cold-water fishery of the Upper Delaware River system and to address any environmental threats to our area for the benefit of local communities, residents and visitors to the region. We see Jeff Skelding as the right man for the challenges we face.”

“To say I feel fortunate for the opportunity to serve as the first executive director for the Friends of the Upper Delaware River would be a tremendous understatement,” said Skelding. “As an avid fly fisherman and long-time conservation professional, combining two of my life’s passions is more like a dream come true. I have the privilege of working to protect and restore the river where I spent my entire childhood, in southeast  Pennsylvania.

“The river played a vital role in shaping my occupation,” Skelding said. “Comprehensive watershed protection must address a mosaic of often complex economic, social, cultural and ecological considerations. That’s hard work. But with increasing frequency, this integrated approach is producing results across the country that benefit people, communities, wildlife, and water quality. With your help, I look forward to putting this agenda into action.”

For more information, visit the Friends of the Upper Delaware River website.

7/29/2013