Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced in February that he would not be seeking re-election in November after nearly 30 years in state government. For those wondering what his next act would be, the suspense is over: Mr. Thiele was named executive director of the Friends of the Georgica Pond Foundation on Monday. He begins his new role at the end of this month.
“Restoring our waterways to the productive levels of prior generations continues to be a top priority for me,” Mr. Thiele said in a statement. “After a career dedicated to protecting our bays, creeks, and ponds, most recently with the adoption of the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, I now look forward to working with the Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation to implement a plan that achieves tangible improvements for Georgica Pond.”
The organization was founded in 2015 “to preserve the Georgica Pond ecosystem for future generations through science-based, watershed-wide policy and restoration,” according to its website. Sara Davison has been its sole executive director. In a text, she said she would be “staying on as a consultant on an ‘as-needed’ basis.”
“I am fortunate to follow Ms. Davison, who established the foundation as a leader in environmental protection in our region,” Mr. Thiele said.
Jonathan M. Wainwright, the foundation’s president, said Mr. Thiele is “well known on the East End as an ardent environmentalist, community leader, and collaborator, and is responsible for some of our most far-reaching environmental legislation, including the Peconic Bay Region Community Preservation Fund and the Peconic Estuary Program.”
