Our friends at the Connecticut Marine Trades Association (CMTA) have announced the 2023 recipients of the Jeanne Czel Person of the Year Award.
From left to right are CMTA Board of Directors Devin Santa, Ritt Czel, John Casey and Don Mackenzie.
The first recipient is Devin Santa, a member of the CMTA Board of Directors and CMTA Environmental and Dredge committee. The President of RACE Coastal Engineering whose stated mission is “to provide responsive solutions where water meets land,” Santa has had a role in the planning, design, and implementation of hundreds of coastal engineering projects in the Northeast region for government, private, and commercial clients with a particular expertise with dredging projects. Through his 25+ years of experience, he has seen what has worked and what hasn’t in the dynamic coastal environment.
Santa is licensed as a Professional Engineer on the entire eastern seaboard, board certified in the practice of structural engineering, and a certified hydrographer. In addition to the time he spends on the water professionally, he is an accomplished offshore sailor and licensed Captain who has logged over 40,000 miles in the North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
The second recipient is Attorney John Casey, a member of the CMTA Environmental & Dredge committee. A Partner at Robinson + Cole, Casey concentrates his practice on land use and environmental matters, with particular emphasis on coastal management, development, permitting, and littoral and riparian water rights. He is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Land Use and Real Estate + Development Groups, and the partner in charge of the firm’s New London office.
Casey began his legal career as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, fulfilling various legal duties while stationed at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton. After military service he worked for a litigation firm in New London before joining Robinson+Cole in 2002. ■
