jfrawc/ of Sea Grant's accomplishments and its dedicated staff 

 of professionals, Copeland assuredly stands up at any speaking 

 engagement an d tells h is audience that it costs each Tar Heel 



taxpayer 30 cents every year to operate the North Carolina 

 Sea Grant Program. Then he explains the program 's research 

 and extension projects and offers to give 30 cents to all 

 who feel they aren 't getting their money 's worth. 



20-minute lesson in fisheries 

 biology, estuarine ecology or what- 

 ever topic frustrates me. 



His quest for excellence and his 

 commitment to a strong work ethic 

 affect all who work for him. 



He gives his "all" to Sea Grant 

 and expects no less from the rest of 

 us. We give no less in return. 



For his staff, his door is always 

 open. We rarely set appointments, 

 instead catching him in the hall, at 

 the coffeepot or between phone calls 

 at his desk. Like the proverbial father 

 he often is to us, he always listens to 

 our problems and ideas, offering 

 sound advice and encouragement. 



"He never places a ceiling on 

 our creativity," says Lundie Spence, 

 Sea Grant's marine education 

 specialist. "And that kind of freedom 

 is important and inspiring. It makes 

 you push yourself to the very edge of 

 your capabilities and sometimes 

 beyond. 



"He always tells us if you take 

 risks and try new things, you'll 

 probably make some mistakes along 

 the way," she says. "That's OK, 

 because if you don't make mistakes, 

 then you'll never have tried anything 

 new. But he also doesn't expect us to 

 make the same mistakes twice. He 

 expects us to learn from our errors 

 and make adjustments." 



She's right. 



B.J. always pushes us to 

 succeed, to experiment, to see the 

 possibilities and the positives. Yet 

 we also always know he is there to 

 catch us if we fall or stumble. That, 

 too, is reassuring. 



I have worked for B.J. for more 

 than 15 years. It's a rarity for a 

 person to work anywhere that long. 

 But I have done so gladly and for 

 two specific reasons. One, I believe 

 strongly in the Sea Grant concept — 

 answering the needs of the people of 

 coastal North Carolina with research, 

 extension and education projects. 



Second, I believe in B.J. and the 

 leadership he has provided. I proudly 

 say I work at North Carolina Sea 



Grant because he has made it a high 

 quality program based on the profes- 

 sional principles of integrity, excel- 

 lence and hard work. 



I can't imagine Sea Grant without 



B.J. 



He leaves behind an enormous 



void that will be hard for anyone to fill. 



The staff and I wish him the best 

 for his future. And we hope that he 

 leaves secure in the knowledge that he 

 has taught us well and that we will 

 continue to make North Carolina Sea 

 Grant the best it can be. □ 



16 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1996 



