COLUMBUS, OH - Ken Alvey, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft since October 2002, has announced his retirement effective October 31, following 33 years of service.
“Throughout a career spanning more than three decades, Ken Alvey has been an outstanding leader in recreational boating not only in Ohio, but in the nation,” said ODNR Director Sam Speck. “Thanks to his efforts as chief of the Division of Watercraft, boating in Ohio is safer, more enjoyable and more accessible.”
Alvey joined ODNR in 1972 as a state watercraft officer. He later served as area supervisor for the Division of Watercraft’s Cleveland office and as Lake Erie regional manager. In June 2001, Alvey was appointed deputy chief of the Division of Watercraft, moving up to chief of the division the following year.
The ODNR Division of Watercraft oversees boat registration and titling operations, enforces boating laws on Ohio’s waterways, educates the public and provides funding to local communities for education, enforcement and boating access facilities.
Ohio is a popular boating state with an estimated 3 million recreational boaters. The state ranked eighth nationally last year with nearly 415,000 registered watercraft.