Joe Payne

Joe Payne, Casco Baykeeper, was the first full-time employee of Friends of Casco Bay, which was a volunteer organization until he was hired to be the professional steward of Casco Bay. Joe left the environmental consulting firm, Normangee Associates, where he had worked as a marine biologist for 12 years to become the Casco Barkeeper. A native Portlander who summered on Peaks Island as a child and the grandson of a fisherman, Joe is guided by both a passionate love for the Bay and an understanding of its physical and biological dynamics. Under his leadership, FOCB implemented programs that combined environmental protection with economic pragmatism.