OCEAN CITY BEACH PATROL OFFICERS
Melbourne “Butch” Arbin III
Captain
Butch Arbin has served the Patrol for 50 years, beginning in 1973 as a rookie SRT, while attending Parkville High School in Baltimore. He moved through the ranks and served as Lieutenant before being appointed Captain in 1997. Following high school, Butch attended the University of Maryland where he received a BS in Physical Education with an emphasis on Sports Medicine. At the university he was not only a member of the Track and Field Team (1/4 miler), but also worked for Campus Police, all four years. After college, in the off-season, Butch has worked for Charles County Public Schools for 44 years. He was assigned to the James E. Richmond Science Center as a Resource Teacher upon its opening in 2014. The Science Center https://www.ccboe.com/sciencecenter has one of the largest Digital Dome Theaters in the world (planetarium and immersive big-screen theater). Prior to that, he worked in the Instructional Division, with primary responsibilities of Instructional Technology and overseeing Engineering and Technology Education. Previously he was a Middle School Teacher and Computer Network Administrator. He has taught Aerospace Engineering at Lackey High School; and the Gateway to Technology (pre-engineering) classes at Mathew Henson Middle School, part of the Project Lead the Way Program. Before taking on the additional responsibilities as Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain, he taught graduate courses for the University of Maryland. When he is not working one of his 2 jobs, Butch is very involved in church activities. He enjoys working as a member of a work-and-witness team with his church, which travels to underprivileged countries to build churches and medical facilities.
Butch has been married for 40 years to his wife, Penny. Both of their children, Katie and Michael, live and work in Ocean City, and each has a grand-puppy. Email: [email protected]
Michael Stone
Lieutenant
Mike has been with the patrol for 38 years. His primary responsibilities include employee assignments, placement of stands on the beach, scheduling the SRT’s, and accounting for employee work hours before they go to payroll. He and his wife live locally in Berlin, Maryland and he is recently retired from Worcester County Public School System. Email: [email protected]
Skip Lee
Lieutenant
Skip is in his 40th season with the Beach Patrol; mostly in the capacity of Lieutenant with Captain Arbin. Some of the roles he serves include the Director of Testing, overseeing the use of and condition of the six buildings the Beach Patrol incorporates into daily operations as well as the equipment needed to guard the beaches. He brings a strong work ethic and passion to his service and enjoys sharing it with others. When not on the beach, Skip coordinates Ocean City’s Professional Growth and Development efforts through the Human Resources Office. He facilitates the On-Boarding and orientation efforts for all new full time and seasonal employees while managing the Town’s learning management system. He especially enjoys working with each department in developing training to support administration and staff. Skip has been married for 31 years to a beautiful lady, Kristen, he met on the beach at 89th street a long time ago. He is the father of three adult children: Brendon, Connor, and Devon – and Buddy the dog. One of Skip’s prized responsibilities for the Beach Patrol is supporting athletic competitions between crews and other local beach patrols. Check out our calendar for a schedule of events each summer. Email: [email protected]
Ward Kovacs
Lieutenant
Ward has served with the patrol for 40 years. He is the Director of Training. He is also in charge of recruiting, surfing beaches, Junior Beach Patrol, Beach Patrol vehicles and vessels and some public outreach programs. He was hired as the first full-time year-round Beach Patrol employee 15 years ago. Email: [email protected]