Colonel Joe Fessenden, who began his career in the Maine Marine Patrol in 1975, will retire in January after 40 years enforcing Maine’s marine resources laws while building relations with the communities in which he worked.

“Colonel Fessenden’s four decades of service and leadership in the Maine Marine Patrol have been greatly appreciated by the people of Maine,” said Gov. Paul R. LePage. “Through his commitment to Maine’s commercial fishing and seafood industries and the coastal communities they support, Colonel Fessenden has established a legacy that will long be a standard of excellence for Maine’s Marine Patrol.”

“It has been my privilege to work with Colonel Fessenden,” said Department of Marine of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “His leadership has made the Marine Patrol stronger and better positioned for the unique challenges of law enforcement along the Maine coast.”

Fessenden will be replaced by Major Jon Cornish, a 30-year veteran of the Marine Patrol who has served as Deputy Chief since 2013. 

Fessenden first became interested in a career in Marine Patrol as a result of the conversations he had with family friend Fred Reeves, a Game Warden who lived near his family on outer Essex Street in Bangor.

“He used to stop by the house all the time. He was in uniform and looked sharp. To a little kid he looked impressive,” said Fessenden.

“I was talking to him one time and he asked me what I liked to do and I told him I was really interested in working on the coast and he brought up the Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries.”

That reference to what would years later become the Maine Department of Marine Resources sparked a lifelong interest for Fessenden.

After graduating from Bangor High School in 1971, a job making delivery runs for Jordan Meats not only took him to the coast, it also set him firmly on his career path.

“I ran across a lot of fishermen that worked in Down East Maine and came across Sea and Shore Fisheries Wardens. Whenever I got a chance I would talk to them about the job and it sounded pretty interesting to me.”

With the single-minded determination that would characterize his career, he enrolled in the Law Enforcement program at the University of Maine at Bangor. Graduating two years later, he was still too young, at 20, to be hired for work in law enforcement. So he took a job with the Department of Agriculture, biding his time until he became eligible at 21 to work in law enforcement.

“I immediately applied for the state police and for a position as a Coastal Warden, but I was most interested in the Coastal Warden Service,” said Fessenden.

After successfully completing both the physical aptitude test and the written examination, he was placed on the register for the Coastal Warden position.

Fessenden got a letter inviting him to come in for an oral board which was the final step on his quest to work as a Coastal Warden.

In May of 1975 he got another letter, this time on department stationary with a job offer.

“I felt overwhelmed. I felt proud,” said Fessenden.  That pride quickly turned into determination to meet and exceed expectations throughout his career.

“I said to myself, I have this opportunity and I’m going to give it my all,” said Fessenden. A year later, the law enforcement role of Coastal Wardens was acknowledged when all wardens were sent to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. “Up until then, Coastal Wardens were sent to conservation law training,” said Fessenden. 

The change in training included a name change for the bureau. “That’s when our name changed from Coastal Warden Service to Marine Patrol.” 

The training paid off, giving Fessenden the skills and knowledge to deal with the occasional physical confrontation or with armed violators. “I was still a conservation officer but the training I got at the academy made me feel more confident in the job,” said Fessenden.

Throughout his career he combined the training he received at the academy with on the job training that placed an emphasis on relationship building.

He quickly rose through the ranks, receiving a promotion to Sergeant, then Lieutenant in southern Maine, where, for twenty years, he balanced the sometimes competing roles of confidant and law enforcement professional.

“I became part of the community. I went to funerals, and weddings. But I never crossed that line between being an enforcer and a friend of a fisherman,” he said.

His ability to strike that balance combined with a strong work ethic resulted in many violations for law breakers, as well as the respect from industry.

“I spent a tremendous amount of time on surveillances, so when you were finally able to apprehend somebody who was out stealing form another fisherman it was a good feeling. Industry appreciated it,” he said.

The long hours were not without their drawbacks.

“My family sacrificed a lot not having me with them and I know it was especially hard on my two children Kayla and Joseph.”

But his hard work has won him the respect of peers and industry. He was recently presented the 2014 U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award, an honor he received once before in 1996. Fessenden has also been presented the Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award and the Sportman’s Alliance of Maine Award for Warden of the Year, an honor typically presented to a Game Warden.

“The relationship between Marine Patrol and industry is good because of the culture Joe has built,” said Long Island lobsterman Steve Train, who has known Fessenden since the 1970s. “The trust established under his leadership will live on long after he retires.”

In 1994, Fessenden was promoted to Chief, a position he has held since. During that time he has remained focused on the core mission of the Marine Patrol.

“Over my career, we’ve had a lot of different roles but we always go back to why we’re here and that’s to work with the commercial fishing industry and help protect the resource,” said Fessenden.

Among his accomplishments, Fessenden counts the greatly improved fleet of patrol vessels as one of the most important.

“I’ve made it a priority to make sure the Marine Patrol has vessels that can go out in sometimes extreme conditions and the training necessary to enforce all of our conservation laws,” said Fessenden.

As he prepares to retire in January of 2015, Fessenden reflects on the profession he dreamed about as a boy and still sees as a great opportunity for the right person.

“If you want to be part of something, if you want to fill a critical role that now more than ever is needed, it’s an unbelievable opportunity.”