Stephen Leatherman, or “Dr. Beach” as he’s known, wants to promote healthy, safe, and family-friendly beach destinations. Leatherman began to consult photographs and maps and developed a scale that considers 50 criteria from clean water to sand quality to determine an annual best beach lineup, which he has created for the past 30 years.

“I like to make a difference. I feel like with this list I can make a difference to help push important issues especially improving beach safety and health,” Leatherman said. “I still got a full tank of gas. I’m not ready to stop. I’m enjoying what I’m doing, so why not keep doing it?”

• Stephen Leatherman