Awards
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TPIA Awards Program  |
2009 National Award Winners
Congratulations to our 2009 Take Pride in America National Award winners! These outstanding individuals, groups, organizations and partnerships were honored at the annual Take Pride in America National Awards Ceremony on July 17, 2009 at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.
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| Brent O’Neill, the son of Brian O’Neill, and his wife Anne, pictured with the Acting Director of the National Park Service. |
THE SPIRIT OF TAKE PRIDE – Brian O’Neill
Brian O’Neill was a world renowned park and conservation leader. Serving as the General Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area from 1986 until his untimely death on May 13, 2009, Brian was to many a friend, mentor and inspiration.
Brian began his career in conservation while serving as Assistant Regional Director at the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Southwest Regional Office from 1979-1981. He became Assistant Superintendent of the recently established GGNRA in 1981 and was promoted to General Superintendent in 1986. Brian soon realized that the path to success for GGNRA was through the establishment of numerous and varied partnerships that could enhance the NPS mission by contributing important resources and assisting in the creation of diverse constituencies that would support and bring the vision of the park’s creators to fruition.
Brian also understood that parks were for people. He knew that to build a flourishing park, the community had to be involved. Day in and day out, for 30 years he worked tirelessly to bring parks, partners and communities together. He set towering goals and overcame challenges with creativity, humor and steadfast determination. Every obstacle was an opportunity.
Brian used volunteerism to build a strong link to the community. He not only led the way by creating volunteer opportunities, he was a volunteer himself. The park he managed has a work force of 22,000 volunteers, and by following his example, these volunteers and the community have created lasting relationship with GGNRA.
Brian received many honors and distinctions throughout his lifetime, including the Take Pride in America Federal Land Manager award for the National Park Service in 2004.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Senior Communications Associate, Mary Jo Sashegyi, joining her, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING CORPORATION – Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a global research based pharmaceutical company that far exceeded its corporate responsibility with its inaugural Lilly Global Day of Service. The global day of service engaged a total of 8,400 volunteers – 70 percent of the corporate headquarters employees! Meetings with community partners helped organizers identify projects that would meet the needs of the community. Five significant projects were selected and volunteers were divided into teams. A team of 2,000 Urban Renewal volunteers painted murals throughout the city of Indianapolis. The murals were designed by high school students, thereby enhancing cultural and arts education throughout the city and giving the community something to take satisfaction in. First Impressions volunteers expanded green spaces throughout the city, focusing on roadway medians, parks, right of ways and trails by planting over 1,500 trees and 4,000 plants. Building off of the existing Keep Indianapolis Beautiful program, Project Green Schools, Lilly's 1,500 Growing to Learn volunteers identified projects at eighteen area schools. Projects ranged from tree plantings (386 additional trees) and pulling weeds, to creating outdoor patios and shelters for the students to enjoy. Restore the Shore volunteers teamed with the Indianapolis Parks Department to clean up litter and remove invasive species on twenty-four acres adjacent to the waterway. The work of these volunteers completed in eight hours would have taken the Parks Department an estimated five years to complete. Over 600 United We Thrive project volunteers teamed with fifteen United Way of Central Indiana agencies to restore the buildings and offices of local social service agencies and to build two Habitat for Humanity houses. The Lilly Global Day of Service gave the Indianapolis community and Eli Lilly and Company more than either could have bargained for. Their service beautified the city, restored habitat, educated youths and created lasting gifts for all to enjoy.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, and accepting the award on David's behalf, is Mel Pool, Catoctin Mountain Park Superintendent and Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER – David Cooney
As a Campground Host, David Cooney has logged over 1,000 hours of service, truly embodying Take Pride in America’s vision of public lands stewardship. Over the years, David has visited and helped maintain campsites in several state and federal campgrounds, though at Owens Creek Campground at Cotoctin Mountain Park, a National Park Service site in Maryland, he set the standard. He took it upon himself to welcome every camper and educate them about site regulations and attractions. David assisted rangers by monitoring the park radios, reporting law enforcement problems, maintaining campsites, compiling visitor statistics and preparing detailed reports. He played an integral role in the renovation of 51 campsites in one season. David’s unique knowledge of the area enabled him to recommend renovations to make the sites more user friendly, easier to maintain, and more environmentally sustainable. David engaged youth volunteers by inviting Scouts, faith based groups and many others to assist in site renovations. These actions were merely a fraction of the service David provided Owens Creek Campground in 2008; however, they set an example for all volunteers to follow.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Scott Schroeder and Victoria Andrews, joining them, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM – City of Kent – Parks & Public Works Department
Though appearing much like any other Parks & Public Works Departments, the City of Kent, Washington’s, Parks & Public Works Department is far from typical. Created in 2000, the City of Kent’s Youth Tree Education Program—“Plant the Planet”—goes above and beyond the call of duty for City Departments. It instills a love of trees and environmental awareness in thousands of children across the state through collaboration between the City’s Parks & Public Works Department and the Kent School District. This year alone, 2,080 students from twenty-two Kent elementary schools were individually responsible for the well being of a native tree or shrub, providing both exposure to and a sense of ownership over the ecosystem in the area. Department representatives present local schools with booklets and demonstrations, which culminate in each student potting a tree. After measuring and naming their tree, the student becomes personally responsible for its wellbeing as well as its future home—the students later plant the tree in local parks or in their own backyards. A field trip in the fall serves to bring the project full circle and ensures that each student truly absorbs the experience. Children learn the importance and value of trees at a young age with hands-on, unforgettable experiences. The city has been named Tree City USA by the National Arbor Foundation each year since 2003, which serves as a constant reminder of Kent’s commitment to preserving trees in their community. Inspiring young children while protecting the City’s beauty and lands, the Kent Parks & Public Works Departments innovatively plant the seed of environmental stewardship and help it flourish.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award Executive Director, Greg Moore, Deputy Director, Doug Overman, and the Associate Director for Volunteer Management, Denise Shea, joining them, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working to preserve the Golden Gate National Parks, enhance experiences for park visitors, and build a community dedicated to conserving the parks for the future. The Parks Conservancy works with its public agency partners, the National Park Service (NPS) and the Presidio Trust. Collectively, they are able to attract 22,000 volunteers annually. Inspired by President Barack Obama's call for a National Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and its public agency partners co-sponsored an enormously successful series of volunteer projects throughout the Golden Gate National Parks. On this historic day, the Parks Conservancy, NPS, and the Presidio Trust coordinated thirteen projects within the Golden Gate National Parks at sites in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. More than 1,500 volunteers joined in the effort to restore and protect the natural and cultural resources within the parks. Together, the volunteers and park staff were able to plant 3,970 native plants, collect 166 bags of litter and remove 34 truckloads of invasive vegetation. These amazing volunteers answered the President's call to service, and their accomplishments have had lasting impacts on the parks and in our communities.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Robb Hampton, Tracey Adams and Claudia Kessel, joining them, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION – National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day (NPLD), a program of The National Environmental Education Foundation, began in 1994 and is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort for the improvement of America’s public lands. In 2008 alone, NPLD brought together over 120,000 volunteers who contributed an estimated $13 million of improvements to over 1,800 public lands sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Removing hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash, maintaining nearly a thousand miles of trail, and planting over 1.6 million trees, the volunteers on NPLD made a huge impact on America’s natural treasures. NPLD is much more than simply a one day rally for protecting public lands. The organization’s Director, Robb Hampton, is famous for his travels across America in Toyota hybrids to visit NPLD sites and to present small grants to assist with volunteer projects. In 2008, Robb hand delivered 13 grants for $1,000 and helped campaign for NPLD’s One Million Tree Planting Initiative. Driving a Toyota Prius, he visited sites in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, New England, the Midwest, and the Upper Rocky Mountain regions of the US. Between the annual event itself and Robb’s coast-to-coast tours, NPLD is responsible for uniting the private sector with local communities in order to educate volunteers and help improve and restore America’s lands. It promotes the healthy lifestyle of living well while protecting and enjoying nature. NPLD’s reach knows no geographic bounds.
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| Accepting the award, Diving With a Purpose – The National Association of Black Scuba Divers, joining the association, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, and Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
Biscayne National Park, in Homestead, Florida, is the largest marine park in the National Parks system; and has over 110 archaeological sites, approximately 43 of which are intact shipwreck sites. In 2004, a partnership was initiated between Biscayne National Park and the National Association of Black Scuba Divers to institute the “Diving With a Purpose;” (DWP) program at the park to assist in performing a Congressionally mandated condition assessments of these archaeological sites. The partnership was designed to create a park-sponsored field training program that will result in a highly trained volunteer-based team of underwater archeologists to document the remains of the parks shipwrecks. The project’s size and success has grown with each passing year, beginning with four divers in 2004 and reaching fifty-four divers in 2009. Without these skilled volunteers, the National Park Service would not be able to accurately document one wreck site annually. To ensure the sustainability of the project, a “Train the Trainer” program has been developed, and since 2004, sixty-two divers have been “certified” as vocational archeological divers and 12 veteran divers have been certified as instructors. DWP’s long-term goal is to produce volunteer dive teams that can independently complete 75% of the required fieldwork associated with the documentation process. To assist in this goal, DWP has initiated a scholarship fund to engage youths in diving. Through donations solicited by DWP, a deserving high school student is selected annually to accompany the dive team to the park, in hopes of sparking a long–term interest in underwater archeology. DWP is a wonderful program allowing our nation’s youth to develop a sense of pride and stewardship for the outdoors.
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| Representing the group, Principal, Karen Paquette, Liliam & Thomas Hickey, parents, teachers and other program supporters, students, Summer Acevedo, Alexis Atkins, Nicholas Atkins, Hayley Baker and Ingram Angel, joining them, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, and Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
In a state not known for volunteerism, and a city with a serious desert dumping problem, Dr. William H. "Bob" Bailey Middle School sets an example for the nation to follow. Bailey Middle and Hickey Elementary schools planned to increase student achievement while developing a sense of pride in the community through sponsorship of the national geological landmark, the Great Unconformity, a location administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Initially, Bailey Principal, Dr. Karen Paquette and science teacher Shana Baker met with UNLV geologist Dr. Steve Rowland, Liliam Hickey E.S. Principal David Harcourt, Bureau of Land Management officials and Citizens for Active Management's Tom Hickey and Helen Mortenson to develop field trips that met the needs of students and developed a sense of public stewardship. Now UNLV and BLM staff accompany students to the Great Unconformity, providing expertise and experience with the site. The student volunteers remove litter and in doing so, gain an appreciation for the area’s geology, natural beauty, and the harmful effects of illegal dumping. By removing the litter, Bailey Middle School students seek to restore the ecosystem and reclaim a valuable public resource. The field trips are more than just volunteer service; they are an educational opportunity for the students and public to gain understanding of the impact of litter on the ecosystem. Science teachers developed on-site lessons so that students participate in desert ecology and geology hikes. Through these sustained efforts, the Great Unconformity site has seen a reduction in the amount of dumping. Cleanup crews were originally faced with an over-abundance of drug and alcohol related litter. It is evident that their efforts are paying off as the amount of this type of litter has markedly decreased. From May 1, 2008, to April 30, 2009, Bailey Middle School students collected 89 cubic yards of litter. Since the beginning of the program in 2005 they have picked up 986 cubic yards of litter. In 2007, students' officially adopted the site, facilitating the development of a stewardship ethic in the community. Bailey Middle School has embodied the mission of Take Pride in America by giving their community something to be proud of.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award: Brian Soenen, Lynette Seigley, Eric O’Brien, Mary Skopec, Jackie Gautsch, James Luke Wright, Seth Zimmermann and David Williamson, joining them, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING STATE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM – Iowa Project Aware 2008 Winnegago, Shell Rock and Cedar Rivers
Iowa Project AWARE, which stands for A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, is a weeklong river cleanup coordinated by Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ IOWATER and Iowa Water Trails programs and the University of Iowa Hygienic Lab Limnology Department. What began in 2003 as an afternoon brainstorming session on how to unite Iowa’s volunteers, foster environmental stewardship, and promote watershed education, has now been responsible for not only leading Iowans in the caring of their natural resources, but also empowering them to make a difference. Project AWARE, however, is much more than just a simple river cleanup. By recycling as much of the trash as possible, making concerted efforts to minimize the event’s environmental footprint, and combining recreation and education into a meaningful and rewarding experience for volunteers, Project AWARE goes far beyond the realm of river cleanup. Past participants have said that Project AWARE is one of the greatest ways for someone to connect with nature and make a difference in protecting it. In the seven-year history of Project AWARE, the expedition has sported an impressive track record, enlisting 1,500 participants who have cleaned up more than 513 river miles and removed over 1,800 cubic yards of trash, of which 78 percent has been recycled. Volunteers have also restored native prairie, renovated trails, and enhanced recreational areas. With the assistance of an Iowa artist, sculptures are also built from the trash collected during the event. This element of AWARE has helped to educate the public and increase awareness by providing both a literal and symbolic representation of the accomplishments of Project AWARE volunteers while bringing the attention of the general public to the condition and status of Iowa’s waterways. This artwork not only promotes the good work of the AWARE volunteers, but is a living example of reduce, reuse, and recycle.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Wild and Scenic River Specialist for the Bureau of Land Management, Joe Asher, and Group Leader, Josh Cook, joining them, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
OUTSTANDING YOUTH VOLUNTEER GROUP – Lopez Island Conservation Corps
Created only three years ago, the Lopez Island Conservation Corps (LICC)
harnesses the power and enthusiasm of youth while engaging in sustainable
community partnerships to encourage healthy choices, appreciation for nature, personal development, environmental education, and exposure to natural resource protection. The LICC consists of individuals 14-18 years of age, and over the course of many events, the group has logged over 800 hours of service. In the summer of 2008 alone, the group maintained over five miles of trail in remote island settings, helping to improve habitats, defend native plants, open trails for public use, and protect marine mammals and waterfowl from litter and plastics. With the complete involvement of the local rural community, the youth benefited from positive teamwork and a collective sense of ownership over the land. The LICC served as a nexus point for local organizations to work together towards providing youth opportunities to affect real change. Bringing together senior centers, food stores, Parks Departments, the Bureau of Land Management, local volunteers and families, LICC has done more than just motivate youth; it has rallied an entire rural community into finding value in a new organization that
protects their local environment. The LICC demonstrates that even small groups of highly dedicated volunteers can make a huge impact.
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| Acting Bureau of Land Management Director Mike Pool, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Gary Reimer, joining him, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – Bureau of Land Management – Gary Reimer
Under Gary Reimer’s direction as the District Manager, The Bureau of Land Management’s Anchorage Alaska District has hosted several hugely successful service events during 2008 including, the Winter Trails Day, National Trails Day Event, two National Public Lands Day Events, and an Invasive Weeds Awareness Week. Throughout each event, Gary built partnerships and sought to grow volunteerism throughout the region. The partnerships included REI, the Municipality of Anchorage, Girl and Boy Scouts, the Civil Air Patrol, the US Air Force, and over twenty other organizations. The partners provided volunteers with outdoor gear at no charge and provided the basics of using the equipment. The volunteers Gary helped to attract carried out revegetation projects, installed a butterfly garden, campground rehabilitation and invasive species management. As the Anchorage District Manager, Gary is responsible for the management of twenty-five million acres of BLM-administered public lands. The accomplishments of these volunteers are a testament of his commitment to engaging the citizens of Alaska in the management of these lands. He actively fosters an environment of stewardship and responsibility among public land users. In both rural and urban areas of the district, he makes time to attend public events and talk with volunteers and partners to build relationships and engage the public in the spirit of Take Pride in America and public land stewardship.
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| Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, Mike Connor, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Tracy Neal, joining her, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – Bureau of Reclamation – Tracy Neal
Tracy Neal has fostered an awareness of stewardship for the Federal Lands through a volunteer program that has grown substantially since her arrival to the field office at New Melones Lake in Sonora, California. She has developed a core of nearly 100 volunteers including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local bicycling clubs, camp hosts, and individual volunteers with no group affiliation. This cadre of volunteers donates their time maintaining trails, building mussel monitoring traps, collecting trash in the campgrounds, watering newly planted trees, working as receptionists in the Visitors Center, assisting with interpretive programs, and anything else that may arise. During National Public Lands Day, Tracy helped coordinate volunteers to groom over two miles of trail in the Tuttletown Recreation Area and gather over 30 fifty-gallon bags of trash along the shoreline. These volunteers worked to not only improve the quality of these lands, but also assists with the protection of the environment around New Melones Lake.
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| Acting National Park Service Director, Dan Wenk, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Terry Kreidler, joining her, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – National Park Service – Theresa Kreidler
Since 1992, Theresa (Terry) Kreidler has been the volunteer program manager at Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, California. With the inspiration and backing of her former park Superintendent Brian O’Neill, who recently passed away, Terry has been able to provide leadership in repositioning the role of volunteers at Golden Gate from the periphery into one that is central to the success of the park. She has accomplished this by gaining the trust and support of her staff in working with volunteers. Under Terry’s direction, the park produced the Golden Gate National Parks Volunteers-In-Parks Vision Plan. She provides a comprehensive VIP training program throughout the year which gives invaluable assistance to the other parks in the Pacific West Region. Terry has served as a member of the VIP Advisory Council and her program is consistently of the highest quality. With Terry at the forefront, Golden Gate’s volunteer program leads the way in the National Park Service, and perhaps among all land-managing agencies in the country in terms of scale and scope. Terry exemplifies the best in federal volunteer leadership. She is a recognized national leader in volunteerism in the NPS and has helped take volunteerism to unprecedented heights.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award is Eric Garner, joining him, the Chief of Operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mike Ensch, and Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Eric Garner
As the Supervisory Park Ranger at Abiquiu Lake, in northern New Mexico, Eric Garner put an emphasis on building and sustaining partnerships, and growing the volunteer program. His tireless efforts led to a 300% increase in volunteerism. He involved the Santa Fe Audubon Society, The Espanola Wildlife Center, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Ghost Ranch, Kansas University, youth groups and even private citizens in numerous activities including the Mid-Winter Eagle Watch and the development of the Abiquiu Lake Vista turnout. Increased volunteerism has led to more collaboration and a better understanding of policies by the public. One partnership led to a volunteer project that created a child’s board game and interpretive exhibit at the Corps Abiquiu Project’s Information Center. As a result of Eric’s volunteer undertakings and community outreach efforts, the people of northern New Mexico are starting to see themselves as stakeholders of the public lands and are giving back to their community.
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| Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, is Scott Glup, joining him, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director, Jay Slack, and Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Scott Glup
As the Project Leader at Litchfield Wetland Management District, in Minnesota, Scott Glup has shown himself to be an innovative and involved federal land manager through his work with local Boy Scout groups enhancing native habitat on Service Waterfowl Production Areas. The local troop contributed over two hundred hours of service removing buckthorn and other undesirable trees from Weber Waterfowl Production Area. In doing so, they qualified for a special “50-Miler Award” badge which required canoeing or boating, hiking, trip planning and community service in the outdoors. By working with the Scouts, Scott helped to foster a spirit of public lands stewardship among youths. The project touched not only the Boy Scouts, but also Girl Scouts, parents and siblings, thereby increasing the reach of the spirit of stewardship. His work truly reflects the mission of the Take Pride in America program.
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| U.S. Forest Service Chief, Tom Tidwell, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Hayes, accepting the award, Rangers Ted Wehunt and Deb Mucklow, joining the Rangers, Executive Director of Take Pride in America, Lisa Young. |
FEDERAL LAND MANAGER – U.S. Forest Service – The Spotted Bear Ranger District
The Spotted Bear Ranger District, in northwestern Montana, consists of approximately 1.2 million acres and is a true “in and out” ranger district, meaning it works remote for seven months of the year. The district is very remote- two hours driving on a gravel road with no services- making attracting large numbers of volunteers difficult. Nevertheless, in 2008, the Spotted Bear Ranger District was able to attract over 13.5 Full Time Equivalents in volunteers. A remarkable feat considering the district has only twelve full time employees on staff. In order to promote this type of volunteerism the rangers go above and beyond their call of duty. They will meet someone coming in late in the evening or very early in the morning, help with meals, stock, or transportation to the trailhead. They host needed training and awareness sessions, and even provide advance planning. The result is an atmosphere that welcomes public service and a district that plays host to a wide range of volunteers including retired Forest Service employees, at risk youth groups, the National Association of Smokejumpers, the Back Country Horseman and the Montana Pilots Association. Working at this remote ranger district requires an extra commitment from all employees, it is something they are willing to give and it has truly enhanced the spirit of service and volunteerism.
President's Volunteer Service Awards (PVSAs) are now available for 2009 service hours!
President Obama has signed a letter of recognition for those qualifying for a presidential service award. As a result, awards requests for 2009 service hours are being fulfilled directly through the Presidential Service Awards Office.
The PVSA awards program recognizes volunteers for a sustained commitment to service. Please visit www.presidentialserviceawards. gov for details about becoming a certifying organization and honoring your volunteers. Awardees may receive a pin, a letter from the President, and a letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
