Last updated: February 11, 2022
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The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Is Proud to Recognize Dee Hewitt as the National Park Service’s 2020 Legends Award Winner
Washington, D.C. (August 25, 2020) - The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is proud to present Dee Hewitt with the National Park Service’s 2020 Legends Award for outstanding work to improve outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities for the American people. Initially presented in 1991, Legends Awardees are nominated by their peers and the awards are given to individuals whose extraordinary efforts have made a concrete difference in enhancing outdoor recreation programs and resources.
“We are thrilled to recognize Dee Hewitt as the National Park Service’s 2020 Legend,” said Jessica Turner, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “For more than two decades, she has been a leader in the National Park Service in helping ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion goals are integral to community assistance programs. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate Founders Day than honoring a great partner like Dee.”
“Dee is a well-respected leader in the National Park Service,” said Reggie Chapple, NPS Acting Assistant Director for Partnerships and Civic Engagement. “She has dedicated her career to helping people and communities create more outdoor recreation communities. On behalf of the leadership of the National Park Service, I am pleased for this opportunity to recognize Dee for her extraordinary efforts.”
“A project always seems to go better when you can ‘connect’ with someone and feel they really understand what you are trying to accomplish,” said Pamela Medley, president of Chattahoochee Main Street. “In working with Deirdre Hewitt, Chattahoochee Main Street felt that connection immediately and because of that we felt confident that our/community project was in good hands. That feeling turned into reality and a wonderful comprehensive master plan was developed under her leadership. It was great working with her and the team she assembled.”
The full award citation and a special video message from Acting Assistant Director Chapple are available at www.recreationroundtable.org/2020-legends/.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as ORR continues to announce the 2020 Legends recipients from each of the land and water management agencies every Tuesday (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Together, these agencies host nearly one billion recreation visits annually, and play a vital role in the vibrant $778 billion outdoor recreation economy that accounts for 2.2% of U.S. GDP and 5.2 million American jobs while supporting rural economies, building healthy communities, and enhancing the quality of life of all Americans.
For more than 30 years, the NPS - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program has been moving the needle on conservation and outdoor recreation in communities across America. Learn more about our program by reading our latest newsletter and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is a National Park Service partner who promotes the growth of the outdoor recreation economy and outdoor recreation activities and is the leading outdoor recreation coalition with 32 member associations serving over 100,000 businesses. ORR’s members represent America’s hunting, fishing, RVing, biking, hiking, camping, ATVing, diving, horseback and skiing communities among many more.