The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will present Patti Williams with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2020 Legends Award, ORR leaders announced today.
Williams is being honored for “outstanding work to improve outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities for the American people.” The ORR will announce the full class of 2020 Legends Award winners throughout the rest of this month. Williams is the first recipient to be named.
“We are thrilled to recognize Patti Williams as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2020 Legend,” said Jessica Turner, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Throughout her 34-year career, she has led the organization in offering the best possible recreational opportunities to the visiting public through creative partnerships, stakeholder collaboration and thoughtful leadership. Her impact on the Corps’ Northwestern Division will be felt for years to come.”
Click here to read more RV News coverage of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.
Initially presented 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. Over the coming weeks the ORR will roll out 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, the ORR announced.
“Ms. Williams’ guidance and recommendations are highly respected and sought out by the Corps at all levels,” said Jeff Krause, chief of natural resource management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Her selfless service, tenacious spirit and passion for the Corps’ Recreation Program distinguish her as a Recreation and Land Management leader nationally.”
Previous Legends Awards have been presented at the annual Partners Outdoors conference, held in June. Leading up to this year’s 2020 Legends Award, ORR leaders announced that Partners Outdoors 2020 was cancelled due to complications from COVID-19. An in-person ceremony will take place at Partners Outdoors 2021.
“Everyone at the Confluence Project would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Patti Williams on her selection as the 2020 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Legends Award winner,” said Colin Fogarty, executive director of Confluence. “We are proud to have worked with Patti as she served as Program Manager for the Portland and Walla Walla Districts, supporting the series of Confluence art landscapes by the celebrated artist Maya Lin. She played a tremendous role in the artistic redevelopment of Cape Disappointment at Baker Bay and also supported our work toward the completion of the planned art installation at Celilo Park. We are tremendously grateful to Patti!”
The full award citation and a special video message from Jeff Krause are available at www.recreationroundtable.org/2020-legends/.
