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past award recipients

Recognition is awarded at the Conference event each year. The Board of Directors ratifies nominations received from the membership and others. See more about awards and criteria here.


Paul K. Petzoldt Leadership Award

  • 1988 Tap Tapley
  • 1989 Bjorn Kjellstrom
  • 1990 Josh Miner
  • 1991 Not awarded
  • 1992 Raye Ringholz
  • 1993 Glen Exum
  • 1994 Yvon Chouinard
  • 1995 Jim Fowler
  • 1996 Vance Martin
  • 1997 Dave Foreman
  • 1998 Betty van der Smissen
  • 1999 Frank Lupton
  • 2000 John Netherton
  • 2001 David Brower & Kenneth Brower
  • 2002 Buck Tilton
  • 2003 Bill McKibben
  • 2004 Bob Christie
  • 2005 William “Doc” Forgey, M.D.
  • 2006 Christine Cashel
  • 2007 Phil Powers
  • 2008 Richard Louv
  • 2009 Joel Meier, Ph.D.
  • 2010 John Gookin
  • 2011 Leo McAvoy
  • 2012 Greg Lais
  • 2013 John Bicknell
  • 2014 Deb Ajango
  • 2015 Guy Savoie
  • 2016 James Mills
  • 2017 Kelli McMahan
  • 2018 Laura McGladrey
  • 2019 Not awarded
  • 2020 Michael McGowan
  • 2021 Not awarded
  • 2022 Not awarded
  • 2023 Luis Benitez
  • 2024 Mark Wagstaff

Frank Lupton Service Award

  • 1989 Sandy Braun
  • 1990 Chris Cashel
  • 1991 Not awarded
  • 1992 Kent Clement & Duane Gould
  • 1993 Mark Wagstaff
  • 1994 Dare Bible
  • 1995 Bruce Bonney
  • 1996 Cheryl Teeters
  • 1997 Rená Koessler
  • 1998 Paul Harbison
  • 1999 Paul Petzoldt & Mike Carlton
  • 2000 Scoob Dooben
  • 2001 Not awarded
  • 2002 Steve Gustafson
  • 2003 Jack Drury
  • 2004 Dave Calvin
  • 2005 Dene Berman
  • 2006 Maurice Phipps
  • 2007 Steve Spencer
  • 2008 Jim Lustig
  • 2009 Ivan Bartha
  • 2010 Tom Stuessy
  • 2011 Bob Christie
  • 2012 Les Teuber
  • 2013 Chris Pelchat
  • 2015 Scott Jordan
  • 2016 Ricky Haro
  • 2017 Brad Daniel
  • 2018 Will Hobbs
  • 2019 Not awarded
  • 2020 Sarah Schneider
  • 2021 Not awarded
  • 2022 Not awarded
  • 2023 Kevin Sutton
  • 2024 Not awarded

Outstanding Organizational Member Award 

  • 2006 Oklahoma State University
  • 2007 Indiana University
  • 2008 Coal. for Christian Outreach
  • 2009 Western Illinois University
  • 2010 Western Kentucky University
  • 2011 CSU-Pueblo
  • 2012 Radford University
  • 2013 Montreat College
  • 2014 University of Central Oklahoma
  • 2015 Rare Earth Adventures
  • 2016 Stanford University
  • 2017 Not awarded
  • 2018 Not awarded
  • 2019 Not awarded
  • 2020 Not awarded
  • 2021 Not awarded
  • 2022 Not awarded
  • 2023 Not awarded
  • 2024 Not awarded

Outstanding Certified Outdoor Educator Award 

  • 2006 Mark Wagstaff
  • 2007 Jack Drury
  • 2008 Francisco Detrell
  • 2009 Paul Harbison
  • 2010 Mathew Erpelding
  • 2011 Jeff Tindall
  • 2012 Scott Jordan
  • 2013 Not awarded
  • 2014 Not awarded
  • 2015 Taito Okamura
  • 2016 Not awarded
  • 2017 Guan-Jang Wu
  • 2018 Andrew Bobilya
  • 2019 Not awarded
  • 2020 Not awarded
  • 2021 Not awarded
  • 2022 Not awarded
  • 2023 Will Hobbs
  • 2024 Not awarded

WEA Student Leader Award

  • 2006 Aya Hayashi
  • 2007 Whitney Ward
  • 2008 Aiko Yoshino
  • 2009 Lauren Barnes
  • 2010 Nathaniel Millard
  • 2011 Pat Lewis
  • 2012 Not awarded
  • 2013 Not awarded
  • 2014 Not awarded
  • 2015 Rebecca Roehm
  • 2016 Kevin Sutton
  • 2017 Not awarded
  • 2018 Quinn Linford
  • 2019 Not awarded
  • 2020 Jess Port
  • 2021 Not awarded
  • 2022 Not awarded
  • 2023 Not awarded
  • 2024 Not awarded




Wilderness Education Association, Inc.
PO Box 12 Stonewall, OK 74871 
971.208.5751
nationaloffice@weainfo.org

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