Distinguished Service Awards
The Distinguished Service Awards are the highest honor AMC bestows upon volunteers. Established in 1976 on our 100th anniversary, this award recognizes AMC volunteers who have contributed outstanding efforts for a sustained period, with a special acknowledgement that the recipients have developed a complete understanding of the values and goals of the entire organization.
Charlie Arsenault
Charlie has been a true supporter of AMC's mission and a leader among volunteers for 20 years. He always looks for ways to mentor and encourage others to step up. Many an AMCer would agree that Charlie is the reason they decided to say yes to volunteering!
Charlie began by leading trips for the AMC Worcester Chapter. He has served in various roles on the Worcester Executive Committee including Chapter Chair. Charlie excels at listening carefully to many voices and building consensus. Based on his ability to work seamlessly with staff and volunteers, he was nominated to serve as the Regional Director, ultimately becoming the Chair of the Chapters Committee. We cannot overstate how valuable it was to have someone as thoughtful and good-humored as Charlie during the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic. AMC staff worked very closely with Regional Directors to collect feedback and determine the best path forward.
Charlie has been very supportive and engaged in AMC's work to become a more equitable and inclusive organization. From the first in-depth conversations with the Chapters Committee to now, Charlie is willing to learn, to share his perspective, and to advocate for AMC to continue this work. Charlie is communicative, fun, and friendly. He's someone who appreciates the importance of AMC's work together but always has time for a light-hearted moment or words of appreciation. AMC will feel the benefits of his leadership for many years to come.
Laurie Gabriel
Laurie has served in many leadership volunteer roles over the past quarter century, with 15 years on AMC’s Board, including as Chair of the Board in 2010-2013 and two terms as Vice Chair, from 2005-2007 and 2022-2024.
Laurie has been an AMC member since 1990, but her AMC ties go back much further than that. Growing up in Mt. Washington Valley, Laurie was well acquainted with the trails and programs of AMC from an early age. Laurie has told the story of leading a group of children on a summer hike in the White Mountains and watching the AMC hut croo set out to rescue another group of hikers stranded during a hailstorm. That it could have been she and her small group needing rescue stuck with her, and now in adulthood, her involvement with AMC is one of her most enduring and rewarding experiences.
Laurie has chaired AMC’s Conservation Programs Committee, the Investment Committee, and the working group on socially responsible investments. Her participation was instrumental in developing AMC’s current investment policy that incorporates Environmental, Social and Governance factors as part of its investment process. Laurie has long served on the Maine Woods Initiative Committee and the Finance Committee, and she continues to serve on the Development Committee and Investment Committees.
Joe Dodge Award
The Joe Dodge Award recognizes members of the AMC community, either staff or volunteers, who exemplify the type of high-quality public service and mountain hospitality that became the hallmark of longtime AMC Huts Manager Joe Dodge.
Georgia Murray
Georgia was nominated by the AMC Research Department as a whole—an achievement unto itself, given how challenging it is to get a group of scientists to fully agree on anything. This makes Georgia's nomination the potentilla robbinsiana of the 2024 awards—rare, lovely, and endemic to AMC's Research Department's purview.
From the research department:
"Georgia Murray wants everyone to participate in science, to see the connections between the mountains and peoples’ lives and experiences, and to learn how AMC’s long history has contributed to not only recreation, but also environmental science, policy, and education in the White Mountains. Georgia elevated the profile of Joe Dodge’s early efforts to monitor climate data and picked up the thread by upgrading AMC’s weather monitoring system at the Huts to provide data that is now used by the National Weather Service. Combine all this amazing science with her commitment to mentoring interns! Georgia inspires all of us to do better as ambassadors for AMC, and to share our efforts and impact within and outside AMC by making meaningful connections."
Volunteer Leadership Awards
The Volunteer Leadership Awards are given in recognition of AMC’s outstanding volunteer leaders who demonstrate the desire to share their time and expertise in pursuit of the mission.
Carl Rosenthal
Carl Rosenthal has been a member of the AMC since 1984 and has served as an exceptional leader on numerous day and weekend hiking trips. He began leading Adventure Travel trips in 2000 and has since led over 50 Adventure Travel trips across the world. He has been a hike leader at August Camp and an instructor at the AMC-ADK Winter School. His thirst for adventure continues to inspire beyond AMC as well -- Carl has hiked the 115 Northeast 4,000 footers in winter and has stood on the highest points of the contiguous 48 states. In the 38 years of Carl’s volunteering, hundreds have benefited from his trips and hikes, enjoying faraway places and domestic natural wonders. Carl mentored several younger leaders who have become outstanding Adventure Travel leaders and continue practicing Carl’s leadership style to this day.
Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Ryan has gone above and beyond in every way to bring the Boston Chapter forward in mission alignment and bring AMC values to life. She is a trusted, passionate and steadfast leader with a quiet exterior, but she’s methodical and persistent in achieving benchmarks and helping the chapter along in every ask that comes down from staff. She has had a large number of tricky leadership scenarios in the field and managed a lot of interpersonal complications between longtime leaders in the chapter, always working alongside staff to achieve a positive outcome. If every volunteer was like Elizabeth, we would all be out of work! Most recently, she has given an incredible amount of energy and volunteer hours to help launch AMC’s new Outdoors Connector system, providing specialist input as a volunteer superuser and experienced UX designer. Elizabeth’s guidance will impact hundreds of thousands of people in the coming years.
Steve Galla
Steve Gala has led 89 AMC hikes since November 2005. He served as hiking chair of the NYNoNJ chapter for five years and has served on the executive committee as the activities Liaison since 2023. Under Steve’s watch, all positions he oversees have been filled, bringing the chapter back to full volunteer leader strength. Steve is a valued voice on the executive committee, often suggesting new ideas, keeping meetings on track, and using his wisdom and passion to guide others with new ideas to success. Steve’s vibrant leadership and passion for education, along with his support of his chapter’s hike and walk leaders, has led to a 180% increase in participants over the last five years. His volunteer work has provided many New York area hikers with an opportunity for outdoor recreation, for learning about nature, and for engaging with AMC.
Rick Bryan
Rick Bryan has been a club member for nearly 30 years. During that time, he has led hiking, bicycling, canoeing, kayaking, and backpacking trips, as well as arranging group events at various AMC facilities, including Fall Fest 2023 at the Mohican Outdoor Center. In 2019 Rick joined the NYNoNJ chapter's Executive Committee and has since been involved in virtually every aspect of chapter operations. A President's Society member, for many years Rick has participated in numerous joint staff-volunteer committees and initiatives, facilitating communication and connection on the DEI Representatives committee, the Outdoor Leader Development Committee, and the User Acceptance Testing team for the Outdoors Connector system. Rick's time commitment on behalf of the chapter and AMC is nearly that of a full-time staff member, and for his work ethic, Rick has been honored with the NYNoJ chapter's Unsung Hero award: given to a volunteer whose efforts may not be as noticeable as other volunteers' contributions, but without whom the chapter and organization would not be able to carry out its Mission.
Peter Nash
Peter Nash exemplifies the education and stewardship focus of AMC. He volunteers as an Information Volunteer at AMC’s backcountry huts, sharing advice about hiking trails, outdoor gear, Leave No Trace messaging, safety information, and weather conditions; and promoting AMC’s mission and membership. Peter is welcoming with everyone he meets and excels at helping novice hikers plan successful hikes and helping new volunteers gain the skills and confidence they need for their own enjoyable and impactful volunteer experiences. In the fall of 2021, Peter joined the Volunteer Steering Committee for AMC’s Information Volunteers and Volunteer Naturalists, where he has helped plan and assist online and in-person trainings and co-led the orientation for new Hut Info Vols at Zealand Falls Hut. Peter is a dedicated volunteer, with a passion for promoting AMC values and helping everyone have a great outdoor experience.
Emily Merlino
Emily Merlino was the key volunteer behind the 2024 TrailsFest event held at Wachusett Mountain in celebration of National Trails Day. The event was a smashing success, with about a dozen pre-event coordinated activities; around 15 partner organizations participating; and over 300 participants. She solicited and coordinated state agencies, nonprofits and private outdoor recreation entities for partner booths, worked closely with Wachusett Mountain Ski Area and the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation to assure all activities were permitted and approved, and helped coordinate vendors, musicians, and logistics, putting in over 100 hours just for this one event! For the last several years, Emily has been an active volunteer for the Worcester chapter's Midstate Trail Committee, where she has maintained the committee's website (www.midstatetrail.org) and social media presences and handled merchandise sales. She has also acted as a liaison between private landowners, local land trusts, and state agencies. Had Emily not stepped up, TrailsFest simply could not have happened. Instead, the event lifted membership and visibility in the community, connected other chapter leaders to new partner organizations, and furthered the recreation, conservation, and education mission of the AMC.
Bill Sample
Bill Sample joined AMC as a member in 2017 and became active with close-to-home recreation opportunities. He served as Treasurer for the Boston chapter during a time of great transition for AMC. Being in this role is no small feat, even for a certified public accountant like Bill. He spent hours daily managing the chapter’s complicated financial operations and keeping the chapter in good standing while adhering to AMC's financial guidelines, even when the guidelines were at odds with fellow volunteers. During his time as Treasurer, Bill identified ways the chapters and AMC HQ could improve efficiency. He participated in focus groups, staff-led meetings, and shared his ideas with others. The "back end" of AMC's operations isn't always as glamorous as kayaking down a river or hiking a 4,000-footer, but they are so important. Bill dedicated endless hours to ensuring outdoor adventures were possible, funded, and financially responsible. In addition to his leadership as a member of the Executive Committee, Bill is in training to become a trip leader. He's also actively engaged in AMC's President's Society as a philanthropist and local hike participant, and he’s been a generous supporter of the Outdoors Connector, the All Persons Trail at Cardigan, and the AMC.
Diane Simms
Diane Simms brings AMC’s values to life, embodying outdoor leadership. Her ability to bring people together, make meaningful connections, and inspire positive change shines in every role she’s taken on, from Chair of the Outdoor Leadership Development Committee to SEM Chapter Chair. Diane is a driving force at AMC, always willing to invest her time, energy, and expertise to get things done right, while engaging stakeholders along the way. Her dedication to recruiting and retaining leaders and making a lasting impact is felt across the organization. As one team member from the Leader Retention & Recruitment Subcommittee shared, “Diane does a wonderful job—she excels at steering conversations, turning vision into practical action, and ensuring work gets done.”