William Hoeferlin Award recognizes Trail Conference volunteers who have demonstrated exemplary service to trail maintenance, management, and/or trail land protection. This year the award was presented to:
Christopher Ezzo, of Long Beach, NY, chief of our West Hudson Trail South Crew since 2002, taking over the position from his mentor, Bob Marshall (Hoeferlin Award winner in 1991). Bob continues as a crew member, often leading Thursday work trips.
Chris is not only an experienced and skilled trail builder, he is an excellent volunteer manager. Chris scouts all crew projects in advance, follows up on all potential volunteer leads, and brings his volunteers together twice a year for social activities (lunch and picnic). He works in close coordination with the area’s Trails Chair (John Mack) and with other crews, particularly with the West Jersey Trail Crew, which leads one WHS crew trip each season. Chris and his crew define sensible and reasonable corrections to the various trail issues brought to them. He distributes work trip leadership duties among his crew members, thereby cultivating their leadership skills. He participates on almost all of the crew’s outings.
Chris’s work standards and attention to his volunteers have kept this highly effective volunteer team together and inspired over the past 10 years. The result is a crew with a well-earned reputation for being an effective, efficient, and collegial team of volunteers. Their contributions to our trails, are without measure.
–John Mack, West Hudson South Trails Chair