2022 Corporate Sponsor of the Year: NV Energy 

Friends of Nevada Wilderness has been the recipient of NV Energy Foundation awards for over a decade, and they have recently expanded their support to both our Southern Nevada and Northern Nevada stewardship programs. This year, NV Energy absolutely blew our expectations out of the water through an exceedingly generous donation that has helped fund a variety of on-the-ground volunteer stewardship projects, as well as our Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Southern Nevada, and this year’s Wilderness Wingding, which we hope you all enjoyed! Thank you, NV Energy, for your incredible support!

2022 Agency Partner of the Year: Kathy Torrence

As the Wilderness Specialist for the Bureau of Land Management Black Rock Field Office, Kathy certainly has her work cut out for her. This year, Kathy facilitated multiple volunteer projects in the Black Rock NCA. The commitment that Kathy has shown for Wilderness and public lands has been crucial to the outcome of big yearly events such as the Black Rock Rendezvous, National Trails Day and National Public Lands Day. Kathy is a strong leader and runs these projects with great knowledge and passion for these areas.  Kathy also brings a bright and contagious energy to these projects with funny anecdotes, great fried rice, and a heartwarming smile. 

Marge Sill Wilderness Legacy Award 2022: John Drakulich - Farmers Insurance

John has been taking care of Friends of Nevada for over 20 years, handling all our insurance and retirement plan needs with a very personal touch. From ensuring our health plan covers what we need to meeting with new staff to set up their retirement contributions, John and his team have been integral in the success of Friends by helping us take care of the people behind the work - just like the late, great Marge Sill did. John is also a generous financial supporter, and keeps us stocked with Farmers Insurance cups, pens, sticky notes and the cherished annual winter holiday basket in addition to the giant, delicious salami he brings every year.  

2022 Champions of Northern Nevada Stewardship: Lucy Moreton-Hall & David Book

Lucy and David are long time members with an extremely generous streak for helping to support our Northern Nevada Stewardship Program. They like their gifts to go to concrete things that will get volunteers safety out on the ground, especially in their beloved Black Rock Desert. This year they made a large gift ensuring we were able to meet our matching grant from the William N. Pennington Foundation to buy a new northern Nevada stewardship truck. We couldn’t have done it without you Lucy and David! Thanks for caring about volunteers and wild Nevada.

2022 Volunteer of the Year: Bob Ralston

Bob has a tool box full of knowledge of backcountry Nevada, stories of far off travels, and actual tools for any occasion. As the 2022 Volunteer of the Year Awardee, Bob has shown up and contributed on all (but one) of the overnight stewardship projects this year in Northern Nevada. Before we crunched the total number of hours Bob was already the awardee we wanted this year. Bob not only has volunteered in the wide variety of projects we had this season from trail work, to fence maintenance, to fence removal, to taking down Mining claim markers; he has also done so with a huge smile on his face (and super cool glasses). Bob will open up a Nevada Atlas and show you his best spots, he will tell you AND invite you to his most favorite mexican restaurant in Fallon, and will tell you he has a better tool for a task than the one we brought out. Our Volunteer of the Year is a big Award, it shows commitment, passion, and teamwork skills to come out on 10 projects, be a friendly face, do hard work, and repeat it all the next weekend. 

2022 Above and Beyond Awardee: Jason Weiss

As one of the Above and Beyond Awardees Jason has shown commitment and passion throughout this season volunteering with us. Jason came out on 4  projects, some even back to back. Staying late at the warehouse to help clean up, keeping great conversations on our truck rides, and working hard on all types of projects. Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to personal hobbies (you’ll have to ask him about his amazing repertoire) and volunteering. He was on our Arc Dome Trails Project, Santa Rosa Fence Removal Project, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Fence Maintenance Project, as well as volunteering at the Black Rock Rendezvous. 

2022 Above and Beyond Awardee: Dan Johnson

As one of our Above and Beyond Awardees, Dan Johnson serves not only as a Board Member but was a huge help as our liaison between the Stewardship Team and the Patagonia Employees to coordinate five different projects this season. He was able to recruit and organize employees from different departments of Patagonia and their carpools out to Soldier Meadows, getting a few flats along the way. Dan is passionate about Nevada's Public lands and will let you know it. His positive and energizing attitude makes you smile almost instantly.

Blue Helmet Awards
Thirty hours of service or more in 2022
Dean Heller        Lynne Heller        Brian Wilkerson        Erika Nielsen
Terah Tamburelli        Liz Wilson        Alisha McCoy        Andrew Hebert
David Pritchett        Robin Novak        Marissa Elquist        Warren Harding
Ellen Wilson

Multiple Blue Helmet Awards
Jerry Williams        Bob Ralston        Jeff Lock        Dan Johnson       
Kirk Hastings        Danny Riddle        Vikki Riddle        William Payne       
Jason Weiss        Karen Boeger        Larry Fenkell        Terry Graham       
Charlie Riou        Sharon Marie Wilcox        Lisa Godenick        Lou Bubala       
Bryce Pollock        Tom Johnson        Cathy Schmidt       

2022 Friends of Nevada Wilderness Board Members

Karen Boeger        Lou Bubala        Tim Buchanan        Larry Dwyer
Hermi Hiatt        John Hiatt        Dan Johnson        Roberta Moore
Tom Myers        Michelle Napoli        Eric Roberts       Roger Scholl        Jose Witt

2022 Northern Nevada Volunteers

Aaron Deason        Abbey Engesetter        Adam Larson        Adam Robbins
Alethea Olivares        Alex Yetsko        Alisha McCoy        Amy Barber
Amy Guinan        Amy Lewis        Andy Forbes        Antonio Kim
Ashley Allen        Austin Smith        Barry Patrick        Ben Flesch
Ben Fritz        Beth Honebein        Beth ONeill        Bob LaTour
Brenda Cranch        Brett Wilderman        Brian Wilkerson        Bridgette Durante
Brook Ann Gaston        Bryan Burton        Bryce Pollock        Candace Halvorsen
Carol Montgomery        Don Montgomery        Cassie Rayner        Cathy Schmidt
Cesar Aguero        Cesar Piedra        Chantal Iosso        Charlie Riou
Chase MacDonald        Christopher Boyd        Cody Brush        Cody Wollitz
Connor Parkinson        Cori Zancanella        Corin Murphy        Courtney Pace
Craig Deidrick        Dan Johnson        Danny Riddle        Darrel Johannes
Dave Thomson        David Banuelos        David Blaco        David Book
David Pritchett        Dedee Lock        Dena Beddoes        Derek Show
Devan Perez        Dick Benoit        Dominique Buncio        Dylan Moellendorf
Dylan Wrye        Ellen Jacobson        Ellen Wilson        Eric Joe
Erika Nielsen        Evan Graham        Fabien Siwajian        Flor Urbieta
Fred Crist        Ginger Rick        Grace Schoenfeld        Hanna Turner
Hattie Gold        Helena Coughlin        Howard Goldbaum        Hunter Harkleroad
Iris Petty        Israel Gonzalez        Jake Cevallos        James Pehkonen
James Wilkins        Janice Brown-Silveira        Janice Shave        Jared Young
Jason Hoener        Jason Justice        Jason Weiss        Jeffrey Dean
Jeffrey Lock        Jenn Guthrie        Jennifer Hodges        Jennifer Scott
Jeremy DeWitt        Jerry Williams        Jesse Ghisletta        Jessee Walsh
Jessica Duran-Tejeda        Jessica Fernainy        Jim Boone        Jim Crompton
Jim Neveln        Joe Elquist        John Christopherson        John McEldowney
Jordan Lubek        Jorge Negron        Josue Ponce        Justin Suraci
Karen Boeger        Karen Simas        Karla Werning        Kathryn Savage
Katie McAdams        Keith Chan        Kevan Burton        Kevin Wichman
Kevin Williams        Kirk Hastings        Kurt Hall        Larry Dwyer
Larry Fenkell        Laura Hueber        Lee Guarino        Leslie Castle
Leslie Kirby        Lisa Godenick        Liz Wilson        Lothar Mader
Louis Bubala        Lucia Saborido Torres        Luke Nagy        Luke Williams
Lynne Heller        Madison Harris        Manuel Sanchez        Marissa Elquist
Mark Blume        Marty Shanks        Matt Chase        Matt Salivar
Matthew Redhead        Melissa Rodriguez        Mike Matyas        Mike Mckee
Mindy Hsu        Miranda Lumsden        Miranda Young        Nicholas Rhea
Noah Rouse        Otis Poisson        Pat Roe        Peter Frigeri
Piyush Bakane        Quentin Bishop        Rita Smyth        Robby Ridge
Robert Harington        Robert Woolworth        Robin Novak        Roger Jacobson
Rose Womack        Rusty Donlon        Ryan Inskip        Samuel Mills
Scott Curtis        Scott Seid        Scott Wilson        Sean Murphy
Senator Dean Heller        Sharon Jacobson        Sharon Marie Wilcox        Sinjen Smith
Steve Calhoun        Steve Clifford        Steve Hall        Tanner Hopper
Tara Davis        Tedd Williams        Terah Tamburelli        Terry Graham
Terry Jones        Tom Johnson        Tova McGilvray        Vikki Vollmer Riddle
Warren Harding        William Payne

We would have been there all night in order to recognize and personally thank everyone who supported our organization over the past year. It’s our hope that each and every one of them know how much we appreciate their passion for public lands and their dedication to helping protect it. Many of our stewardship projects require substantial commitments of time and perseverance and we are incredibly grateful that so many people are willing to give it. -Executive Director Shaaron Netherton