Jerry Mitcham
The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council is pleased to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Jerry Mitcham for his 6,200+ hours of documented volunteer service over more than 20 years. Jerry was also on the board for nearly 20 years and is one of only two people to receive the Hank Grateful Award - twice! Jerry’s knowledge of technical trail work is unparalleled and he is often consulted by various agencies, such as State Parks, NPS, MRCA, and COSCA, to provide assistance on projects.
Jerry and his 4WD truck have put in many miles driving tools and volunteers to work events. Jerry has been instrumental in organizing and leading the Backbone Trek and Trail Days. Jerry has coordinated with colleges/universities for their students to do volunteer trail work, and, currently he is the head of the Trail Corps program at CSUCI. Jerry also helps coordinate scouting projects and has organized community outreach events. Jerry’s quiet demeanor and analytical skills are highly regarded. He is well respected and admired as both a crew leader and an individual.
Written by Ruth Feldon
Dave Edwards
The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council is pleased to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Dave Edwards for his 6,100+ hours of documented volunteer service over more than 20 years. Dave is the backbone of the SMMTC: trail work event coordinator, scheduler and crew boss. Dave purchases and maintains the tools; his huge 4WD truck is a mainstay for trail work to carry both tools and people; he is instrumental in organizing and leading the Backbone Trek and Trail Days; he handles SMMTC shirt orders, business cards, and parking placards; and he coordinates and leads trail work trips to the Channel Islands.
Dave is an excellent mentor, recruiter, teacher and leader. He has a warm and colorful personality that draws people to him. He encourages and cheers people on and he willingly shares his knowledge of trail work techniques and tips, local history, and flora and fauna. He spoils the crew by providing chocolates at lunch time, which somehow never seem to melt. He started the practice of bringing cold drinks for the crew to have at the end of their work day during debriefing. Dave is just plain fun to work with and be around.
Written by Ruth Feldon