2012

 Nina E. Gordon Senior Policy Coordinator,
 Interpretation and Education Division
 

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Nina led the way for thousands of people to enjoy the outdoors.  Among her achievements were wheelchair accessibility at Ano Nuevo State Park; also she helped to create the "California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights" and the "Children in Nature" programs.

James Pence (Posthumous)
State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
 Sierra District
NOTE: Accepting for James (photo below) is
James twin brother, Sean Pence.
 

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Officer James Pence was dedicated to the protection of park resources wherever he worked.  Until his untimely death at the age of 49, James was a steadfast leader and an inspiration to many people throughout California for more than 20 years.

Timothy Guardino, (Posthumous) 
 State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division

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Tim was a model employee for the Department since 2003. Tragically, Tim passed away on October 14, 2012, from Lou Gehrig's disease.  Tim's professionalism and strong moral compass embodied the term integrity.  Officer Guardino facilitated the development of a new statewide law enforcement training course to provide improved customer service to the State's Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recreationists.

James A. Luscutoff, Division Chief
Concessions, Reservations and Fees Division

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In a career spanning 42 years, Jim worked in nearly every division at headquarters. The last 15 years as Chief of Concessions, Jim ethically insured that concession management and policy were compatible with the mission, public interest, and State Parks operational needs.

Charles (Chuck) Combs
Staff Park and Recreation Specialist 
 Mott Training Center
 

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Chuck has served California State Parks for more than 38 years.  As head of maintenance training at the William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center, Chuck realized that no other park agency offered training in skills vital to good maintenance practices.  He worked with federal, state, and local agencies to develop specific hands-on classes that have earned California State Parks an excellent reputation with park and land management agencies across the United States.

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
Michele Luna, Executive Director

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This non-profit interpretive organization was founded to promote education, preservation, and restoration of the natural and cultural resources of the Russian River area through interpretation and stewardship.  Since 1994, the "Stewards" have volunteered more than 30,000 hours; raised $1.2 million for the Willow Creek Bridge project, and performed many other projects and tasks in support of California State Parks.

 
Point Sur SHP Volunteers  &  Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers (CCLK) Cooperating Association; 
Kevin Hanstick & John O’Neil, Chairpersons
 

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For 20 years, the dedicated CCLK Cooperating Association and the Point Sur volunteers have provided financial and volunteer support.  During 2012, the volunteers contributed 15,300 hours of service and the docents conducted 276 tours for 6,000 visitors at Point Sur State Historic Park.  It is estimated that over the years, the CCLK has contributed more than $1.5 million towards restoration work at the park.

 
Communications Cell Connectivity Project
 Mojave Sector/Tehachapi District

Matthew E. Williams, Project Leader, State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
Russ Dingman, Staff Park & Rec Specialist I
John C. Aiton, Park Maintenance Worker I (not pictured)

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Cell phone and emergency 911 service was brought to remote Red Rock Canyon State Park because of the ingenuity and initiative of this team of dedicated employees.  The idea was conceived by Matt Williams and then the  team designed, hand-built, and installed solar powered I/T cell-repeater towers - a feat that local commercial providers  and other private professionals could not provide.

Sharon Dennis, Associate Government
 Program Analyst,
Administrative Services Division
 

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Sharon is recognized for establishing an ethical, accountable program to recycle old Department computers to get them into the hands of needy children and school systems.

Gilbert (Gil) Hernandez ,
Park Maintenance Worker II, Angeles District

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Gil has protected and preserved parks resources in the Angeles District for more than 35 years - through fires, floods, earthquakes  -  and even the Rodney King riots.  Most recently Gil has become a key staffer with the Los Angeles State Historic Park special events program.

 Tara Elizabeth Lynch
Senior Staff Counsel
Legal Office
 

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Tara stepped up to act as interim Chief Counsel, maintaining a well-respected and highly functioning Legal Office during the recent times of public pressure and limited staff resources.  She constantly uses her legal prowess, integrity, and friendly attitude to support the mission of California State Parks.

Cameron M. Morrison
State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
Diablo Vista District

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Cameron (Cam) worked above and beyond "typical" ranger duties by taking on many extra tasks and projects in the parks.  For more than ten years, he has been stalwart and instrumental in the area of resource protection in a very large park area.

 
James D. Valdez
State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
Angeles District 

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James spearheaded the special-event programs within the Los Angeles State Historic Park, which has become somewhat of a premier location for large-scale music festivals and cultural events.  James built the program with little experience and no blueprint.

 
Linda K. Walton
Museum Curator I
Archaeology, History, and Museums Division 

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With no prior experience in conducting museum-collection inventories in the field, Linda coordinated artifact inventories for the California State Park System to provide an accurate count and locations of mission museum collections.  She also worked very hard to secure outside funding for museum collections.

California Quail

 
Robin Joy Wellman
State Park Interpreter
Russian River District

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Robin planned a series of events for the Fort Ross State Historic Park Bicentennial Year Celebration - working with Russian diplomats, Native Americans, and others to tell the story of this icon of Russian-American history.

Evan S. Walter
State Park Peace Officer/Ranger
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Northern Buttes District 

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While off duty at a Chico shopping mall, Evan intervened when a 15-year-old male was being repeatedly stabbed by a suspected gang member.  Evan took the suspect into custody prior to other officers' arrival.  The victim survived the attack.