Awards

Welcome to the awards section of the ESR website.

My name is Leilani Connolly, and I’m a fifty+ year former member of the Heavenly Area ski patrol now an Alumni. After holding many of the offices in our local patrol, and a few in the Eastern Sierra Region, too, I was encouraged to take on the position of awards advisor, a positive job in which well-deserving patrollers are recognized for their contributions to the National Ski Patrol.

It’s never too soon to recognize someone for their dedication to the NSP. Recognition by one’s peers is a small payment for a large contribution of hours spent patrolling the ski slope, teaching a class, or attending meetings. Behind each of the honorees listed below is a patroller who took the time to sit down and write a nomination. Be that patroller!

NSP has two categories of awards, the outstanding awards (see the list below), and all others such as national appointments, distinguished service awards, certificates of appreciation, merit stars, angel pins, and service pins. Go to the NSP website, and download chapter 12 of the Policies and Procedures Manual. The information you need is under Resources, then Document Library, and then Governance for the P and P Manual; for the award forms, look under the Award Forms tab. The criteria for each award is listed. Also, I can mail or email copies of previous well-written nominations for you to use as examples.

Awards take a while to work themselves through the system as they are reviewed by a number of people. Only outstanding award nominations have an absolute deadline (March 15 for ESR); allow at least sixty days for all nominations to be reviewed and approved.

Eastern Sierra Region Awards

- Outstanding Administrative Patroller
- Outstanding Alpine Patrol - Large
- Outstanding Alpine Patrol – Small
- Outstanding Alpine Patroller
- Outstanding Patroller (formerly Auxiliary)
- Outstanding OEC Instructor
- Outstanding Instructor (non-OEC)
- Outstanding Nordic Backcountry Patrol
- Outstanding Nordic Backcountry Patroller
- Outstanding Paid Patroller
- Outstanding Paid Patrol Director/Representative
- Outstanding Patrol Representative
- Outstanding Young Adult Patroller
- Outstanding Alumni
- Outstanding Mountain Host Unit
- Outstanding Mountain Host (individual)
- Outstanding Bike Patrol
- Outstanding Bike Patroller
- Outstanding Bike Host (individual)

For more information, contact:

Leilani Connolly
ESR Awards Program Administrator
Heavenly NSP

Awards History

Outstanding Administrative Patroller

- 1971 Tom Osborne
- 1972 David Blomquist
- 1976 Jim Hubbard
- 1979 Robert Hoffman
- 1980 Frank Mora
- 1981 Sam Housten
- 1982 Roland Barakett
- 1983 Bernon Gottlieb
- 1984 Jeff Gile
- 1985 Bill Boling
- 1986 Bobbie Head
- 1987 Frank Shoemaker
- 1988 Jack Brandon
- 1989 Jack Brandon
- 1990 Ralph Franzen
- 1991 Bill Hasssett
- 1992 Tim Stephens
- 2001 Janice Waits
- 2005 John Doolittle
- 2011 Dennis Griffiths
- 2012 Dennis Griffiths
- 2014 Joe Shaefer
- 2015 Nancy Stromswold (also FWD honoree)
- 2018 Tom Taylor

Outstanding Alpine Patrol

- 1976 Skyline
- 1977 Skyline
- 1978 Alpine Meadows
- 1979 San Francisco/Alpine Mdws.
- 1980 San Francisco
- 1981 San Francisco
- 1982 Skyline/Alpine Meadows
- 1983 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1984 Golden Gate
- 1985 East Bay
- 1987 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1988 East Bay/Northstar
- 1989 Mauna Kea
- 1990 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1991 North Bay
- 1992 North Bay
- 1993 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1995 Sierra at Tahoe
- 1996 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1997 San Francisco/Squaw Valley
- 1998 Tahoe Donner
- 2000 Diamond Peak
- 2001 Tahoe Donner
- 2002 San Francisco/Squaw Valley

Now awarded as Large or Small Alpine Patrol

Outstanding Large Alpine Patrol

- 2004 Squaw Valley
- 2005 Squaw Valley
- 2007 Squaw Valley
- 2009 Northstar
- 2010 Squaw Valley
- 2011 Northstar
- 2012 Northstar
- 2013 Northstar
- 2014 Heavenly Area Patrol
- 2015 Heavenly Area Patrol
- 2016 Heavenly Area Patrol
- 2018 Northstar
- 2019 Northstar (also FWD)

Outstanding Small Alpine Patrol

- 2003 Diamond Peak
- 2004 Homewood
- 2005 Homewood
- 2006 Diamond Peak
- 2007 Diamond Peak
- 2008 Diamond Peak
- 2010 Diamond Peak
- 2011 Diamond Peak
- 2012 Diamond Peak
- 2013 Diamond Peak
- 2014 Diamond Peak (also FWD and National honoree)
- 2015 Diamond Peak
- 2016 Homewood Volunteer Patrol (also FWD and National honoree)
- 2017 Diamond Peak
- 2018 Diamond Peak
- 2020 Diamond Peak (also FWD honoree)
- 2021 Diamond Peak
- 2022 Diamond Peak (also FWD & National runner-up)
- 2023 Sierra-at-Tahoe (also FWD & National runner-up)
- 2024 Sierra-at-Tahoe (also FWD & National)

Outstanding Alpine Patroller

- 1971 Ed Cross
- 1972 David Patterson
- 1974 Mary Dean Patterson
- 1976 Frank Shoemaker
- 1977 Frank Mora
- 1978 Jeff Gile
- 1979 Bob Schroer
- 1980 Lawrence Bolander
- 1982 Ed Cross
- 1983 Don Shockey
- 1984 Chuck Bradford
- 1985 Ralph Franzen
- 1986 Norm Strobel
- 1987 Ralph Franzen
- 1988 William Hummer, Jr.
- 1989 Don Shockey
- 1990 Paul Peterson
- 1991 Susan Bors
- 1992 Glen Baker
- 1994 Tim O’Brien
- 1995 Fred Lamonica
- 1996 Fred Lamonica
- 1997 Dan Little
- 1998 Scott Cross
- 1999 Michiko Singletary
- 2000 James T. Cheng
- 2002 Lewie A. Webb
- 2003 Robert Heilig
- 2004 Bart Bechtel
- 2005 Ron Luschar
- 2006 Loretta Barranger
- 2007 Ron Luschar
- 2008 Dorothy Metcalf
- 2010 Thomas Sherry
- 2011 Gordon Meyer
- 2012 Collin Harris
- 2013 Joe Shaeffer
- 2015 Mark Kaminsky
- 2016 Kirk Ledbetter

Outstanding Instructor

- 1995 Jennifer Bryan
- 1996 Hugh Ham
- 1997 Bill Person
- 1998 Smith
- 1999 Ron Luschar
- 2000 Eric Chesnar
- 2001 R. Heilig
- 2002 Bart Bechtal
- 2003 Chris Webber
- 2004 Loretta Barranger
- 2005 Adams
- 2006 Joe Shaefer
- 2007 Devin Hiemstra
- 2008 Joe Shaeffer
- 2010 Jon Scarpa
- 2012 Paul Maccoux
- 2013 Jeff Ganyard
- 2014 Kathrine Rieger
- 2016 Kevin O’Neil

Outstanding Nordic Patrol

- 1998 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2001 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2005 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2006 Mammoth Basin
- 2007 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2009 Mammoth Basin
- 2010 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2012 Tahoe Backcountry
- 2013 Tahoe Backcountry

Outstanding Nordic Patroller

- 2000 Jeff Dean
- 2001 Jim Graf

Outstanding Mountain Host Unit

- 2023 Sierra-at-Tahoe Mountain Host Unit (FWD & National honoree)

Outstanding Mountain Host (Individual)

Outstanding Alumni

2022 James Margolis (also FWD & National honoree)

Outstanding OEC Instructor

- 2009 Dorothy Metcalf
- 2010 Karen Trolan
- 2011 David Rozzi
- 2012 Chris Causey
- 2013 Devin Hiemstra
- 2015 Joe Shaefer
- 2016 David Stepner (also FWD and National honoree)
- 2017 Nancy Stromswold (also FWD and National honoree)
- 2018 David Rozzi (also FWD and National)
- 2019 Oliver Fontana
- 2022 Gordon Meyer
- 2024 William "Bill" Booth (also FWD)

Outstanding Paid Patroller

- 1994 Thomas Miller
- 1995 Barry Tiemann
- 1996 Dennis Griffiths
- 2000 Ryan Lougeay
- 2001 Erik Knudson
- 2002 Martin Donahoe
- 2003 Russell Johnson
- 2004 Patrick Griffin
- 2005 Devin Hiemstra
- 2006 Patrick Griffin
- 2007 Donald Barrientos
- 2008 James Whitson
- 2009 Thomas Brokaw
- 2010 Patrick Griffin
- 2011 Lori Gunderson
- 2012 Catharine Rieger
- 2013 Lori Gunderson
- 2015 Kathrine Rieger
- 2016 Kathrine Rieger
- 2017 James Sindt (also FWD honoree & National runner-up)
- 2018 Dave Stromswold (also FWD & 2nd National)
- 2019 Kolina Coe

Outstanding Patrol Representative

- 1997 Bernard Atkinson
- 1998 Leilani Connolly
- 1999 Jeremy Sommer
- 2000 Lewie Webb
- 2001 Walt Singletary
- 2002 Stuart Dunn
- 2004 Ron Luschar
- 2005 Loretta Barringer
- 2007 James T. Cheng
- 2008 Dennis Griffiths
- 2009 Michael Fanelli
- 2010 Michael Fanelli
- 2011 Michael Fanelli
- 2012 Michael Fanelli
- 2013 Wes Schimmelpfennig
- 2014 Drew Oliphant
- 2015 Drew Oliphant
- 2016 Drew Oliphant
- 2017 Keith Neergaard (also FWD & National honoree)
- 2018 Loretta O'Brien
- 2022 Drew Oliphant

Outstanding Patroller (Formerly Auxiliary)

- 1979 Arnold Vasa
- 1980 Bob La Flamme
- 1982 Sally Robertson
- 1986 Sandra Beecher
- 1987 Bob Valcalda
- 1990 Caren Stephens
- 1992 Gregory Joe
- 1997 Eugania Rowe
- 1999 Eileen Whalen
- 2000 Bart Bechtel
- 2001 Virginia Nakada
- 2002 Eileen Whale
- 2007 Sheryl Leverington

Outstanding Young Adult Patroller

- 1978 Steve Tristand
- 1980 Chris Stark
- 1982 Bo Yule
- 1984 Richard Murphy
- 1987 Valery Mora
- 1989 Susanne Bock
- 1992 Fritz Herbert
- 2002 Alex Heilig
- 2005 Devin Hiernstra
- 2013 Esteban Valle (also FWD & National honoree)
- 2019 Nathan Whisler (also FWD honoree)

Page updated

Report abuse