Friends honor Nelson at annual meeting

On Saturday, Nov. 12, during the annual membership meeting, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc. (FoWB) honored pesident Zann Nelson as the 2011 recipient of the Advocate Award.
The FoWB Advocate Award is not presented annually but rather at the discretion of the board of directors with input from the general membership, when a particular individual's actions have been determined as exemplary.
Carolyn Elstner, FoWB vice president and chair of the Ellwood Restoration Project commented on Nelson's achievements, "Her leadership and dedication has been especially valuable as FoWB, as a member of the Wilderness Coalition, took on the world's largest retailer, and succeeded in protecting the land from development.
"She continues to promote a spirit of cooperation in the pursuit of finding and maintaining a healthy balance between economic growth and the preservation of natural and cultural resources," Elstner continued.
Elstner concluded her remarks by praising Nelson as a true advocate for the preservation and protection of the Wilderness Battlefield and declaring her to be "the most underpaid chief executive in the universe, performing as a volunteer, what is often a full-time job."
Nelson brings to FoWB a degree in non profit management and a 40-year career in organizational development, fundraising and museum operations.
Nelson is also an award-winning investigative journalist specializing in lesser-known historical research.
The Advocate Award has been awarded to two other individuals: Frank S. Walker and Elstner.
In 2011, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield contributed more than 8,830 volunteer hours to the National Park Service.
"Each and every volunteer is vital to our work at the Wilderness," Nelson said, "but we like to recognize those that give above and beyond what is expected."
This year three volunteers were recognized: Joe Marks for 12 years of service on the ground force, David Rodriguez for most number of hours contributed by a new interpreter at Ellwood, and Nate Bond for the most number of days contributed as a veteran interpreter at Ellwood.
The annual meeting included reports on facets of FoWB work and the membership elected four members to the FoWB Board of Directors: Gary Mauss; Warren Billings; Gerry Culver and Howard Lambert.
The meeting was followed by a complimentary lunch for FoWB members hosted by the board of directors.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with the Ellwood Interpreter or ground force programs should contact Elstner at 540-373-6240 or Melstner@aol.com; special projects on the Wilderness battlefield contact Mark Wakeman at 540-760-5948 or email (battlefield@fowb.org)
For more information about the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield visit www.fowb.org.