Jim Watters Receives National Sierra Club Award

SAN FRANCISCO - Sept. 15, 2001 - Outings leader Jim Watters was among those receiving national awards from the Sierra Club this year. Watters received the William Colby Award, which honors an individual for outstanding leadership, dedication and service to the Sierra Club.

Watters has been the cornerstone of the Sierra Club's national outings program for more than 40 years. He has served as chair of the National Outings Knapsack Subcommittee and Chair of the Outings Committee. He has been a mentor to several generations of outings leaders and also introduced the conservation component into the Club's outings program.

"Jim's presence is felt everywhere in the Outings Program - from the Outings Office in San Francisco to every National Outings Subcommittee across the country, to the local Bay Chapter Backpack Section," said Patrick Colgan, a club member who nominated Watters for the award.

Watters has served as the interface between the National Park Service, the National Forest Service and the Sierra Club National Outings Program. He also has worked closely with the national outings staff to continuously update the procedures and policies for Club outings. He also has served on the volunteer board of the Pacific Crest Trail Association for many years and has organized Sierra Club work parties to maintain a section of this trail.

Watters previously received the Sierra Club's Oliver Kehrlein Award in 1983 and the Special Service Award in 1989.