Judy Gibbs
“Unless” Award
Seeking Nominees for the 2024 Great Lakes Outdoor Summit
**Thank you for your interest and involvement in the Great Lakes Outdoor Summit and the Judy Gibbs Unless Award. We are no longer accepting submissions for 2024.
The Great Lakes Outdoor Summit (GLOS) acknowledges that one of the reasons we come together is to celebrate and recognize regional leaders within the environment and outdoor recreation community, particularly those who fly under the radar in more traditional settings.
In 2023, GLOS created the Judy Gibbs "Unless" Award, honoring Judy Gibbs, who has dedicated her life to advocating for the places that don’t have a voice of their own. To quote Dr. Seuss himself, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”
The Judy Gibbs "Unless" Award now serves as an annual recognition of exemplary service and outstanding achievements in the environmental field and the outdoor recreation movement in the Great Lakes region.
Recipients will receive public recognition at the Great Lakes Outdoor Summit on October 25, 2024 and the ‘Unless’ Award presented by Judy Gibbs herself. Learn more about Judy here.
Nominations due by Monday, July 15, 2024.
CRITERIA
We are seeking nominees that embody the following seven characteristics:
Has yet to be widely recognized for their work in the past.
Expresses leadership through consistency and perseverance.
Has made contributions that led their community to important change-making moments.
Serves as a hub, connecting people to one another and resources to help them succeed.
The natural and outdoor recreation resources are better off because of them, and so is their community’s quality of life.
May be a person who is quiet by nature, but finds strength in speaking up at just the right time and place to make a big difference.
May be someone who is more comfortable outdoors, but shows up for all the meetings.
AWARD ELIGIBILITY
Nominees do not have to be employed at an outdoor/environmental organization to be eligible, but may be volunteers, board members, or service staff of various community-focused outdoor recreation or environmental groups or initiatives.
Nominees must be residents of the Great Lakes region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Ontario).
Self-nominations will not be accepted.