Christine Hoyer- 2011 Great Smoky Mountain National Park Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Christine Hoyer- 2011 GSMNP Employee of the Year
Very well deserved.

Hoyer has been the Trails and Backcountry Facilities volunteer coordinator since May 2008 and has grown the program immensely in this short time.She is in charge of overseeing four main park volunteer programs: Adopt-a-Trail, Adopt-a-Campsite, Trails Forever, and the Backcountry Horsemen Trail Clearing Program.

The volunteer work crews Hoyer leads are responsible for assisting park staff in major trail rehabilitation and backcountry campsite maintenance projects which stabilize and improve the trail conditions.

The work performed protects park resources and enhances the visitor’s experience in the backcountry, as can be seen in the newly completed Forney Ridge Trail.

“Thank you so much for leading us through an amazing week in the Smokies! I really appreciate all of your patience, leadership, kindness, and flexibility throughout all that we went through,” wrote one member of an “alternative spring break” youth crew regarding Hoyer. “This week was wonderful thanks to you. You are a great leader and I hope you enjoyed this trip as much as I did!”

“In addition to producing excellent craftsmanship in the park’s trails, Christine has developed a whole array of communication tools to help promote volunteerism and attract donors,” Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said. “She has created a powerful website as well as numerous PowerPoint presentations featuring their trail work which she has delivered to a wide range of audiences.”

Hoyer lives in Sylva, N.C. She often volunteers her time to perform trail work along the AT, teaching local youth and adults the Leave No Trace principles. She is also a volunteer field advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Read more: The Mountain Press - b National park to honor its Employee of the Year at ceremony b
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