The North Country Trail Association calls for award nominations each spring for a variety of awards given at the Annual Conference. Lorana Jinkerson, as a member of the Board of Directors, serves on the Awards Committee. In 2009 when the conference call was made to decide upon the recipients of each award, the Award Committee Chair, Sarah Julien, noted that there had been no nominations for the Communicator of the Year Award. Then, at the awards presentation at the NCTA Annual Conference in Valley City, ND when Sarah announced, "The award for Communicator of the Year goes to Lorana Jinkerson", Lorana was in total shock. Unbeknown to her, Marge Forslin and Jan Lindstrom had conspired to nominate her and, with the help of the Awards Committee, pulled off a fast one.
The nomination noted that almost immediately after she joined the North Country Trail Hikers in 2005, Lorana created a new website for our chapter, with added topics and much useful detail, which she has updated regularly. She volunteered to be the primary contact person for hikers, media, government, or others with inquiries about the NCT. She volunteered to edit our newsletter, and expanded and enhanced it and transitioned it to online circulation. She is a prolific photographer at all our events and is our publicity agent, sending notices of our activities and meetings to local media. She has been interviewed at length about the trail by local TV stations. In a unique contribution, she wrote and has published a book for young readers introducing them to the NCNST, Nettie Does the NCT: North County Trail. Communicating with members of other user groups, she represents NCTH on the Michigan DNR's Western Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Committee.
In addition to all of this, Lorana is one of our most active trail workers, is a valuable contributor at our Board and General Membership Meetings, and has graciously hosted several potlucks and activities at her home.
