Vol. 8, No.3 News and Information on the State’s border-to-border Arizona Trail project Fall - 2002 Welcome Our New ATA Executive Director, Denise Meridith! The Arizona Trail Association is proud to career and expand her community involvement, announce the selection of Denise Meridith as our utilizing her strong business management and organization’s new Executive Director. nonprofit leadership skills. In this position, Denise will work with the ATA Denise is a Natural Resources/Wildlife Biology board of directors to expand the organization, graduate of Cornell University, and she has a coordinate development activities and support a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the variety of efforts to complete the Arizona Trail. University of Southern California. Prior to her The position is being funded as part of a significant Arizona position, Denise served as the Deputy grant provided by the Nina Mason Pulliam Director of BLM in Washington, DC, where she Charitable Trust. developed a strong relationship with members of The culmination of a two-month national search Congress and many leaders in land management for our new Executive Director brought our agencies. selection committee and interview panel directly While in Arizona, Denise has been active as a back to an Arizona candidate in their unanimous volunteer, including serving on boards with the decision to offer the position to one of the state’s “The Arizona Trail Association Girl Scouts, the Greater Phoenix Convention and most prominent leaders in natural resources and is a great organization full of Visitors Bureau, and the Arizona Tourism and recreation. enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers. Sports Authority. She also led the Parks and For the past seven years, Denise led 600 I am looking forward to attracting, Recreation Subcommittee of the last City of employees in eight offices as the Arizona State motivating and working with even Phoenix bond campaign and co-founded the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), more people and organizations to Arizona Tourism Alliance. with responsibility for management of 14 million help preserve the scenic beauty Her civic contributions have been acres of public lands. In June 2002, Denise retired and diverse outdoor experiences acknowledged by numerous organizations: YWCA from her impressive 29-year professional career with found along the nearly 800-mile Entrepreneur of the Year 2001; the first ever 2002 the BLM to focus on her desire to begin a consulting route of the Arizona Trail.” BLM Legends Award for Lifetime Achievement; Continued on page 2 Arizona Trail Day at Oracle State Park by Randy Warner Oracle State Park is one of Arizona’s lesser-known public land gems, and the Arizona Trail goes right through it. It sits on 4,000 acres of rolling high desert that used to be owned and ranched by the Kannally family of Oracle. On October 5, 2002, the Arizona Trail Association held “Arizona Trail Day at Oracle State Park,” a purely fun event for ATA members and prospective members. We couldn’t have had a better day for hiking, biking or riding the Arizona Trail had we special ordered it. Members got the chance to experience the Arizona Trail within the Park, as well as explore the Park, including the historic Kannally ranch house. And after their hikes and rides, they were rewarded with hot dogs on the grill and an ample supply of spicy Cheetoes (courtesy of the Hicks clan). continued on page 5 MANY MORE MILES TO BUILD… 1 President’s Pride The Arizona Trail by Jan Hancock Our Vision... Looking over all that all over the world to share our trail’s story and a continuous, non-motorized we’ve accomplished our success as an organization. It is at these trail traversing the state nearly together thus far in 2002, types of national meetings that we realize how 790 miles from Mexico to it’s hard to believe that much we have accomplished in such a short Utah, linking deserts, we’re still packing in time. Most long distance trials are 30 or more mountains, canyons, more activities in our years old, hundreds and hundreds of miles away communities, and people. calendars before the end from completion, and most have truly of this year! significant, long range obstacles to overcome, The Arizona Trail Association coordinates the On November 10-13, such as purchases of expensive private lands for planning, development, 2002, our new Executive Director, Denise their trail’s pathway. management and promotion of Meridith, our Chief Trail Steward, Larry Snead, The Arizona Trail Association has been the Arizona Trail for and I will be attending the National Trails blessed with fabulous support from our land recreational and educational Symposium being held in Orlando, Florida, to management agency partners, and equally experiences for non-motorized share our Arizona Trail story with trails strong support from thousands of volunteers. trail users. enthusiasts and agency officials who will be in We don’t have any land we have to buy, and we attendance from throughout the nation and don’t have many of the other obstacles being Board of Directors many other nations from around the world. experienced by trails organizations around the President: We will all be conducting special nation and the world. Jan Hancock [email protected] presentations and attending sessions that will What we do have is a stellar, dedicated, and Secretary: feature the nation’s most spectacular trails, results-oriented group of fantastic volunteers Suzanne Pfeister including the Arizona Trail, and we have a who just won’t quit in their pursuit of [email protected] beautiful new display highlighting the scenic completing our founder’s dream…a completed Steve Anderson beauty of the route of the Arizona Trail that will ribbon of trail from border-to-border…and in [email protected] be on exhibit at the Symposium for three days. less than a decade we are almost there! My Bob Bohannan My pride in our Arizona Trail project always pride in this organization knows no bounds. Dawson Henderson swells enormously as I meet with people from [email protected] Cynthia Lovely [email protected] Phyllis Ralley [email protected] ARIZONA Terry Sario TRAIL [email protected] Dale Shewalter Eric Smith [email protected] Deb Morgaina to Assist ATA Randy Warner [email protected] Deb Morgaina joined ATA In 2001 Deb was the president of the Executive Director: in October as our bookkeeper, Arizona Professional Organizer’s Association. Denise Meridith database manager and general Avalon’s clients range from large [email protected] administrative support for corporations including Allied Signal, Arizona Chief Trail Steward: Denise Meridith. She has been Public Service, and Salt River Project, as well Larry Snead a Phoenix resident since 1979. as many small business owners, entrepreneurs, [email protected] After over 15 years as a law home based businesses, and professional Executive Coordinator: office administrator in Los associations. Deb Morgaina Angeles, Beverly Hills, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Deb's position with the ATA is funded by a [email protected] Deborah Morgaina, opened her consulting portion of the recently awarded Nina Mason ATA welcomes articles and practice, Avalon Office Organization & Pulliam Charitable Trust grant. photos from trail users and Management Consulting. In September 2002, If you have any mailing or e-mail address volunteers. Please mail to ATA or e-mail: [email protected] she celebrated 9 years in business. changes, or have questions regarding your ATA Deb Morgaina authored, “Minding Your volunteer hours, membership dues, expense Arizona Trail Association Business: Law Office Expansion and reimbursements, or any other questions relating P.O. Box 36736 Management,” a chapter of Life, Law and the to our ATA databases or bookkeeping, you can Phoenix, Arizona 85067 Pursuit of Balance: A Lawyer’s Guide to contact Deb through the ATA telephone 602-252-4794 Quality of Life, published by the Arizona State message center, 602-252-4794, or send a direct www.aztrail.org Bar and offered through the American Bar e-mail message to her at: [email protected] Association 2 …MANY MORE MILES TO BUILD ATA Attends National Scenic and Historic Trails Conference The 8th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails was Larry set up a tabletop display about the Arizona Trail at the held October 17-20, 2002, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There are eight conference, and he was very pleased with the enthusiastic reception National Scenic Trails in America, and the ATA Board of Directors is the Arizona Trail received by the conference attendees. Many trail making preparations to seek a Congressional nomination for the enthusiasts from around the nation stopped by to talk with him about Arizona Trail to become the nation’s 9th National Scenic Trail. the Arizona Trail, and a large number signed a petition in support of In preparation for beginning the planning for this extremely the Arizona Trail’s nomination for National Scenic Trail designation. lengthy and involved nomination process, the ATA asked our Chief After the conference concluded, Larry stated, “There’s a Trail Steward, Larry Snead, to attend this national meeting to help our tremendous amount of interest in the Arizona Trail all across the Association learn more about the nomination requirements and nation. People are fascinated by our diverse landscapes and the scenic procedures, and also attend the educational sessions to learn about beauty that you find throughout our state, from our Sonoran deserts to how to qualify the Arizona Trail for this prestigious designation. The our alpine forests. That’s what makes the Arizona Trail such a perfect last National Scenic Trail admitted to the system was the Florida Trail, candidate for the nation’s next National Scenic Trail.” in 1983.