It’s time to meet this year’s George W. Perkins honorees!

Every year, the Perkins Reception gives us a chance to recognize people and organizations whose work has made a real difference for New York’s public lands. This year, we celebrate 10 years of the Park & Trail Partnership Grant program: a program that has helped New York’s Friends groups turn ideas into real projects across the state.

George “Chip” Gorman is being honored individually for a career spanning more than four decades with New York State Parks. Chip started as a summer seasonal employee at Jones Beach State Park in 1977 and worked his way up through the ranks, eventually becoming Regional Director in 2019. In that role, he was responsible for 33 Long Island State Parks, serving nearly 30 million annual visitors.

Parks & Trail Partnership Grant Progenitors

We’re also honoring six Parks & Trail Partnership Grant Progenitors whose work helped shape the program in its early years: Fran Gotcsik, Laura DiBetta, Friends of the Walkway, The Caumsett Foundation, Friends of Knox Farm, and Friends of Hamlin Beach.

Fran Gotcsik brought four decades of experience in historic preservation, community planning, public participation, and trail development to her work with PTNY and other partners. During her 35 years with PTNY, she held a number of roles, including Conservation Director and Director of Programs and Policy. Her guidance was instrumental in the early development of PTNY’s Growing the Grassroots mini-grants, which eventually grew into today’s Park & Trail Partnership Grants.

Laura DiBetta, now Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has spent nearly two decades working on environmental issues, program development, and communications. She was deeply involved in the early days of the Park & Trail Partnership Grants, helping build the foundation for what the program would become.

Friends of the Walkway supports Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, the 1.28-mile linear park connecting Ulster and Dutchess counties. With more than 600,000 visitors each year, the Walkway has become an important recreational and community hub and a key connector between several regional rail trails.

The Caumsett Foundation was established in 1995 by local residents committed to preserving and supporting the public enjoyment of Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. Through fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement, the foundation supports the park’s natural habitats, historic buildings, and educational programs.

At Knox Farm State Park, the Friends of Knox Farm have taken on a particularly hands-on role. The group manages three properties within the 633-acre park and has invested more than $1.5 million, along with thousands of volunteer hours, to preserve its historic buildings and create new opportunities for the public to enjoy the site.

And at Hamlin Beach State Park, an all-volunteer group has been steadily growing its impact. Friends of Hamlin Beach has quadrupled its membership over the past four years, with volunteers taking on everything from bird monitoring and gardening to recycling, trail work, grant writing, and even crafting.

We’re looking forward to celebrating all of our honorees at this year’s George W. Perkins Reception!