The State Awards recognize individuals who have made compelling and significant contributions to the trails movement in their home states.
Through his tireless determination to affect positive change, and his dedication to making his community a better place to live, Adam is an outstanding example of a citizen turning passion into action to make a difference in the lives of others through recreational trails.
As the principal of an elementary school in Heflin, Alabama, Adam believes strongly in the importance of outdoor recreation for the health and wellbeing of his students, and to enhance the quality of life and economic development in his home town. Heflin is adjacent to the Talladega National Forest and the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail. Adam felt that this afforded Heflin a great opportunity to enhance its outdoor recreational offerings and to welcome hikers to the city. Adam started engaging partners to determine the feasibility of creating a spur trail that would link Heflin to the trail. Adam and a local outdoorsman identified existing trails, timber roads, and fire lanes within the National Forest that would provide a suitable connector trail along a two-mile route, thus reducing the expense and impact of creating a new trail footprint. After working through the approval processes, Adam was able to secure official designation of the trail in August 2018. Through his tireless determination to affect positive change, and his dedication to making his community a better place to live, Adam is an outstanding example of a citizen turning passion into action to make a difference in the lives of others through recreational trails.
