Four Rivers Heritage Area Awards Honor Excellence:
Ceremony Recognizes Community Leaders, Outstanding Projects
November 6, 2014 — (Annapolis) Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town and South County, held its Eleventh Annual Heritage Awards on Thursday, November 6, 2014, at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. These awards recognize individuals, organizations, partnerships, programs and products that contribute significantly to the community by interpreting, promoting, preserving, researching and/or supporting our historical legacy.
Heritage Tourism Product Award: This award recognizes an outstanding heritage tourism product created in the past year. Eligible products include exhibits, events, programs, self-guided or guided tours, audiotours, videos/CDs/podcasts, interpretive brochures, publications and websites. The 2014 award recognizes Historic London Town and Gardens’ “Garden Guide, ” an outstanding interpretive guide to all aspects of the gardens for visitors in all seasons.
Heritage Interpreter of the Year: This award recognizes a heritage interpreter—docent, educator, tour guide, volunteer—in a non-profit or for-profit heritage organization, who provides outstanding factual, and educational information to the public. This year’s honoree is Elinor Thompson, for her dedication and passion for discovering and sharing local church and genealogical records in our area.
Heritage Professional of the Year: This award recognizes an author, archaeologist, architect, artist, exhibits/publications designer, historian, natural resource professional, preservationist, professional staff person, or researcher, for significant professional contributions to heritage interpretation, stewardship, and/or education in the past year. This year’s award recognizes Heather Skipper, of Watermark, for her dedication, vision, partnership, and support of heritage interpretation for diverse audiences in our area.
Inaugural Stewardship Award: This award recognizes an individual, family, organization, or business in the heritage area that demonstrates outstanding leadership in a stewardship capacity. IN 2014 the award is given to Lisa Barge, of Anne Arundel Economic Development, for her dedication and leadership in the stewardship of agricultural traditions and best practices in Anne Arundel County
Heritage Partnership Award: This award recognizes an outstanding regional partnership in heritage interpretation, preservation, stewardship, and/or education. This year’s award goes to the Kunta Kinte Children’s Festival of 2014, for continuing the traditions of Annapolis’s celebrated Kunta Kinte Festival in a new setting by Spa Creek. Honorees: Chesapeake Children’s Museum, City of Annapolis, and performer Kwame Ansah-Brew, with Cadette Troop 4149, led by Sharon Acosta.
The Heritage Leadership Award: This award recognizes an individual for significant and long lasting contributions to the community by interpreting, preserving, promoting, researching, and/or supporting local history and heritage. The 2014 Heritage Leadership Award goes to Jean Jackson, for her leadership in creating and developing the landmark Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival in Annapolis.
Certificates of Appreciation were also given to Towne Transport and Visit Annapolis (Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau), for their invaluable sponsorship and support of the Maryland Day Celebration in 2014.
For more information and photographs of the event, please visit our Awards page.
Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County, one of Maryland’s 12 certified heritage areas, is a partnership among the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis, the town of Highland Beach, and local historic sites, heritage organizations, and heritage-related businesses, to encourage economic vitality through historic preservation and heritage tourism. For more information, please contact Executive Director Carol Benson at 410-222-1805.