From:
Suzanne Gucciardo Natural Resource Specialist Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE 68102
402-661-1874 FAX 402-661-1875
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Dick Williams, Chief of Resource Management at Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, has announced his retirement on 1 April 2006. To celebrate his career, the LECL staff will host an informal luncheon at Johnnie's in Omaha on Wednesday, 29 March. If you wish to join us in honoring his work and career, please contact Suzanne Gucciardo by email or phone for further details. The menu selections and price information will be determined by the number of participants responding by 15 March. Final details will be sent to attendees.
If you are unable to attend, but want to share you anecdotes, wishes or memories forward these to Suzanne for inclusion in a notebook for Dick.
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Lunch Details:
When: Wednesday, 29 March, 11:30
Where: Johnny's Cafe, 4702 S. 27th St. Omaha
What: Lunch entree with au gratin potatoes, pasta salad, rolls, coffee/tea and dessert
Choice of entrees are:
Braised beef tenderloin tips $10.70
Cobb salad with chicken (dressing on side) $11.55
Grilled orange roughy (not breaded) $11.00
If you plan to attend, PLEASE RESPOND with meal choice BY 15 MARCH by
contacting Suzanne (402-661-1874, suzanne_gucciardo@nps.gov).
Payment can be made in advance or day of the event to Suzanne.
For those not attending the luncheon, please stop by the LECL conference room during the afternoon to visit with Dick before he leaves NPS.
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Dick's career in brief:
Following military service, which included service in Viet Nam, Dick attended college under the GI Bill. During his college years, he started working seasonally with the National Park Service as a protection ranger at Yellowstone National Park. After graduation, he combined summer seasonal positions at Yellowstone with winter seasonal positions at Joshua Tree National Park for several years. In 1977, he joined the ranks of permanent NPS employees as a ranger for Cuyahoga Valley National Park but soon moved to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area as a district ranger. After a stint at Cape Lookout, Dick became the chief of interpretation and resource management at Homestead National Monument in 1985. In 1991, Dick was named the first full-time employee of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (LECL) and was stationed at the Midwest trails office in Madison, WI. Growth of the LECL administration and gearing up for the approaching Bicentennial prompted the move of LECL to the Omaha MWRO in 1999. Since the move the primary focus of Dick's efforts was developing the Corps of Discovery II and the Challenge Cost Share program for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The success of the Challenge Cost Share program, which has provided millions of dollars for events and facilities, has been due in large part to Dick's management and interaction with the innumerable partners involved in the Bicentennial.
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Carol A. Bronson followed up with:
Barb Kubik is also compiling a scrapbook for Dick and we will be giving it to him at our Annual Meeting in St. Louis, September 18 - 19, 2006. Should you have anything that you would like to contribute, please send those photos and other items to Barb at:
10808 NE 27th Court
Vancouver, WA 98686
360-546-5949
chemna@aol.com
