State Parks recognizes Niagara Falls State Park employees with L.L. Huttleston Special Achievement Award

A team of employees from Niagara Falls State Park has received one of the agency's highest honors: the L.L. Huttleston Special Achievement Award for 2012. The Niagara Falls team was recognized for outstanding effort in implementing the Nik Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls in June.

The award was presented by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey to the following State Parks employees: Raymond Goll of Nunda, general park manager; Ronald Peters of Youngstown, deputy general manager; Angela Berti of the Town of Tonawanda, public affairs and marketing coordinator; and David Page, also from Nunda, State Park Police major. Page accepted the award on behalf of the team at a ceremony in Albany on March 4.

"This extraordinary team of professionals planned and executed the highly successful implementation of the Wallenda Walk with just eight weeks of intensive preparation time. The team seamlessly coordinated with multiple state, federal and international agencies and managed every detail that ensured an extremely smooth, memorable and positive event. Indeed, this team's efforts showed off Niagara Falls State Park in the most positive light for the entire world to see," Commissioner Harvey said.

Introduced in 1969 by State Council of Parks Chairman Laurance Rockefeller, the L.L. Huttleston awards recognize outstanding service to the New York State Park system.

•Lockport's Sam Mattina, an electrician with State Parks, received a L. Huttleston Special Achievement Award for 2012 for his outstanding efforts and leadership in the field of renewable energy.

"Sam's commitment to clean, renewable energy has put State Parks at the forefront of renewable energy programs statewide," Harvey said when presenting the award. "He led the team that installed the first in-house state park solar installation of the roof of the Discovery Center in Niagara Fall State Park, and his research on and installation of new LED lighting and sensors in the parking lot of the Discovery Center cut energy use per pole there by nearly 70 percent. Sam's commitment and leadership has set the standard for both renewable energy generation and reduction of energy reduction consumption throughout the state park system."