Governor Mead Receives 2015 Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead has received the recreation community's most prestigious award.

The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) presented Mead with one of two 2015 Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Awards on Wednesday.

Mead was recognized for his commitment to conservation and the outdoors as was Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri.

"I am honored to receive this award," said Mead. "When you are the state with the first national park, monument and forest and you have these grand vistas and great wildlife, you've got to have an appreciation for the outdoors."

Mead’s support through proclamations and events for Great Outdoors Month, hosting the inaugural Wyoming Capital Campout and his leadership efforts in organizing the Cowboy Tough Adventure Race, were all highlighted as reasons for the award.

"The recreation community is indebted to Governor Mead," said ARC President Derrick Crandall. "He champions the role recreation plays in healthy lifestyles and sustainable, vibrant local economies. He finds time for recreation in his busy life and unites and cheers recreation community leaders in Wyoming, a state where the great outdoors is a way of life."

The award was established in memory of Sheldon Coleman (1901-1988), longtime Chairman of the Coleman Company and a visionary champion of outdoor recreation and conservation.

Mead joins a distinguished list of award recipients, which goes back to 1989 and includes U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop and President George H. W. Bush. In fact, Mead and Nixon are the only governors besides former Colorado Governor Roy Romer to receive the award.

"I cannot thank the American Recreation Coalition enough for this recognition," said Mead. "Outdoor recreation is part of a healthy lifestyle for kids and adults. It brings families and friends together and provides memories that last a lifetime. It nourishes the body and soul. I hope everyone, residents and visitors alike, can experience the great outdoors in Wyoming this coming year."