Teresa Martinez ('92, '98) receives Cross Alumni Leadership Award

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and the college’s Leadership Institute presented Teresa Martinez (’92 B.S., ’98 M.S.) with the Gerald H. Cross Alumni Leadership Award. Recipients of the award, named in honor of the professor emeritus and former department head, are selected for their dedication and outstanding achievements in leading others.

Martinez, co-founder and executive director of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, has built a career around managing and preserving trails, and credits her time at Virginia Tech with establishing that passion. Throughout her career, she has focused her efforts on working with volunteers, increasing diversity, creating opportunities for persons with disabilities, reaching out to trail enthusiasts, and developing youth programs.

“I’m part of a long legacy of people protecting nationally significant landscapes for future generations,” she said. “I was lucky in school because the faculty created an environment that inspired collaboration and partnership. I learned how to work with others and appreciate diverse skillsets.”