Each year, Friends of Acadia recognizes outstanding individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to Acadia. In this anniversary year, it feels especially fitting to honor three people whose contributions to the park are best measured in decades rather than years.

Each of our 2026 Annual Award recipients, Jim Linnane, John Kelly, and Becky Cole-Will, has made our park stronger, more resilient, and more welcoming. We are delighted to recognize the lasting impact of their leadership and deep commitment to Acadia.

Excellence in Volunteerism Award: Jim Linnane

This year, we honored Jim Linnane for more than 20 years of outstanding volunteer service. Jim began volunteering with Friends of Acadia in 2005 as a Stewardship Volunteer working to improve and maintain the park’s trails and carriage roads. Since then, he has lent his hands and good cheer just about everywhere, including the winter sign shop, our membership table, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia. Over the years, Jim has become a mentor to many, introducing new people to the idea of volunteerism and inspiring others, through his own dedication, to keep showing up.

Friends of Acadia is hardly alone in benefiting from his generosity. Jim gives his time to an extraordinary roster of conservation and community organizations across Mount Desert Island. When asked about his years of service, Jim characteristically brushed aside the praise. “My experience is really just longevity and enjoying it,” he said.

Thank you for your hard work and years of care, and for sharing your love for the park with so many.

Distinguished Public Service Award: John Kelly

John Kelly, Acadia National Park’s management assistant, has devoted 39 years to the National Park
Service, including 26 years at Acadia. Over those decades, John has helped guide some of the park’s most consequential planning and transportation work. Friends of Acadia has been fortunate to work beside him on the Island Explorer, the former Acadia Night Sky Festival, major transportation planning efforts, and countless projects that required patience, diplomacy, and a long-term view.

John’s skills at planning and partnership building have helped the Island Explorer grow from its early days
through its 10 millionth rider. This year’s opening of the Acadia Gateway Center for its first full season marks another major achievement. John helped advance that vision over many years, navigating the complexities that inevitably accompany ambitious projects and bringing together people with different perspectives around a common purpose.

His deep institutional knowledge, strategic thinking, and extraordinary ability to listen have made him an
invaluable partner to both Friends of Acadia and the communities surrounding the park.

Marianne Edwards Distinguished Service Award: Becky Cole-Will

We were proud to present our highest honor, the Marianne Edwards Distinguished Service Award, to Becky Cole-Will, Acadia National Park’s chief of cultural and natural resources.

Becky has spent her career advancing the stewardship of both Acadia’s natural and cultural resources. She has championed science-based conservation while ensuring that cultural heritage and human stories receive the attention they deserve.

She has helped strengthen relationships with the Wabanaki Nations, working in collaboration with the Tribes to advance the practice of co-stewardship in Acadia. Through her work with Wabanaki experts, she has helped restore access for traditional sweetgrass gathering within the park and worked to integrate Indigenous Knowledge into park restoration projects and archaeology.

We are grateful for Becky’s remarkable expertise and her equally remarkable willingness to share it generously with Friends of Acadia and the wider community.

To Jim, John, and Becky: thank you for your decades of service to Acadia. Your accomplishments and ongoing work will strengthen Acadia long into the future.