Congratulations to Anne Morrison, the Outward Bound USA 2023 John McGrory Award recipient. Part of the Outward Bound crew for 17 years now, Anne is an invaluable member of our community who has made a lasting impact on our staff and students because of her impressive expertise in risk management & safety, compassionate leadership, and altruistic care for those around her.
A few words from Anne’s nomination:
“Her critical eye has allowed NWOBS to constantly improve and grow; her feedback is deeply appreciated and valued by our community. I am better for it and NWOBS, our staff, and our students are all better for her leadership.”
“I have known Anne for several decades, and believe that she has consistently embodied the spirit of the McGrory Award during that time. I met Anne around 2004 when she was a Course Director within the COBS Southwest Program, as I was a visiting volunteer safety reviewer.”
“Anne was given the unenviable task of rowing me down the river in the gear boat, while having conversations with me about safety in the Southwest Program at the same time. I was able to observe her using her remarkable interpersonal/ problem solving/ facilitation skills with a student who was struggling to finish the course, and she made an impression on me as an exceptional instructor/ course director.”
“As an NWOBS board member, I later had the opportunity to be part of a hiring committee which interviewed Anne to be the Program Director at the NWOBS Odin Falls Basecamp, a role at which she excelled, bringing her expertise in program operations and safety to bear. Anne brought strong female-identifying leadership to a basecamp that had (for decades) been run by male-identifying program directors.”
“Anne has led the way for our organization in understanding and adapting to the emotional safety needs of our staff and students. She has pushed us to recognize our shortcomings and blind spots, while humbly adapting accordingly. There are few playbooks in this specific line of work, but that is all right because Anne continues to drive us forward in prioritization and evolution.”
Learn more about the John McGrory Award and Anne’s impressive accomplishments and impact on Outward Bound by reading the recipient announcement here.