Duluth, Minnesota – The 2026 Judy Gibbs “Unless” Award winner, Derrick Passe, will be recognized at the 2026 National Outdoor Recreation Conference Awards Luncheon at Noon on May 12, 2026 held at the Duluth Entertainment and Event Center (DECC).
This esteemed accolade, named in honor of environmental advocate and educator Judy Gibbs, celebrates the unsung heroes of the environmental and outdoor recreation community in the Great Lakes region. The award is given out annually at the Great Lakes Outdoor Summit, except this year is unique because the regional summit has partnered with the larger National Outdoor Recreation Conference being held in Duluth, Minnesota.
This year’s awardee, Derrick Passe is a long-time resident and community outdoor advocate and volunteer who has greatly contributed to Northeastern Minnesota’s hiking trail community. He helped form, lead, and grow two new North Country Trail Association (NCTA) Chapters and also served as a volunteer Board Member for the NCTA. Derrick took the lead on developing the new 15-plus mile NCT segment from the Kekekabic Trail toward Ely – which included many days spent flagging trail through thick balsam firs and sometimes in deep snow.
Derrick has also been active in bettering his local community – formerly working as the District Engineer for the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District for over 12 years, and also served on the Two Harbors City Council. Derrick’s biggest contributions have been on trails and in the outdoor recreation community as he has volunteered with multiple hiking trail organizations over the past almost 30 years. He has made a very lasting, significant impact through his work, via his quiet leadership, and by his informal mentoring of others.
Derrick has given a lot to the trails of Northeastern Minnesota – he once spent a full month living in the Boundary Waters working alongside a volunteer trail crew on the Kekekabic Trail. He has been a trail adopter on the North Country Trail in the Rainbow Lakes Wilderness in Wisconsin for decades. He has led dozens of volunteer trail clearing trips in the Boundary Waters for decades – often with volunteers who travel from all over the country to work specifically with Derrick.
“I am excited to honor Derrick Passe and his contributions to the environment and outdoor recreation movement in our region,” said nominator Matt Davis of the North Country Trail Association . “It is important, now more than ever, to shine a spotlight on individuals who are making a meaningful impact in our communities and inspiring positive change.”
For more information about the Duluth Area Outdoor Alliance and the Unless Award, please visit: https://www.duluthaoa.org/
