Marsha Smith is this year’s recipient of TART Trails’ Jim Mudgett Trail Pioneer Award, the organization’s highest honor. Her pending retirement from Rotary Charities of Traverse City caps a remarkable 25 years as CEO of an organization that has granted/invested more than $560,000 into the TART Trails, thanks to oil and gas revenues from a property owned by Rotary Camps & Services.  While at the helm of Rotary Charities, Smith helped launch trails that now weave through the region, facilitating walkable, bikeable communities and supporting the protection of significant natural areas that provide access to our region’s rich scenic and natural beauty.
 
In 1996, Rotary Charities provided the single largest gift that launched the Traverse Area Recreational Trail (TART) and made the project possible. Under her leadership, the entire TART Trails network expanded significantly thanks to Rotary’s support of and major contributions toward the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, the Vasa Pathway, the Boardman Lake Loop, the Leelanau Trail and more.
 
Jim Mudgett was a founding board member of TART Trails whose vision of happy, active people enjoying a world class trail system lives on through this award. The Jim Mudgett Trail Pioneer Award honors those who give of their time, talent, and treasure to support TART Trails mission of enriching the Traverse region by providing a network of trails, bikeways and pedestrian ways; and encouraging their use.