PULLMAN, Wash. — The extraordinary person who has been a key force behind the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail linking Pullman with Moscow, Idaho, was recognized recently as Washington State University’ s Woman of the Year.
Nancy Mack, a conference manager with Conferences and Institutes, was honored during the March 26 Women’ s Recognition Luncheon for her contribution to the community and region.
Her commitment and volunteer work have spanned some 15 years of believing in the trail that now links Pullman and Moscow, one of her nominators said.
“No one made the trail a life’ s work as Nancy has,” others added.
As chair of the Palouse Path Task Force, Mack kept many colleagues and partners focused on achieving the dream. A first major accomplishment was obtaining a $900,000 grant from the federal government for the trail. The next, through cooperation with the WSU Foundation, the cities of Pullman and Moscow, and Whitman and Latah counties, was raising more than $510,000 in matching funds — a goal some believed impossible.
Mack is a longtime member of the Pullman Civic Trust and has served on the board and in officer positions, including president.
Mack works with faculty and staff on important noncredit learning experiences. She has managed the Black Male Orientation to Leadership Development Conference that in 1993 was named the Outstanding Conference/Institute in the region by the National University Continuing Education Association.
“…Mack is a talented WSU employee and community builder in the very best sense,” a nominator stated. “She has given generously of her time and talent to bring a much-needed recreational and transportation facility to our area.”
Mack has been a WSU staff member since 1970.
The award was part of the Women’ s Recognition Luncheon that also recognized four others as Women of Distinction: WSU Tri-Cities staff member Lucy Luginbill, graduate student Lucy Loera, ACE Fellow Donna Shavlik and WSU alumna Pauline Seals.
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