Winnie Hepler Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Judith McCandless

We were thrilled to honor Judith McCandless with this year’s Winnie Hepler Lifetime Achievement Award at our 40th Anniversary Party. 

 

Judith’s impact on conservation in Kentucky has been significant, with decades of leadership that transformed and protected our natural landscape. She served as President of the Kentucky Conservation Committee in the late 1980s and on its board through the mid-1990s. Her dedication extended to the Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, where she became Chair in 1994, and she co-founded the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) in 1995, helping to shape conservation efforts across the state. As a longtime board member and later Director Emeritus of KNLT, Judith’s stewardship and commitment to Kentucky’s environment have left an indelible mark. A donor to KRC since before we had digital records, Judith’s support has been instrumental in sustaining our mission and work across generations.