WTC leader replaces Chapter coordinator after nine-year run

After nearly 10 years of service to the Angeles Chapter, office coordinator Linda Hoyer has moved on. She has been replaced by longtime Chapter leader George Denny.

Linda Hoyer

Hoyer, a member since 1983, plans to volunteer her time to the Club and also to get out and hike, something her demanding job has not allowed much time for.

Hoyer's job has evolved over the years, but she was primarily responsible for the financial workings of the Chapter. When the Chapter began its grant program, she became very busy keeping up with the necessary paperwork. She was also responsible for managing the office and the numerous volunteers who help with the telephone, mail, bookkeeping, and grants. Hoyer rarely sat in one place for long. 'This job is about managing interruptions,' said Hoyer.

Ultimately, her two-and-a-half hour daily commute became too much. Hoyer takes the Metrolink from her Whittier home then connects to the Red Line. 'I got tired of during the winter getting on the train in the dark and getting home in the dark.' Also, as the MetroLink has become more popular, it became less possible to get work done on the train.

Hoyer was volunteering at the office in 1991 when the Chapter coordinator job became available. She was interested in working for a nonprofit and getting out into the wider world. Also the Red Line had been extended to Wilshire and Western-walking distance from the office-making a rail commute possible. So she applied and was hired for the job.

Joan Jones Holtz, L.A. County Political Committee member and Chapter fundraiser, was on the interview team that hired Hoyer. 'We could see she was a winner right from the beginning,' said Holtz. 'She's very careful and thorough in everything she does. We never had to worry.'

The Chapter agreed with Holtz's assessment and in 1999 Hoyer was recognized with the prestigious Staff Award. At last month's Chapter Awards Banquet, Hoyer received a surprise award for extraordinary service.

She has seen the Chapter get voice mail and Internet, add a Southern Sierran editor to the staff, and move three times. But her biggest impression of the Chapter has been the people who comprise it. 'The strength of any organization has to do with strong leaders-volunteers as well as staff,' said Hoyer. 'People stay with the Club a long time. Friendships are made that go beyond the mission, but are supported by it. I didn't recognize that when I started but I've seen it since.'

As for the future, Hoyer said she has her eye on working again in the nonprofit world, hopefully within 15 minutes of home. But her first stop after resignation was the Wawona hotel in Yosemite-a well-deserved vacation.

George Denny

George Denny is putting down his crampons and picking up his adding machine. A Sierra Club member for over 20 years and an I-rated leader active in the Wilderness Training Committee, Denny has come out of retirement to fill the hole left by outgoing Chapter coordinator Linda Hoyer.

Denny was in the middle of his second term as treasurer on the Chapter's Executive Committee when Hoyer announced her departure. 'I jumped at the chance,' he said. 'I saw an opportunity to turn something that had been an avocation into a vocation.' Since taking the job, Denny has resigned from his position as ExComm treasurer.

Denny started out in the Club as an outings leader, taking members on backpacks, bike trips, car camps, and mountain climbs. In the early '90s he became active in the WTC, serving as an instructor and treasurer for the group. At the persistent urging of fellow members, he finally ran for and was elected to the ExComm in 2002. When the treasurer position was proffered, he volunteered. 'I stood up when I should've shut up,' he joked.

Being an ExComm officer widened his experience of the Club. 'I got to meet folks from the conservation community, from [the National Sierra Club], the Chapter staff,' he said. His duties as treasurer brought him into the Chapter office on a regular basis, and he began to see how the Chapter operates. When the opportunity to join the staff came up, it seemed to him like a logical next step.

'I feel good about what I've accomplished as [ExComm] treasurer,' said Denny. 'I'm excited about the opportunity to make life at the Chapter better.' He spoke with admiration about his predecessor, Hoyer. 'She's been a really good mentor to the office volunteers,' he said. 'They come in here and go right to work.' Office volunteers are greatly needed, added Denny. 'We need folks who have office skills, phone skills, and who are accurate when doing input.'

Denny retired from a long career in the aerospace industry in 1998. The transition back to the working world will not be too jarring, said Denny, since he had remained busy working with the Chapter, leading outings, and visiting his two daughters and two granddaughters, who live in Sacramento.

To volunteer at the Chapter office contact Denny at email or 213-387-4287, ext. 205.