The Jim Getty Award

Every year, Destination Gettysburg's bestows a distinguished honor - the Jim Getty Spirit of Gettysburg Award - to an individual in the tourism community of Adams County, who exemplifies leadership, dedication and contribution to the tourism industry. The award is in honor of well-known Abraham Lincoln presenter, Jim Getty, who passed away in 2015.

Nominations for our next Jim Getty Award will open in January 2024.

Past Winners

Randy Phiel - 2023 Recipient
Randy Phiel began interacting with Adams County's visitors at a young age when he sold fruit to out-of-towners at his family's fruit stand in Cashtown. Since then, Randy has enjoyed a career as a National Park Service law enforcement ranger, re-enactment organizer and now, Adams County commissioner. Randy has been a strong supporter of tourism throughout his life, and works hard to make the community a great place to live and visit. Just recently, he has becoming more actively engaged with planning events at the Daniel Lady Farm.​

Rick Beamer - 2022 Recipient
Rick Beamer has been a staple of the Adams County tourism community for 40 years. As general manager of the Dobbin House Tavern as well as past chairman of Destination Gettysburg's Board of Directors, Rick has bridged the gap between the local pioneers of tourism  to today's young businessmen and businesswomen. Over the past four decades, Rick Beamer has played an important role in the tourism industry's group sales market and has been a leader not only within the walls of the Dobbin House Tavern, but across the community. ​

Andy Larson - 2020 Recipient
Andy Larson started in the hospitality business in Gettysburg in 1941 at the former Quality Inn Larson's Motel and has always put the good of the community before his personal gain. According to Andy, if it is good for the tourism industry, he will benefit in the long run. He was one of the founding members of the Gettysburg Travel Council in 1953 and has served on the board of directors since that time. For decades, Andy has shown and shared his wisdom and sense of fair play that is inspiring for all of the Adams County hospitality industry.

Paul Witt - 2019 Recipient
Paul Witt's passion for the hospitality industry began at only 16 years of age after helping his family's business, the Quality Inn Gettysburg Battlefield. After graduating from Cornell University, he moved back to his hometown of Gettysburg, and became a champion in the tourism community. Paul was instrumental in bringing to Gettysburg an original copy of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address for view for 10 years.

The Witt family continues to carry on their longstanding tradition of supporting the tourism community with their latest addition, the new Best Western Hotel on Steinwehr Avenue.  

Nancie Gudmestad - 2018 Recipient
In the mid-1990s, Nancie Gudmestad and her husband, Del, purchased a house on Baltimore Street with the intent of renovating the building and telling the story of the town’s civilians and how they endured the Battle of Gettysburg in the 1860s. But what they discovered was the story of the Shriver family, who purchased that same house with the hope of not only making it their new home, but to open a 10-pin bowling alley and saloon.

That story has been at the heart of a larger story about the citizens of Adams County, Pa., and their story. Since the Shriver House Museum opened in 1996, that story has been told to thousands of families and school children from around the world.

Terry Fox - 2017 Recipient
Terry Fox, a licensed battlefield guide and leadership development instructor, was honored with the second annual "Jim Getty Spirit of Gettysburg Award," given in recognition of one of the destination's greatest ambassadors.
 
Terry was nominated because of his leadership, dedication and contribution to the tourism community of Adams County, Pa. Terry began his career in the tourism industry as a licensed battlefield guide 47 years ago and has since begun working the U.S. Strategic Leadership Center to train companies and organizations using the lessons of leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Jacqueline White - 2016 Recipient
Jacqueline White, the owner of Gettysburg’s Dobbin House Tavern, was honored with the inaugural “Jim Getty Spirit of Gettysburg Award” in 2016.
 
The inaugural award, issued six months after the passing of Getty, was given to Jackie, who – like Jim Getty – has spent decades in the Adams County tourism community as an ambassador not only for her own business, but that of the entire destination.
 
Jackie started her tourism career at just 8 years old at her parent’s amusement park in Gettysburg known as Fantasyland. The park has since closed, but her time there  prepared her for her next stop in tourism, as owner of Gettysburg’s popular Dobbin House Tavern, a place she opened in 1978.