The 25th "Employee of the Year" and "Tourist of the Day" ceremony will be held Monday, May 11, 11:30 a.m. on the lawn at Park Headquarters to celebrate National Tourism Week and showcase the long and successful partnership between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its neighboring tourism communities.
This year, the event will honor Susan Ross who is the Administrative Assistant for the Division of Resource Education.   As part of the celebration, a tourist family will be selected to take part in the ceremony to highlight the importance of visitors to the Park and its gateway communities. Bill Landry, who is the host and co-producer of WBIR-Knoxville Heartland Series, will serve as the Employee of the Year emcee.
As Administrative Assistant, Ross coordinates the myriad visitor and educational programs conducted throughout the Park with the Resource Education staff. The Division consists of 18 permanent, 20 term and temporary employees, and volunteers providing over 32,000 hours of assistance (equal to 15 fulltime employees) providing Park information and orientation to more than 9 million annual Park visitors.
Cathleen Cook, Chief of Resource Education, said that "Susan has a particularly challenging position because she is only one secretary in a division with offices located in both the Tennessee and North Carolina areas of the Park to meet the diverse needs of the visiting public."
Ross's primary responsibility is managing and tracking the division's $1.5 million budget and administering payroll procedures for employees who ensure visitors' appreciation of the Park's natural, cultural and aesthetic values.
Visitors learn the many stories about the rich diversity of the Southern Appalachians and the history of the people who made these mountains their home through Park Ranger guided walks, talks, and campfire programs.  Thousands of students learn the same through an expanded educational outreach program, Parks as Classrooms.
The Division also supports the activities of the other Park offices by relating information and understanding to the public about management programs and scientific research activities. Complex messages about the Park are delivered through a variety of medium such as publications, museum exhibits, films, video, and roadside exhibits.
As the Division's Administrative Assistant, Ross comes in contact with many individuals and her reputation as a dynamic team player and an invaluable employee follows her. She has a positive and progressive attitude that often sets the tone for relation-building within the Division as well as among employees throughout the Park.
"Susan manages the daily operations of a fast-paced division with ease and provides a sense of stability to the staff," said Cook.    
"We are fortunate to have someone of this caliber in a division that is on the front lines of serving our customer, the public.  Susan's field experiences from previous positions in the park-from a crew leader in removal of nonnative vegetation to a fire use manager and an emergency dispatcher-has given her a field perspective that she has brought to the office.  
"She has a positive and progressive attitude, willingness to assist and encourage others, ability to coordinate the many activities of a diverse and demanding division, and desire to tackle challenging situations with new, fresh approaches are all attributes that have gained Susan this recognition," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson.
Ross lives in Newport with her husband, Pete Jerkins who works at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.  
Co-hosts of the event include:  Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, Gatlinburg Department of Tourism, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, Smoky Mountains Visitors Bureau, Cherokee Tribal Travel and Promotions in North Carolina, and Newport/Cocke County Tourism Council.