Janice Griffith named Culturekeeper

The Arizona Culturekeepers’ photo and biography are featured throughout the resorts hallways and venues. Griffith’s photo (right) was taken in the sunken garden at La Posada in February.

The Culturekeepers program celebrates the diversity of Arizona and “honors individual who have made a positive impact on Arizona’s history, culture, environment or economy.”

When asked about the honor of being named a Culturekeeper, Griffith gave the following reply:

“When I found out in December that I had been selected by a committee to be an “inaugural” Culturekeeper, I was happily surprised. These awards rarely come to historians in the rural areas of the state. The Herberger family of Phoenix wanted their new Westin Kierland Resort to reflect the essence of Arizona’s varied cultures, so the Culturekeeper idea came from that.

“The state historian of Arizona, Marshall Trimble, was recruited to guide the process of recognizing people from throughout the state who work to save our cultural treasures. A native of Ash Fork, Marshall is someone who keeps his eye on small towns and how they are faring with preservation efforts. He understands that most often it takes someone with an intense passion and love for their community and state to accomplish certain things.

“I view this honor as a feather in Winslow’s cap. To bring recognition to my town has always been a driving force in my work, and has been for nearly 20 years. Good, positive things have happened in Winslow, and I’m glad to have been a part of it. The ceremonies I attended last week were amazing, and I was happy to meet up with the 75 other nominees who have been doing the same work as I have done for many years. What an experience.”

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