The first time I met Christine Lichtenfels was in the early 1980s, when we were vying for the same spot on our college crew. Christine was known to be tenacious, hard working, committed and tough. I was not optimistic about my chances to beat her out for a seat in the junior varsity boat. Lucky for me, Christine decided to quit crew so that she could go to the canyons of southeastern Utah over spring break. Even then, she had her priorities straight.

It’s hard to believe more than 20 years have passed since those days. Both Christine and I have changed in some ways, but not so much in others. Christine is still tenacious, hard working, committed and tough. I didn’t want to be up against her then, and I wouldn’t want to be today. She is a formidable adversary, and she fought tirelessly on behalf of Wyoming’s environment during her years at the Wyoming Outdoor Council.

Christine has stepped down as a member of the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s board of directors to take some time off before eventually pursuing a new career in physical therapy. We’ll miss her. In her classic behind-the-scenes kind of way, she quietly took care of the mundane day-to-day business details that allowed the Wyoming Outdoor Council to become an increasingly efficient and professional organization. Under her leadership, our organization gained financial stability and established an endowment. She was also a steadfast, dependable worker who sought no glory for her personal achievements, which whether in advocacy, academics or athletics have been impressive and far-reaching. It will take us a while to fill Christine’s shoes. — Molly Absolon