Claudette Lamprecht Wins National Award for Service

By John Lamprecht,
MMS Finance and Membership Chairperson

At the most recent NAMA Annual Foray held in Washington State, it was announced that our very own Claudette Lamprecht was nominated by her friends and colleagues in the MMS and selected by the previous winners of the prestigious Harry and Elsie Knighton NAMA award to receive the 2024 Knighton Award for service to her local club…that’s us! As an affiliated club, we actively participate and have a strong presence in NAMA. In winning the 2024 Knigthon Award, she joins previous Knighton Award winners Ron Spinosa, Kathy Yerich, and Claudette’s husband, John Lamprecht.

The Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award has been established by the North American Mycological Association Board of Trustees to recognize and encourage individuals who have distinguished themselves in service to their local clubs. It is named after the Knightons, whose efforts helped to establish the North American Mycological Association in 1967.

This year, there were several nominees from across the country, and the winner was selected from that list by the past award winners. Below is the nominating letter submitted in collaboration with many of us on the MMS. She will receive her official plaque at our Awards Banquet in March.

Here is her nomination letter. Please read it and join in congratulating Claudette.

There is no one more deserving of recognition and consideration for the Elsie Knighton Award than Claudette Lamprecht of the Minnesota Mycological Society. Claudette has become one of the most impactful members and leaders of the Minnesota Mycological Society, one of the largest in the United States.

Claudette’s love for mycology began nearly 70 years ago when Claudette was three years old. She would accompany her mother and grandmother on foraging trips into the woods of Northeast Iowa. In the spring, they would hunt for Morels, and around Labor Day, they would hunt for “fall buttons”. Just a few years later, as her skills improved, she would pay for her parochial school book by selling those foraged delights to the good folks in the Decorah area.

During her college years Claudette met a mycophobic but pliable young man who did have a fascination with nature. His name was John Lamprecht. Claudette’s skills as a teacher and mentor would be put to the test, teaching this neophyte the joys of foraging and what wonders the fungal kingdom held. The rest is history. She married him, and eventually, in 2006, she convinced him they should join the local “mushroom club”.

The Minnesota Mycological Society has been around since 1899 and has a “healthy” membership of 200 or so. From the start, Claudette volunteered wherever there was a need. The Treasurer and membership coordinator were moving away. So, in spite of a hatred of mathematics and limited computer skills, she jumped at the chance to help out. It soon became obvious her organizational skills and sense of fiscal responsibility were going to bear dividends and help grow the limited resources of the society.

As the public began to discover that there were treasures in the woods, our membership grew. With that growth came some challenges. Claudette has a relentless drive to support learning opportunities for members and the general public. Through planning and direct involvement, Claudette has helped us address the challenges of growing the current membership count of more than 1200 members.

It’s a challenge to make personal connections with so many new people but Claudette does it with great enthusiasm and joy. She is adept at welcoming new members and making everyone feel valued. In that same spirit she has championed efforts at volunteer appreciation and continues to ensure we honor those who make our society work.

She finally retired from her position as club treasurer after 15 years with the MMS in a strong financial position, but she has by no means settled into her rocking chair. During her entire time with the MMS Claudette has remained a cornerstone of nearly everything we do. She was instrumental in instituting graduate scholarships and remains active in the selection and award process. She has helped expand and personally leads many forays. She plans and staffs our annual Family Fungal events, assists with and helps get staffing for our yearly State Fair display and other public outreach efforts, teaches classes, does presentations, and plans and assists with social events. She relishes the role of mentoring others to have deeper involvement in activities and is so genuine and welcoming that she is hard to say no to.

In 2014, Claudette was selected to receive the MMS’ highest honor, The Golden Chanterelle Award. This award can only be won once, but her incredible contributions to everything we do would warrant her nomination year after year. Without her unwavering and steadfast contributions of time and energy, the Minnesota Mycological Society would not be the same successful organization that it is today.

For these and countless other reasons, we submit Claudette Lamprecht for nomination to receive the Harry and Elsie Knighton Award.