Gordon J. Wilson named 2026 de Aviles Award recipient

Historic City News was informed on Monday, February 9, 2026, that the St Augustine City Commission bestowed one of the City’s highest honors on Gordon J. Wilson when they presented him with the de Avilés Award.  The presentation took place at 4:30pm in The Alcazar Room, City Hall. It occurred at 75 King Street, just before the City Commission’s regularly scheduled 5:00pm meeting. The presentation was streamed live online at www.CityStAugTV.com, and remains available for on-demand viewing.

Wilson spent more than 33 years with the National Park Service. He served in a senior leadership role at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. He also worked at Fort Matanzas National Monument. In these roles, he was responsible for the overall operation of both parks.  His responsibilities included protecting historic and natural resources. He was also involved in long-range planning. Additionally, he worked in visitor services, law enforcement, and emergency response. He handled maintenance and ran education programs.

“Gordie is the embodiment of service to this community,” Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder expressed. She said this when she nominated Wilson for this high public honor.  “He has demonstrated his dedication and commitment through his leadership. He is undeniably respected. He is very deserving of this honor.”

Wilson made efforts to build strong partnerships and community relationships. He worked closely with various partners. These included local, state, federal, tribal, academic, and international entities. Notable ones are the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the University of Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida National Guard, and the St Augustine Historical Society.  He also played a key role in the St Augustine 450th Commemoration, hosted two Spanish royal visits, and frequently represented the parks in the media and at public events.

Among many of his accomplishments, Wilson led the parks through several hurricane recovery efforts, improved safety operations and expanded the volunteer programs.  Under his leadership, volunteer participation grew dramatically and the parks earned regional recognition for safety performance.

Beyond his role locally as Superintendent, Gordie was highly engaged at the regional and national levels of the National Park Service. He served on several leadership councils and advisory boards. He led operational review teams across the Southeast. He also contributed extensively to law enforcement training.