Rex Amack…who retired in April after 22 years Game and Parks director…and outgoing State Senator LeRoy Louden of Ellsworth…received Nebraska’s two highest tourism awards yesterday at the concluding banquet for the annual Nebraska Travel Conference in Gering.

Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy presented the 2012 Henry Fonda Award to Amack, the state’s longest serving Game and Parks, while Louden received the Tourism Visionary Award.

Amack was credited with developing a nationally-recognized state park system and building the partnerships that created Eugene T. Mahoney State Park – one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations.

He’s also credited with starting NEBRASKAland magazine, the award-winning Outdoor Nebraska tv show, and the “Know Nebraska Tours.”

Louden, who leaves office in January as the longest-serving state senator since the beginning of term limits, was cited for his legislative efforts on behalf of tourism.

Those include making tourism a stand-alone agency, upgrading the state’s tourism advisory committee into the Nebraska Tourism Commission, and allowing counties to increase their tourism tax to help fund improvements to local tourism facilities.