Jim Piet, chair of the Crotched Mountain Foundation board of directors and longtime disability advocate, was honored at a ceremony Saturday at the foundation’s accessible trails in Greenfield.

“This overlook is Jim’s favorite spot in the world, so we are naming it after him,” said Foundation President Ned Olney. “There are very few spots in the New Hampshire where disabled people can get into nature and experience a view like this.”

Fellow board members, trustees, staff, and friends and family of Piet walked and rolled the one-mile accessible trail to attend the ceremony.

Piet, who has cerebral palsy, came to the former Crotched Mountain School as a child when his public school district could not accommodate his disability. He was a board member for 16 years before being named chair.

He became the board chairman in 2006 and became the first disabled person to serve in that role.

Olney, and Piet’s wife, Patricia Vincent-Piet, unveiled a granite memorial honoring Piet next to a wooden deck overlooking Mt. Monadnock and the western skyline.

Olney spoke about Piet’s lifelong dedication to the former Crotched Mountain School and the continuing work of the Crotched Mountain Foundation and the statewide CMF Kids program.

“Jim Piet embodies the mission of the Crotched Mountain Foundation. His grit and determination are unparalleled. He continues to overcome difficult challenges to advocate for people with disabilities. In recognizing him, we recognize the importance of volunteerism, of his long service to the community, and the importance of his leadership,” Olney said. “Jim has inspired all of us to make this world a better place.”

Piet, who lives in Concord, recalled coming to the former Crotched Mountain School at just four years old.

“The school became my family. Thanks to my teachers, I learned that someone like me could have an independent life,” Piet said.

Piet specially thanked a former teacher named Clint who was a powerful influence on him.

“He scolded me when necessary; he treated me like a normal kid. He let me drive his car, he showed me I could have a life,” Piet recalled.

After graduating from Crotched Mountain School in Greenfield (now Seven Hills at Crotched Mountain), Piet went on to earn an masters of science degree and currently serves as the public relations specialist for the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. He is a volunteer and advocate in many organizations for disabled people.

Board member David Gayman thanked Piet for his relentless perseverance and positive attitude.

“We have worked together in good times and in tough times. Jim, you are my go-to person to know what the right thing to do is. You are my reality check,” Gayman said. “When we were going through difficult times in the transition period, you came into every meeting with a smile on your face and you always made me feel like, ‘Okay, we can do this.’”

“We’ve been through a lot together,” Piet agreed.

Piet recalled the process of deciding to sell the campus in 2020.

“It was very hard to give up this beautiful campus, but what matters is that our work is out in the community,” Piet said. “It was a very hard transition.”

The former Crotched Mountain School (previously the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center) sold the Greenfield school campus in 2020, but still owns most of the conserved land surrounding the school. The campus was owned by Gersh Autism from 2020-2022, and was sold to the Seven Hill Foundation in 2022.

For more information about the Crotched Mountain Foundation, please go to https://cmf.org.