OIA 2015 Annual Report
Introduction & Welcome ►
Milestones ►
Membership ►
Advocacy ►
Recreation Policy ►
Trade Policy ►
Corporate Responsibility ►
Education & Events ►
Market & Consumer Insights ►
Outdoor Foundation ►
Our People ►
Financials ►

 

 

 

 

 

Uniting the Outdoor Industry

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) unites and serves more than 1,200 members who work and play in the outdoors. We are a 501(c)(6) non-profit that exists to support the industry we love so much.

Powerful voice
We create a powerful voice at the federal, state and local levels

Convene
We convene the industry on key issues that protect the health of our outdoor businesses

Research and educate
We research and educate on important business topics and changing industry trends

Inspire and activate
We inspire and activate a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts

Letter From the Board Chair

How would I describe 2015 in five words or less? “A changing of the guard.” Literally and figuratively, the year was marked by important and impactful transitions in all corners of the association.

We appointed Amy Roberts as our new executive director, who has the knowledge and vision to further OIA’s mission on behalf of our members. Amy’s familiarity with OIA programs, combined with her understanding of retail, manufacturing, supply chain and government affairs issues has quickly earned her the respect of our diverse membership.

In 2015, we also reduced the number of board positions from 25 to 15 in order to be more nimble and to improve engagement of the sitting members.

But for all of those developments and transitions, 2015 brought some heartbreaking losses. We said goodbye to one of our association’s founding fathers, Skip Yowell, and two more of the industry’s most respected outdoorists, Doug Tompkins and Doug Walker. It is hard to comprehend so much loss in such a short time. Their deaths were both the end of an era as well as a bittersweet passing of the torch. Skip, in particular, was committed to engaging and empowering the next generation of leaders in order to ensure the future of our industry. It’s therefore apropos that we launched our Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy in 2015 to carry on Skip’s important legacy.

As we move into 2016, I’m intent on honing OIA’s focus and vision through a comprehensive and evolved strategic planning process that will also include the Outdoor Foundation. We want to dig deep for the industry in the areas OIA can provide the greatest impact. I am excited to watch our ConsumverVue segmentation research and assets provide members with valuable data and insights that help them do better business. I’m eager to see our renewed commitment to specialty retailers help those irreplaceable community hubs to thrive and serve outdoor consumers. And, of course, I’m excited to celebrate, with all of you, the centennial of our amazing National Park Service. I urge every OIA member to donate to our #Parks4Kids program in order to ensure that the next generation of outdoorists enjoy the same access to America’s public lands that we have all been so fortunate to experience.

Serving as your board chair is one of my greatest honors, and I look forward to accomplishing great things together in 2016.

Sincerely,

Gordon Seabury
OIA Board Chair
Toad&Co., CEO

Letter From the Executive Director

Every outdoorist knows the siren call of adventure. Getting out and getting after it are what we live for.

But there’s nothing quite like coming home, which is why I am honored to be back at Outdoor Industry Association. This industry has always been a tight community, and I believe 2015 was defined by a level of collaboration that we haven’t seen in a long time.

I’m proud of the new collaboration we forged with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance and Outdoor Retailer to create programming specifically designed to help our members navigate the changing landscape of specialty outdoor retail. Local shops are often the center of their town’s outdoor community and the proving ground for new innovations and start-up brands that keep our industry vibrant.

The outdoor industry continues to lead the way in developing supply chain best practices and tools to help companies operate and make products that are more environmentally and socially sensitive. Our focus is aimed at helping suppliers, manufacturers and retailers adopt tools such as the Higg Index to track and improve their supply chains.

Our advocacy efforts around the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) resulted in a broader movement of awareness and the reauthorization of a program that builds parks, trails and river access across America. We also initiated a new local recreation advocacy program in an effort to secure more funding in urban areas where more—younger—people are choosing to live.

To commemorate and celebrate the National Park Centennial, the Outdoor Foundation and Outdoor Industry Association have partnered to launch the #Parks4Kids campaign in an effort to fund local projects with the goal of getting every 4th grader in the U.S. to a national park.

Our ConsumerVue platform is among the unique assets we offer all of our members. In 2015, we released the executive summary and then rolled out a number of segment reports, resources and tools designed to help outdoor companies understand today’s consumers.

In 2016, we will be making an immense effort to learn through member conversations, collaborative discussions, surveys and analysis to determine where OIA should invest and focus. OIA is uniquely positioned to harness the outdoor industry’s collective voice, intellect and advocacy and to amplify them to achieve goals that benefit our entire membership and our end consumers.

Thank you for your membership and commitment to this incredible industry we all call home.

Sincerely,

Amy Roberts
OIA, Executive Director


Milestones

Founded in 1989 by leaders of 14 companies who recognized that “outdoor” was more than just a passing consumer trend and, therefore, required an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of their industry, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) began as the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA).

The original name included the word “coalition” because these founding members knew that to be effective, outdoor as an industry needed to rally together the complete spectrum of outdoor members, from manufacturers to retailers, sales representatives to suppliers. Those founding members came together and leaned in to move this industry forward by sharing our passion, working through hard issues and collaborating with peers to create the economic power that this industry is today. Just look how far we've come:

1989-1996

  • Formed the association and incorporated as Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America
  • Entered into an exclusive endorsement agreement with Outdoor Retailer
  • Held the first National Summit on Outdoor Recreation in Washington, D.C.
  • Hosted the first annual OIA Rendezvous

1997-2001

  • Led the movement to oppose and defeat the proposed Backpack Tax
  • Completed the outdoor industry's first Retail Distribution Study
  • Announced the support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
  • Released the first annual Outdoor Recreation Participation Study
  • Formed the Outdoor Industry Foundation (now called the Outdoor Foundation), a 501(c)(3), to focus on outdoor outreach initiatives

2002-2005

  • Changed name to Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)
  • Presented the first Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award for elected officials who support the outdoor industry
  • Received seed grant from REI to begin an industry-wide youth outreach initiative through the Outdoor Foundation
  • OIA's State of the Industry Report recognized as the best annual report from an association by ASAE
  • Hosted the first annual OIA Capitol Summit lobby event in Washington, D.C.
  • Launched the inaugural Industry Breakfast and educational sessions at Outdoor Retailer

2006-2009

  • Launched the OIA Trade Policy program
  • OIA Eco Working Group (now called Sustainability Working Group [SWG]) was formed, and sustainability became a strategic initiative of OIA
  • Eco-Index tool was developed with seed funding from Portland Development Commission
  • Renewed strategic partnership with Outdoor Retailer which more than doubles the annual investment in outdoor industry programs
  • Expanded Outdoor University educational sessions at Outdoor Retailer
  • In partnership with the Secretary of the Interior and the National Parks Conservation Association, passed the Centennial Initiative to protect the national parks for the next 100 years
  • Formed the OIA Political Action Committee
  • Released the first Outdoor Recreation Economy Report

2010-2015

  • Eco-Index tool was launched, and SWG work expands into focused supply chain topic areas: chemicals management, materials traceability and social responsibility
  • Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) was formed, housing the Eco Index tool (combined with a tool from Nike to form what is now known as the Higg Index), and supports adoption beyond the outdoor industry
  • The Outdoor Foundation launched Outdoor Nation and Campus Challenge
  • The industry partied for a purpose (supporting the Outdoor Foundation's work) at the first Outsiders Ball
  • OIA SWG was recognized as a "Champion of Change" by the White House
  • Opened a policy office in Washington, D.C.
  • Completed the industry's first consumer segmentation study and launched the ConsumerVue research tool
  • Amy Roberts was welcomed as our new executive director
  • Selected 22 aspiring leaders as the first class of the Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy
  • In celebration of the National Parks Centennial, OIA launched #Parks4Kids in partnership with the Outdoor Foundation to get every 4th grader to a park

 

Advocacy

In 2015:

Joining Forces to Support the Growth and Vitality of Specialty Retail

Together with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (Grassroots) and Outdoor Retailer, we announced a memorandum of understanding that reinforces our shared commitment to specialty outdoor retail, resulting in a renewed focus on specialty retailer education and tangible business support.

Retail Inspired Specialty Excellence (RISE)

Outdoor Retailer, OIA and Grassroots announced the collaborative launch of RISE, designed to be an inspiring day of training, peer-to-peer collaboration and working sessions for specialty retailers.

Retail-Focused OIA Benefits

Grassroots will work closely with OIA to curate association programs and benefits specifically for the specialty retailer including education, training and research.

Specialty Retail Advisory Committee (SRAC)

With Jennifer Mull at the helm, the Specialty Retail Advisory Committee was formed in 2015 to advise OIA on the creation of programming and services specifically to support specialty retailers.

Membership Benefits

 

#MemberLove in 2015

As part of our 2015 #MemberLove campaign, we put the spotlight on our members so they could share their stories of success.

Tenkara USA

 

Point 6

 

 

OIA showcased our members at Outdoor Retailer with our #MemberLove heat map

OIA Outdoorist - Outdoor News for Outdoor People

The OIA Outdoorist highlights weekly news from around the outdoor industry. Every #Outdoorist in the industry can keep up-to-date on key topics affecting outdoor businesses and what OIA is doing to advocate for the industry.

Audio Outdoorist

OIA partnered with Ben Schenk of Mtn. Meister to introduce the Audio Outdoorist, a podcast for our #Outdoorist members invested in learning more about the issues facing our industry.

Get in touch with the membership team

membership@outdoorindustry.org

 

Advocacy

OIA’s government affairs team works to represent the interests of the outdoor industry in Washington, D.C., and communities across the country. We use the Outdoor Recreation Economy Report to inform policymakers and to promote the significant economic contribution made to our nation’s economy and the millions of jobs supported by our industry. We emphasize the tremendous economic and health benefits that are gained from investments in our industry—from ensuring funding for and access to public lands and waters to business policies that promote the growth and success of the outdoor industry for future generations. We tell our industry’s story—when you invest in the outdoor recreation industry, you invest in healthy communities and healthy economies.

“The outdoor industry is coming into its own as a political force. It is articulating the economic case for public land protection. It is building power. The giant is awake, but there is much more to do.”

– Outside magazine, 4/22/15

The outdoor industry drives:

$646 billion in
retail sales and services

$80 billion in federal, state
and local tax revenues

6.1 million
American jobs

Source: OIA Recreation Economy Report, 2012

 

Recreation Policy

Outdoor recreation—such as hiking, biking, camping, hunting, fishing, paddling, snowsports and wildlife watching—is an American pastime and a powerful economic driver, providing sustainable, domestic jobs in urban and rural communities across the country.

The OIA government affairs team advocates for U.S. recreation infrastructure—including public lands and waters provided by federal, state and local governments—to ensure that America’s national outdoor recreation system remains a crucial component of the U.S. economy and a resource for all who want to recreate outside.

In 2015:

Local Advocacy

OIA launched its first-ever local recreation advocacy program to engage our members in projects to increase funding and access for outdoor recreation in their communities and at their state legislatures. Washington and Colorado joined Utah in launching state offices of outdoor recreation.

Recreation Funding Increase

A $1.1 trillion spending bill agreement reached in December 2015 included a six percent boost for conservation programs and significantly increased funding for our public lands. Land management agencies received funding increases for 2016.

  • $117 million increase for Bureau of Land Management
  • $69 million increase for Fish and Wildlife Service
  • $35 million increase for Forest Service
  • National Park Service will celebrate its centennial year with a $237 million funding increase

 

Public Lands Polling

In advance of the Republican and Democratic national debates in 2015, a poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and released by OIA showed that likely voters in the battleground states of Colorado and Nevada say issues involving public lands, water and wildlife are important factors in deciding whom to support. In fact, we found that 81 percent of Coloradoans and 64 percent of Nevadans think that the presence of national public lands, such as national forests, national monuments and national wildlife refuges help their state economy.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

In spite of the expiration of LWCF for the first time in 50 years, OIA was a leading voice in the movement of outdoor industry companies rallying behind reauthorization.

#LWCF Tweets

 

Trade Policy

OIA's trade program represents the diversity of our membership, including outdoor companies whose products are conceived, designed and produced in America, as well as those companies that utilize global value chains to bring their products to retail markets. From large companies to small, family-owned businesses, we work to ensure that U.S. federal trade policy fosters and promotes a stable and predictable environment for all outdoor industry businesses, while seeking to lower costs for outdoor businesses and their customers.

As such, OIA pursues a “balanced trade agenda,” meaning we seek the elimination of trade barriers, including tariffs on outdoor products that have no commercially viable production in the United States. For those products that are manufactured domestically, OIA supports federal policies that aid U.S. manufacturers and help them transition to competition in a global economy.

In 2015:


Trans-Pacific Partnership

The U.S. and 11 Pacific partners concluded negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement. As a stakeholder in those talks, OIA helped secure provisions that will lower costs on outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment, create new markets for made in America products and promote the industry’s values on labor rights and the environment.

Collaboration on Protections

In March, the OIA government affairs team met with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in Seattle for an industry roundtable about the benefits of the TPP and environmental protections.

Seattle outdoor industry executive round table with Secretary Sally Jewell

U.S. OUTDOOR Act, Protective Active Footwear, GSP

OIA continued to advocate for favorable tariff legislation. In 2015, Congress passed key outdoor industry trade policies, including new classifications for performance outerwear and lower costs for performance footwear.

Made In America Product Showcase

The Made In America Product Showcase returned to Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Markets. In recognition of the growing interest in domestic manufacturing, each showcase featured products from 30 companies sharing their stories of sourcing and manufacturing here in the United States.

2015 Made In America Product Showcase at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

2015 Awards

Jennifer Mull, OIA Board Chair, and U.S. Representative Jared Polis after he accepted the OIA Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award

2015 Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award

The OIA Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award recognizes political leaders for their outstanding work that benefits all aspects of the outdoor industry.

  • Representative Jared Polis (D,CO-2nd)
  • Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

Get in touch with the government affairs team

@CailinOIArec
@AndrewOIAPolicy
@AlexOIAPolicy
@JessOIARec
@RichOIATrade
ga@outdoorindustry.org

 

Corporate Responsibility

The OIA corporate responsibility program helps the outdoor industry identify and implement best practices in environmental and social responsibility through the facilitation of the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group (SWG). A collaborative effort among more than 200 outdoor brands, retailers, suppliers and other stakeholder organizations, the OIA SWG is the leading industry effort to establish more responsible sourcing practices. Working to improve chemicals management, social responsibility, and animal welfare practices, as well as increase Higg Index adoption, the OIA SWG provides peer-to-peer support on complex supply chain issues.

"The OIA SWG reflects the next generation of business—one that recognizes that integrating environmental and social responsibility into every aspect of operations is no longer called sustainability. It’s just called good business.”

— Jamie Bainbridge, Bolt Threads, SWG Advisory Council Chair

 

IN 2015:

2015 Corporate Responsibility Objectives

  • Ensure the outdoor industry has harmonized environmental and social responsibility tools and resources
  • Build the “Community of Practice” and knowledge base around key supply chain issues
  • Raise the public profile of the outdoor industry’s leadership in supply chain and product sustainability

Sustainability Working Group Video

The OIA corporate responsibility team made a video to describe and promote the work of the Sustainability Working Group, created to be shared inside and outside of the industry.

 

 

Higg Index Milestones

Beginning in early 2015, Sustainability Working Group voting members were granted access to the Higg Index 2.0 Web Tool, an indicator-based assessment tool aimed at creating industry standards around measuring and evaluating sustainability impacts.

New Task Forces

In an effort to better understand and address emerging issues and provide support to the industry, OIA SWG formed tasked forces on flame retardants and microfibers and ocean plastics.

 

 

The Sustainability Snapshot

The Sustainability Snapshot was launched in September 2015 to help bring short, timely updates on the work of the SWG and other key supply chain topics to the outdoor industry.

New Tools and Resources

In addition to continuing to support the development and evolution of the Higg Index, the SWG developed several key tools for OIA members in 2015:

  • Animal Welfare Code of Conduct
  • Supply Chain Mapping Guide for Apparel
  • ChemUnity Resources Guide of Chemicals Management Service Providers

2015 Awards

Individual Contribution Awards

  • Todd Copeland, Patagonia
  • Jason Duncan, Outdoor Research

Get in touch with the corporate responsibility team

@BethOIAsustain
@NikkiOIAsustain
sustainability@outdoorindustry.org

 

Education & Events

OIA provides year-round educational and networking opportunities for our members through events, seminars and on-demand webinars. Our topical and diverse educational tracks equip our members with knowledge on trade and recreation policy, industry innovation, sustainability and research to help them to succeed. In 2015, OIA continued to deliver programs and services designed to share expertise and support our members’ business goals.

In 2015:

Capitol Summit

 

 

  • A record 54 industry leaders journeyed to D.C. to lobby on behalf of the outdoor industry
  • Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell spoke about the “golden opportunity” for the National Park Centennial to help reverse the chronic underfunding of our national park and public land services
  • OIA committed to addressing the complex challenges of climate change
  • Eight teams spoke with representatives about the full breadth of trade and recreation policy
  • Over half of the 79 meetings were with Congressional members
  • Bills supporting the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the U.S. OUTDOOR Act and Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) were introduced during Capitol Summit
  • An all-star cast of speakers joined us:
    • Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) spoke
    • Ambassador Michael Froman, top trade advisor to President Obama
  • OIA committed to fighting the proposed state takeover of federal lands

 

“It’s a $646 billion dollar industry, so voicing our needs is very important. I think we have seen the fruits of our labors, and we can’t let off the gas pedal now. If we are not willing to put in the time for our issues, there is no one else that will.”

– Quinn O’Rourke, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc.


“Our business depends on the outdoor aspirations and active lifestyles of our customers. All outdoor industry companies must do whatever possible to preserve public lands and ease access to the proper gear for Americans to recreate.”

– Lance Pinn, Brooklyn Boulders


“As the outdoor industry continues to contribute to the U.S. economy, it is critical that those in power understand the challenges we face with regard to regulations facing consumer products, conservation areas and funding.”

– Tom Boyle, W.L. Gore and Associates

Outdoor Retailer

Outdoor Industry Association is the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer, the industry's tradeshow that connects approximately 50,000 retailer, manufacturer, industry advocate and media attendees on a semi-annual basis for its Summer and Winter Market shows.

Industry Breakfast

OIA once again hosted the Industry Breakfast that opened Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and Summer Market. At the Winter Market in January, Jeremy Gutsche, innovation expert and the founder and CEO of TrendHunter, engaged the industry on breakthrough ideas and the ability to adapt and to anticipate trends during times of change. At the Summer Market, Pete Athans, one of the world's foremost high-altitude mountaineers and The Northface athlete and Norbu Tenzing,vice president of the American Himalayan Foundation shared their perspectives on the aftermath of the two devastating earthquakes in Nepal.

Outdoor University

OIA is the education provider to the Outdoor Retailer attendees. In addition to hosting the Industry Breakfast to open the show, OIA also presented 80 Outdoor University educational sessions to exhibitors, retailers and other show attendees at Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer Market.

 

 

Norbu Tenzing, American Himalayan Foundation, discusses the aftermath of the Nepal earthquakes at ORWM Industry Breakfast

OIA staff and members mingle at the #memberlove happy hour at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2015

Happy Hours

Everybody loves a good happy hour, especially during a busy Outdoor Retailer tradeshow. At both winter and summer markets OIA introduced booth happy hours to spread the good tidings of our #MemberLove campaign. Our three afternoons of happy hours at summer market highlighted the member value of our government affairs, consumer insights and sustainability efforts with amazing daily gear giveaways from the Made in America Product Showcase and Sustainability Working Group.

OIWC Networking Event at OIA

In partnership with the Outdoor Industries Womens Coalition (OIWC), OIA held an OIWC networking event at our Boulder office. The industry gathered to engage while learning about OIA member benefits through product demos and Q&A’s with our department heads. Event-goers also heard from our new Executive Director Amy Roberts about her path to success in the outdoor industry.

 

OIWC networking event goers pinpoint and discuss where they started in the outdoor industry

 

 

Amy Roberts, OIA executive director, shares her experiences and path to success in the outdoor industry at the OIWC networking event at the OIA Boulder office

Rendezvous

The 2015 OIA Rendezvous convened the industry in Seattle, a city imbued with a spirit of creativity and innovation, an incredible music legacy and amazing outdoor spaces. Seattle is a hub for the outdoor industry. It’s home to some of our industry’s biggest brands and retailers, many of whom have a strong focus on domestic production and ethical and efficient supply-chain practices. Perhaps most important, it is home to a demographic that represents the shifting outdoor consumer—diverse, urbanand socially minded. This year's educational tracks focused on the following:

  • Retail: technology, trends, talent, retailer-to-retailer collaboration
  • Consumer: insights, retention and growth, diversity, belief-based branding
  • Healthy Community: close-to-home advocacy, healthy lifestyles, public lands, the futurists
  • Supply Chain: product innovation, technology, trends, lean manufacturing

Tom Campion, founder of Zumiez discusses how 37 years of teenage retail is powering the fight to protect America's public lands

Volunteers roll up their sleeves to clear away blackberry bushes at the 17th Annual Service Project Sponsored by Timberland

Rendezvous Tweets

Get in touch with the education & events team

education@outdoorindustry.org

 

Market & Consumer Insight

The outdoor industry is facing fundamental changes unlike anything it has seen before. To ensure a vibrant future for outdoor, the industry needs to identify what new generations of consumers want and create opportunities to connect in ways that are relevant. The OIA market & consumer insights team works tirelessly to stay on top of these macro-level trends, as well as those specifically impacting the outdoor industry.

OIA helps members piece together insights and trends to better understand the outdoor consumer

In 2015:

OIA Launched ConsumerVue

Built on OIA's industry-level consumer segmentation study, the first of its kind for the industry, ConsumerVue is an interactive digital tool to help members better understand who the U.S. outdoor consumer is and the seven segments that make up the population.

Over the course of 2015, OIA released a suite of products and tools to help our members better navigate and utilize the segmentation research and findings:

7 ConsumerVue Consumer Segments








Outdoor Retailer attendees learn how ConsumerVue tools and resources can better their businesses

“OIA’s consumer insights have proven invaluable to us as we raise growth money from venture capital. Many in the VC world don’t understand the size and opportunity in the outdoor industry, let alone its consumers and trends; having OIA’s analytics are key to telling the story and getting them engaged.”

– Julian Flores, GetOutfitted.com

 

“We were challenged by our local chamber of commerce to fill our community’s outdoor retail shop void… We were introduced to ConsumerVue, and it had everything we needed. We tapped into the different persona segments, which, combined with the in-depth market research of ConsumerVue, provided the critical data we needed to get funded.”

–David Blodgett, Lake Gaston Outfitters

 

Get in touch with the market & consumer insights team

research@outdoorindustry.org

 

Outdoor Foundation

Activating a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts and consumers is one of the most pressing issues facing the outdoor industry today. As the philanthropic arm of OIA, the Outdoor Foundation works to ensure our nation’s future health and our industry by investing in great community and campus programs that help young people recreate outside.

 

In 2015:

Outsiders Ball 2015 attendees hang out on the slackline at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake, Utah

Outsiders Ball

The 3rd annual Outsiders Ball brought together 850 industry leaders from 55 businesses on one night to support one common cause. The result: we awarded grants to 100 community and campus projects that have connected 35,000 young people with outdoor activities.

 

Grantmaking

Through our campus work and partnerships with brands, healthcare companies and the National Park Service, the Outdoor Foundation provided over $1 million to outdoor-centric community projects. The Outdoor Foundation has become one of the largest grant makers supporting not-for-profit organizations that engage youth in outdoor recreation.

Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge

In 2015, the Outdoor Foundation expanded its Campus Challenge from 10 to 57 schools. Over the course of six weeks, universities across America leveraged the assets and infrastructure of their college campuses with the ideas, energy and ingenuity of college students to engage new audiences in the outdoors. In total, nearly 20,000 college students logged almost 100,000 outdoor activities, a great success by all accounts.

Outdoor Nation Tweets:

Get in touch with the Outdoor Foundation team

info@outdoorfoundation.org

 

Our People

 

OIA Staff

We have an incredibly talented and passionate group of experts who are proud to make a difference in the outdoor industry doing work they love.

Executive

Amy Roberts

Executive Director

Karen McNamee

Executive Assistant

Government Affairs & Corporate Responsibility

Alexander Boian

Senior Director of Government Affairs

Jessica Wahl

Policy Advisor (Recreation)

Rich Harper

Policy Advisor (Trade)

Cailin O’Brien-Feeney

Local Recreation Advocacy Manager

Andrew Pappas

Government Affairs Coordinator

Beth Jensen

Director of Corporate Responsibility

Nikki Hodgson

Corporate Responsibility Coordinator

Finance & Operations

Lori Herrera

Chief Financial Officer

Cindy Haddox

Controller

Adele Sparkman

Staff Accountant

Marketing, Communications & Membership

Jennifer Pringle

VP of Marketing & Communications

Gareth Martins

Marketing Communications Manager

Todd Walton

Marketing Communications Manager

Jenn Brunson

Digital Marketing Manager

Deborah Williams

Managing Content Editor

Katie Boué

Community & Social Coordinator

Ingrid Malmberg

Director of Membership

Donanlee Jones

Membership Coordinator

Research, Insights, Education & Events

Samantha Searles

Director of Consumer Insights

Lorna Caputo

Market Insights Manager

James Rein

Market Insights Manager

Alex Lemley

Market & Consumer Insights Coordinator

Michelle Biersner

Director of Education & Events

Brehan McDonough

Event & Education Services Manager

The Outdoor Foundation

Chris Fanning

Executive Director

Ivan Levin

Senior Director of Programs & Outdoor Nation

Stasia Raines

Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Ryan Lauer

Development Manager

In 2015, we were able to add four full-time positions at OIA:

  • Market Insights Manager
  • Market & Consumer Insights Coordinator
  • Local Recreation Advocacy Manager
  • Managing Content Editor

 

Board of Directors

The OIA board is composed of a strong and diverse representation of the industry we serve. Our directors are highly engaged industry professionals who work with passion and dedication to help individuals get outside and explore the outdoors. In 2015, the OIA board voted to reduce the board size from 25 to 15 members, in order to better focus our mission and decision making.

Executive Committee

Gordon Seabury

Toad&Co, CEO

Travis Campbell

Far Bank Enterprises, President & CEO

Bob Holding

Waypoint Outdoor, Co-Founder

Jennifer Mull

Backwoods, CEO

Catherine Walker

REI, Senior VP & General Counsel

Nora Stowell

W.L. Gore, Global Sales Leader—Footwear, Gloves and Accessories

Directors

Todd Bradley

C4 Waterman, Co-Founder

Joe Butler

Black Creek Outfitters, Owner

Darrel Denny

Emerald Expositions, SVP

Mike Joyce

PrimaLoft, Inc., President & CEO

Rue Mapp

Outdoor Afro, Founder & CEO

Tracy Mayer

Backcountry North, Principal Owner

Mark Satkiewicz

SmartWool, President & General Manager

Lisa Pike Sheehy

Patagonia, Vice President of Environmental Activism

Jim Zwiers

Wolverine World Wide, Inc., SVP & President-International

Financials

Outdoor Industry Association's financial position remains strong, with increasing revenues and a positive bottom line. Overall, 2015 revenue increased 11 percent over 2014 revenue with dues revenue increasing by 6 percent. The number of member companies decreased from 1,281 to 1,245.

Thank you for another prosperous year in the outdoors! We appreciate your support, the faith you put in our staff and partners and the passion you bring to the outdoor industry.