OIA Elects Three Returning and Two First-Term Board Members

We would like to thank all the member companies who participated in the 2021 election. We are happy to announce and introduce the three returning directors as well as the two new incoming directors, who will officially begin their three-year terms at the upcoming board meeting in July:

  • JONATHAN CEDAR, BioLite CEO and Co-Founder
  • PHYLLIS GROVE, Hydro Flask VP Marketing & eCommerce
  • SARAH MATT, Toad&Co VP Brand, Marketing & Sales
  • BRUCE OLD, Patagonia VP of Global Wholesale
  • JANICE TENNANT, Merrell Chief Marketing Officer

FULL BIOS BELOW

We appreciate the continued service of the existing directors and look forward to bringing on two new directors representing the outdoor industry. It’s more important than ever that OIA represent the breadth of brands, retailers and consumers who love the outdoors.

The OIA board of directors provides guidance for the organization’s overall strategic direction, establishes policies and positions, monitors the association’s financial health, programs and overall performance and prepares the industry and association for the future, ensuring OIA’s success as an organization and for its members. The five directors in the class of 2021 bring the experience, perspectives and skill to help guide our industry out of the pandemic and into a future with thriving outdoor businesses, thriving outdoor communities and a thriving planet.

 

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Jonathan Cedar
BioLite CEO and Co-Founder

What relevant business or industry experience would you bring to the OIA Board to help achieve and promote OIA’s work?
Over my first term as an OIA Board Director, I have focused my efforts on strengthening our sustainability pillar and reinforcing financial resilience in the face of COVID and a changing marketplace. If elected to a second term, I would continue to support OIA’s focus on climate action as well as advocate for evolving our service offerings to maximize member value.

The outdoor industry has a proud history of leading with our values and being rewarded by our customers for doing so. As a board member, I would leverage my experience founding two mission-driven organizations, BioLite and Climate Neutral, to coach the continued development and refinement of our Climate Action Corps with a focus on enabling our member companies to achieve quantifiable carbon reductions that are both believable and motivating for our collective consumers.

The pandemic has accelerated changes in how consumers interact with brands and retailers, and OIA needs to evolve our service offerings in ways that support the new landscapes our members are navigating. Some areas I believe OIA can help member brands navigate include evolving strategies for go-to-market, collecting market intelligence, developing and retaining talent and building a more inclusive industry for both our teams and customers.

Background:

Jonathan Cedar is CEO and co-founder of BioLite, a social enterprise on a mission to empower people and protect the planet through access to renewable energy. To date, BioLite has reached over 2 million people living in energy poverty with our clean cooking, charging and lighting products. Our unique business model, called Parallel Innovation, invests deeply in renewable energy technologies and then commercializes those products in both outdoor recreation and emerging markets. The income from our recreation market sales generates the investment capital needed to reach scale in our emerging markets, putting the company on a path to lift 20 million people out of energy poverty by 2025.

Jonathan is also the co-founder and a board director at Climate Neutral Certified, a nonprofit that seeks to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy by enabling consumers to make climate-responsible purchasing decisions. To date, Climate Neutral had certified over 300 brands, representing over $4 billion in annual consumer spending and avoiding more than 1M tCO2e in 2020.

Before starting BioLite, Jonathan was a senior design engineer at Smart Design, a New York-based product development consultancy, where he led teams that created consumer durable products ranging from housewares to biomedical devices. Before working as a product designer and entrepreneur, Jonathan began his career in the outdoor industry-leading youth backpacking expeditions, working as a ski patroller, ski instructor and environmental educator on an ocean-going research school ship. Jonathan holds a BA in engineering and environmental science from Dartmouth College.

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Phyllis Grove

Hydro Flask VP Marketing & eCommerce

What relevant business or industry experience would you bring to the OIA Board to help achieve and promote OIA’s work?
Over my first term as an OIA Board director, I have enjoyed working with the OIA staff and board to deepen and expand engagement with our members and support our work to progress Thriving Business, Thriving People and a Thriving Planet. My 20+ years in marketing leadership positions, including leadership roles at outdoor brands Hydro Flask, KEEN and Mountain Hardwear, have helped inform my contributions to OIA’s strategic plan evolution and the organization’s strengthened focus on our members. I believe my customer orientation combined with my marketing and strategic leadership experience will be an important match for the OIA Board as we continue to focus on adding member value and finalizing the strategic plan for our next five years and beyond.

For the last two years, I have chaired the OIA Board’s Nominating & Governance Committee. My experience leading and developing teams has helped the committee work to continually improve the board’s capabilities and diversify its composition. As a lifelong hiker, I find inspiration and rejuvenation in the outdoors and am passionate about making a national impact: encouraging more people to recreate outside, protecting the outdoors and supporting the outdoor industry.

Background:
Phyllis Grove is a seasoned executive with marketing, e-commerce and general management experience and has been the VP of Marketing & eCommerce at Hydro Flask for the last five years. She decided to align her work with her love for the outdoors during the second phase of her career. She first joined Mountain Hardwear as the global head of marketing and later was the VP of Marketing for KEEN. She loves working in an industry and for brands committed to helping people lead happier, healthier lives by spending time outdoors.

Phyllis has demonstrated success understanding the customer, building brands, growing businesses and developing high-performing teams. Prior to joining the outdoor industry, Phyllis worked in a variety of industries, including consumer packaged goods, food, consumer electronics and natural products. Phyllis built her strategic marketing foundation at Procter & Gamble and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. Her other functional roles include leading product management and heading a business team at Kensington Technology Group. She received a Bachelor of Science in business administration, with a concentration in marketing and international management, and a minor in French from Georgetown University.

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Sarah Matt
Toad&Co VP Brand, Marketing & Sales

What relevant business or industry experience would you bring to the OIA Board to help achieve and promote OIA’s work?
After 15 years at leading New York City B2B and B2C marketing agencies, in 2013 Sarah turned to independent consulting and relocated to Santa Barbara, California. Sarah wanted to apply her experience in positioning and marketing Fortune 500 companies to ones similar to the company she had grown up in–an entrepreneurial, fourth-generation family beer business. While enjoying a diverse and engaging client roster, Sarah was hired by Horny Toad to rebrand and subsequently relaunch the company as Toad&Co. Sarah officially joined the Toad&Co team in 2015 to lead the marketing momentum behind its re-launch. Since joining, Sarah has overseen e-commerce and wholesale sales and today sits on the executive leadership team as VP of brand, marketing and sales. Sarah’s passion is people–from consumer understanding and brand connection, to volunteering with the community foodbank and Women’s Economic Ventures Group, to her strong commitment to friendships and family. Sarah’s strong belief that our outlook drives our outcome, combined with a solution-oriented, hard-working disposition and personable approach is what she attributes her success to.

Background:
I believe Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has an opportunity to drive greater awareness of its principal beliefs and purpose among its members, as well as a broader consumer audience. The result of such efforts would be (i) a deeper engagement in existing member organizations, (ii) expanded membership within and outside the industry and (iii) potential restructured revenue opportunities. I would leverage my career in consumer insight, brand positioning and marketing to understand key connection points to help shape the OIA message and communications strategy. As an industry, we have benefited from the global COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to everyone being outside. Now is the time to intersect and build on that momentum to drive inclusivity, accessibility and our next generation of ambassadors to continue to scale environmental awareness and a sustainable lifestyle. OIA has a tremendous opportunity to be at the forefront of this movement, and I welcome the opportunity to contribute to it.

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Bruce Old
Patagonia VP of Global Wholesale

What relevant business or industry experience would you bring to the OIA Board to help achieve and promote OIA’s work?

I have just completed my first term as an OIA Board member, where I continue to serve on the Sustainable Business Innovation (SBI) Committee. Within my first term and alongside other committee members and OIA staff, I participated in the development and go-forward plan for our industry’s position on climate via the Climate Action Corps. This key initiative for OIA, with over 100 member companies participating, puts our industry and members in a leadership position relative to measuring, planning and reducing our emissions. I also led and participated in task forces focused on the following areas: programs to grow member value, funding for deeper or additional programming from OIA and oversight on the health of the Association in and out of this pandemic time.

My recent work at Patagonia has encompassed areas like the establishment of our Justice and Antiracism Strategy, navigating pandemic impacts and developing the next generation of industry leaders. If elected to a second term, I will use my experience and expertise to help with the following key areas for our members:

Participation – We need to expand our outdoor experiences for everyone. Inclusivity and encouraging the enjoyment of the outdoors or outdoor sports at all levels will have a positive effect on all our businesses.

Diversity and Inclusion – Many of us are learning the upsides that come with creating outcomes based on belonging and equity. This work and our industry embracing these changes will be imperative for our customers, businesses and members.

Climate and Wilderness protection – With more participants enjoying the outdoors, we get more help and support protecting it. It’s also critical for the industry to have a point of view here, which we are doing at OIA through the Climate Action Corps.

The Pandemic – While some retailers and brands in our industry have weathered the pandemic well financially, there are many challenges ahead as we confront the next chapters. OIA needs to play a large part in helping our members navigate what’s next.

Background:
Bruce Old works at Patagonia where he oversees the Wholesale Sales, Operations, and Service teams. His first job at Patagonia was in the Retail stores where he started as a shipping coordinator, and he has held about 15 or so different roles across the organization since those early days. Bruce’s roles have always been focused on the customer experience – spanning our Patagonia dealers, our retail stores and our digital channels. He and his family live, work and enjoy our public lands while based in Reno, Nevada.

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. A certified B Corporation, Patagonia’s mission is to save our home planet. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism, donating 1% of sales annually, contributing over $100 million in grants and in-kind donations since 1985.

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Janice Tennant
Merrell Chief Marketing Officer

What relevant business or industry experience would you bring to the OIA Board to help achieve and promote OIA’s work?

I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for this OIA Board position. It has been a lifelong passion of mine to increase participation of diverse populations in the outdoors by combining my degree in physical and health education from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, with my over 15 years of brand marketing experience across such well-recognized brands as Tropicana, Quaker Oats, Huggies and Merrell.

If elected as a new OIA Board member, I would bring to the board a consumer-driven strategic marketing perspective to help the organization assess and research the changing landscape, identify key strategic pillars of growth and develop action plans to help drive both growth and greater awareness of OIA. With a proven track record of doing this successfully for consumer brands and nonprofit organizations, I know I can help OIA navigate today’s complex issues of diversity, equity and inclusion; climate change; and funding alternatives. However, since many of you are not familiar with me, I leave you with these words:

“Working with Janice, the team feels inspired to push ourselves to the limit of creativity and solutions that solve true business issues.”  — Shelbie Stewart, former SVP, Executive Group Director, Geometry Global

Background:
Janice Tennant is chief marketing officer at Merrell who believes that everyone should have the right to experience the joys of the outdoors. For over 15 years, she has tapped her passion for consumers to grow globally recognized brands at PepsiCo, Kimberly-Clark and Wolverine Worldwide. With a commitment to building a marketing culture of curiosity and innovation, she continues to find new ways to empower the next generation of marketers through the labyrinth of the digital world by creating brands with purpose that drive more meaningful consumer connections.

Janice holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill, and a B.A. and B.P.H.E. from Queen’s University in Canada. On weekends, you will find her hiking across Michigan with her two boys with the goal of passing on the joy of the outdoors.

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Webinar: Thriving People + Planet — Confronting Threats to the Outdoors

Speakers:
Lise Aangeenbrug – Executive Director, Outdoor Industry Association
Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) – Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands

Key Takeaways:

1. For the outdoors to thrive, it must be open and accessible to all.

2. The American Jobs Plan is a historic opportunity to make a difference on climate – now is the time for the outdoor industry to step up and urge Congress to act.

3. A Civilian Climate Corps will provide jobs and economic growth AND combat climate change and conserve green spaces for generations to come.

4. As outdoor climate policy priorities take center stage, your business voice matters.

Webinar: 2021 Threats to the West and the Best Policies to Address Them

Speakers: Dave Metz, Partner and President, FM3 Research
Lori Weigel, Principal, New Bridge Strategy

The 11th annual Conservation in the West survey sponsored by Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project is the most comprehensive view of Western-state voters’ attitudes about conservation issues and challenges. In years past, the survey has focused on issues such as state control of public lands, water rights and wildfire. The 2021 survey has a heavy focus on climate change and how lands and waters can affect that crisis. Our panel of pollsters will highlight findings from this year’s report, key distinctions among different racial/ethnic sub-groups within this region and how current or future federal and state policies can address conservation issues.

PROSPECTS FOR CLIMATE SOLUTIONS IN THE 117TH CONGRESS: A CONVERSATION WITH SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE

Presenters: Amy Horton, Outdoor Industry Association; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-RI)

Description: Climate change threatens the outdoor experience that our industry depends on. While our businesses invest in ambitious carbon reduction and removals in our operations and supply chains, we must also step up to advocate, engage our consumers and enable broader system change through effective policy at all levels of government. Recent legislative and administrative action brings hope, but narrower margins in both the House and Senate impart cautious optimism. In this session, long-time climate champion Senator Sheldon Whitehouse reveals his optimism for what can get done this Congress and why now is a critical time for outdoor businesses to show up. This discussion will both inspire and provide practical insight on what federal legislative action is possible, what it will take and how the outdoor business voice can play a key role.

  • Welcome, intros and summary of outdoor industry climate policy priorities, Amy Horton, Outdoor Industry Association
  • Long-time climate champion Senator Sheldon Whitehouse shares his prospects and strategies for climate policy progress and suggestions for how the outdoor business community can be a helpful partner.
  • Q&A from OIA members and partners

THRIVING PEOPLE, THRIVING PLANET AND THRIVING BUSINESSES: BIDEN, CONGRESS AND THE OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY

Presenters: George Cooper, Forbes-Tate; Rich Harper, Outdoor Industry Association; Taldi Harrison, REI; Amy Horton, Outdoor Industry Association; Mike Ratchford, W.L. Gore & Associates; Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); Jeannie Renne-Malone, VF Corporation

Description: The 2020 general election was one of the most consequential in U.S. history for the outdoor recreation economy. And outdoor voters responded in record numbers in support of all aspects of our policy priorities. With a new administration and Congress, we now have the opportunity to build on the success of the Great American Outdoors Act and help tackle climate change, protect our public lands and waters, expand access to the outdoors for all Americans and help our industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic with new investments in green infrastructure and close-to-home recreation and a balanced trade agenda. Join us for an exciting conversation on what lies ahead for the outdoor recreation economy and how we can play a meaningful role.

THRIVING PEOPLE AND THRIVING PLANET: THE 30 BY 30 INITIATIVE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SHARED OUTDOOR FUTURE

Presenters: Lise Aangeenbrug, Outdoor Industry Association; Raina Thiele, Thiele Strategies; Maite Arce, Hispanic Access Foundation; Whit Fosburgh, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership; Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Azul; Hans Cole, Patagonia

Description: Join us to find out more about 30 by 30 for People & Planet — an effort to protect at least 30 percent of America’s land and ocean area by 2030. Embraced by national and global thought leaders, the movement is likely to get more attention under a Biden administration. We’ve invited panelists with diverse perspectives — outdoor recreation advocates, sportsmen, tribal leaders and equity in the outdoors experts — to discuss how we can work together to simultaneously and symbiotically support public and private land conservation traditions in the U.S., address climate change, honor the sovereignty of tribal nations and ensure equitable access for current and future generations.

CLIMATE ACTION: RUN CLEANER. RENEWABLE ENERGY 101: SOURCING 100 PERCENT RENEWABLE IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Presenters: Bret Estep, Tenaska Renewable Energy Advisory Services; Michael Sadowski, Advisor to OIA; Sue Long, Sustainability Initiative Manger, REI

Description: Green Tariffs. REC. PPA. What does it all mean? If your company wants to source renewable energy in the United States but finds the landscape of acronyms and complex terminology dizzying, join this 101 session and let us cut through the clutter to bring you the need-to-know basics.

THE OUTDOOR BUSINESS CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP PRESENTS: CLIMATE ADVOCACY IN 2021

Presenters: Amy Horton, Outdoor Industry Association; Geraldine Link, National Ski Areas Association; Chris Steinkamp, Snowsports Industries America; Representative John Curtis (R-UT); Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO); Brendan McGuire, Vail Resorts

Description: The new administration has the most progressive climate agenda of any administration in U.S. history. There are lots of exciting changes in store, but also lots of hard work from all of us to make the most out of this opportunity to tackle this existential threat. Join us to learn more about the outlook and opportunities for progress at the federal level and how the winter outdoor industry can play a lead role in advancing federal climate policy in the new administration and 117th Congress.

An Interior Secretary the American People Deserve

Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of American life that relies on the health and wellbeing of the environment. Widespread access to public lands and waters is critical to maintaining and expanding the many benefits of outdoor recreation. As more and more Americans find refuge outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, recreation can be a big piece of the economic recovery puzzle.

Americans of all ages and the outdoor industry keenly understand this – as does President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Debra Haaland. With her stellar track record on public lands and waters, climate change, and environmental justice, the Senate would do well to swiftly confirm her nomination.

Secretary-designate Haaland will marry outdoor policy with this potential for economic growth. Throughout her career and during her time in Congress, she has demonstrated a sharp understanding of the impact of the $788 billion outdoor recreation economy and the benefit it has to communities. She led the charge on the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, a bill to cut bureaucratic red tape that prevents Americans from accessing outdoor spaces. She also supported the historic and broadly bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) last session, which provided much-needed funding for public lands and waters. In talking about this bill, she highlighted the close connection between environmental policy and economic recovery, saying “spending time outdoors…creates jobs in the outdoor recreation and restoration economies, but without proper federal funding, the parks, rodeo grounds, and National Parks…are vulnerable, as are the jobs that go along with them.”

In addition to increasing access to public spaces, the conservation and protection of the outdoors is of critical importance. 30×30 – the goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030 – is a top policy priority for the outdoor industry and for Haaland, too. As an industry that works closely with the Department of the Interior, it’s encouraging to see that she understands the massive opportunity to fight climate change and protect access, all while conserving public lands and waters. The outdoor industry will gladly work with her agency to develop a cohesive public and private sector action plan.

Addressing climate change is also a top priority for the entire outdoor industry. Businesses that operate in outdoor recreation have been feeling the impact of climate change for years and intimately understand the need for an aggressive, coordinated effort to address the crisis. With Deb Haaland at the helm of Interior, we believe progress can be made while leveraging the outdoor recreation economy as one part of the solution to support the traditional energy communities that will be affected by these changes. In her time in the House of Representatives, she cosponsored the Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act and introduced the Climate Stewardship Act, both of which worked to mitigate climate change by promoting natural climate solutions to keep the planet healthy. She also promised to “continue to push for natural climate solutions” going forward.

To effectively address the growing threat from climate change and protect the environment, we need everyone from Democrats and Republicans in Congress to Fortune 500 companies to park rangers to work together. Secretary-designate Haaland has a history of working across the aisle – she’s gotten more Republicans to sign on to her bills than any other Democrat in the House of Representatives. Her proven willingness to work in a bipartisan manner will be a boon for the outdoors, which after all are enjoyed by Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life.

The American people deserve an Interior Secretary that will fight for all of us. From conservation to economic recovery to climate change, Deb Haaland understands the broad impacts of decisions made by the Department of the Interior. For the good of the environment, the economy, and the people, the Senate should quickly vote to confirm her so she can get to work.

Election 2020 Outcome Outlook

This article was published Thursday, Nov. 5. For updates as of Nov. 10 and a deeper dive into these insights, watch our Post-Election Analysis webinar.

At the time of publication, the Associated Press has declared a presidential victor in all but a handful of states, leaving pivotal Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania up in the air. A few key Senate seats, including two in Georgia and one in North Carolina and more than 30 House seats, are also too close to call. But with help from our D.C.-based consultants at Forbes Tate Partners, we’ve gamed out the various potential scenarios to explore what the White House and Congress could look like, who are likely to be key players on our issues, what can we expect between now and inauguration and how the outcomes might influence our work moving forward.

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The House of Representatives

Democrats Poised to Hold the House, But Republicans Gain More Seats Than Expected

What Does This Mean: Democrats will retain control of the House but fell well short of expectations to pick up between 10 and 15 seats. In fact, Republicans may still gain some seats, narrowing the Democratic majority. While we believe the House will remain active on climate issues in the new Congress, it’s possible that, combined with Republicans likely retaining the Senate, Democrats might temper their ambitions when it comes to putting together a climate package. Likewise, while we could see additional protections for public lands and waters, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will have to be mindful of what she brings to the floor given her possible reduced majority. On trade, the House will likely continue to prioritize labor and environmental protections in any trade deals, as well as—for the first time—binding climate provisions.

While we believe the House will remain active on climate issues in the new Congress, it’s possible that, combined with Republicans likely retaining the Senate, Democrats might temper their ambitions when it comes to putting together a climate package. Likewise, while we could see additional protections for public lands and waters, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will have to be mindful of what she brings to the floor given her possible reduced majority.

The Senate

Republicans Likely to Hold Senate

What Does This Mean: While control of the Senate is still officially undecided, it is likely that Republicans will retain control. One or both of the Senate races in Georgia could go to a run-off in January, and the Republican candidate would be favored in both races. Democrats picked up seats previously held by Republicans in Arizona and Colorado, while Republicans flipped Alabama. As we saw with the Great American Outdoors Act, we could still see movement on recreation and conservation issues with a Republican Senate, though it will be tougher to pass more robust climate initiatives. Passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) suggests that a Democratic House and Republican Senate could work together on international trade issues.

As we saw with the Great American Outdoors Act, we could still see movement on recreation conservation issues with a Republican Senate, though it will be tougher to pass more robust climate initiatives. Passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) suggests that a Democratic House and Republican Senate could work together on international trade issues.

The White House:

Biden Has a Clearer Path to Victory

What Does This Mean:  While the race has not yet been officially called (though that could happen as soon as today), indications are that Biden will win the presidency by successfully flipping Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Aggressive action on climate will remain a top priority for his administration, but if Republicans maintain control of the Senate, Democrats will likely set aside more ambitious plans. The Great American Outdoors Act shows how Republicans and Democrats can work together on conservation issues and additional public lands and waters protections. On trade, Biden will prioritize “Made in America” and a more multilateral approach to trade disputes, relying on dialogue and negotiation rather than punitive tariffs. That being said, China Section 301 tariffs are likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Biden and the Democratic House will push Senate Republicans on strong labor and environmental and climate provisions in any new trade deals, using USMCA as a model.

 

The Cabinet

New Faces Likely, Whoever Wins

What Does This Mean: Obviously, with a Biden presidency, we will see new leadership at Interior, Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and other agencies, with dramatically different priorities on issues affecting the outdoors and the outdoor industry. Should Biden win, his nominees for those positions will be released over the next several weeks. With a Republican-controlled Senate, he may be compelled to send over more moderate nominees.

The Key Committees and Chairs

Republicans have term limits on their chairs. Democrats do not, and they appoint committee chairs and ranking members based on seniority.

House Natural Resources

  • Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) retains the chairmanship.
  • OIA will have a great opportunity to work with Chairman Grijalva on conservation, streamlining the permitting process, promoting diversity in the outdoors, implementing the Great American Outdoors Act and combating climate change.

House Ways & Means

  • Richard Neal (D-MA) will remain chairman.
  • OIA anticipates that one of our key outdoor champions, Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), will continue as chair of the trade subcommittee and work with us on our balanced trade agenda.

Senate Energy & Natural Resources

  • Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) will likely take over from Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) who is term-limited. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is ranking member.
  • The outdoor community worked closely with Senator Manchin on passing the Great American Outdoors Act. Senator Barrasso helped lead the effort to pass America’s Conservation Enhancement Act.

Senate Environment & Public Works

  • Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is the likely incoming chair, with Senator Barrasso (R-WY) moving over to Energy and Natural Resources.
  • Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) a longtime friend of the industry on climate and public lands and is ranking member.

Senate Finance

  • If Republicans maintain control, the gavel could pass to Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), as the current chair, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), is term-limited. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) will continue as ranking member.
  • Senator Wyden is a longtime supporter of the outdoor industry and has led several initiatives in the past consistent with our balanced trade agenda, including the U.S. OUTDOOR Act. Senator Crapo, in fact, was also a lead sponsor of the OUTDOOR Act and worked closely with outdoor companies on miscellaneous tariff bills and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

Prospects for a Lame Duck

We have seen early signals that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker Pelosi will push for a Covid-relief package in the lame duck session, in addition to an omnibus spending bill to keep the government open through the end of the fiscal year. It is unclear, however, if an outgoing President Trump will have any interest in working with congressional leadership on either issue. It is possible that Congress could pass a short-term spending bill and consider the broader spending bill and Covid relief when the new Congress is sworn in in January.