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Reno,
NV – August 2024 / NewsmakerAlert: Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health
and growth of specialty outdoor retail, recently elected
a new slate of officers and welcomed three new board members.
The
board — which reflects the geographic and market diversity served by its
retailers — contributes significantly to the strategic work of Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance. Alongside the President, the board will continue to direct
Grassroots in its mission to serve as a catalyst for the success of independent
specialty outdoor retail through advocacy, education, knowledge sharing
and community building. New officers at Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
are:
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Board
Chair Maile Spung, owner of the Ute Mountaineer and Neptune Mountaineering
in Aspen and Boulder, Colo. Spung has 20 years of experience in the outdoor
industry, starting as a teenager on the sales floor of her father’s shop,
the Ute Mountaineer, in Aspen, and working as an outdoor guide in Washington,
Alaska and South America. In 2021, she acquired Neptune Mountaineering
in Boulder, successfully merging two long standing businesses in the outdoor
industry.
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Vice
Chair Charlie Wise, co-owner of the Mountaineer in Keene Valley, N.Y.
After nearly 25 years in software, greentech and utility scale renewable
energy consulting, Charlie steered his professional career towards business
ownership with his wife Nancy, affording him greater connection and proximity
to his outdoor pursuits in Vermont and the Adirondack Park of upstate New
York.
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Treasurer
Tracy Mayer, owner of Backcountry North in Traverse City, Mich. After
completing both her undergraduate and law degree, and a brief stint practicing
law, Tracy’s father convinced her to join his independent outdoor specialty
sales agency that he established in 1978. In 2000 she and her husband Stephen
had the opportunity to purchase Backcountry North from its founders. She
has also served as Grassroots board chair for the last two years.
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Secretary
Becky Williams, co-founder of Pack & Paddle in Lafayette, La. Becky
has spent the majority of her career in the outdoor industry as a principal
with Pack & Paddle, working in vision setting, buying and accounting
roles. She and her husband John sold Pack & Paddle to key employees
in 2023.
Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance also added three new board members:
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Chris
Gerston, co-owner of Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham, Wash. Chris
and his wife, Erica, started Backcountry Essentials in 2006. Chris was
a mental health counselor before that and still looks at the business from
a mental health perspective, helping people get outside to recharge mentally
and focus on their goals.
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Ross
Harris, co-owner of The Bear Mountain in Waco, Tex. Ross and his wife
Beth have owned The Bear Mountain since 2018 when they purchased it from
the original owner after working for a number of years in outdoor and cycling
retail.
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Mark
Anderson, co-owner of Eagle Eye Outfitters in Dothan, Ala. Mark and
his partner Susan Anderson co-founded Eagle Eye Outfitters in 1999, building
the business by advocating for outdoor pursuits, environmental stewardship
and community.
These
new board members join existing members Carolyn Crook, owner of Pack Rat
Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, Ark., and Tina Miller, co-owner of Walkabout
Outfitter. Carolyn Crook founded the Pack Rat Outdoor Center in 1973 with
her husband Scott, later opening the current Pack Rat Outdoor Center in
2002, and bringing three longtime staff members into the business as partners.
Tina and her husband Kirk opened Walkabout Outfitter in 2005, building
the business up to six stores across the state of Virginia. She is also
on the leadership committee for Virginia’s National Federation of Independent
Businesses.
Board
members were elected at the Annual Shareholders Meeting of Grassroots during
the recent Connect Show
in June. The show saw record attendance with 144 participating brands at
Connect, 108 brands at Discovery
Marketplace (hosted Day 0, Sunday, June 9), and 146 attending independent
outdoor retail stores.
The
next Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect show will take place in Kansas
City, Mo., Nov. 11-14, 2024.
About
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance is a retailer-owned network of 95 independently owned
outdoor retailers and 66 vendor partners, working together for the health
and growth of specialty outdoor retail. Through data collection and analysis,
direct member support, specialty events and deep vendor partnerships, Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance is creating both a vision and roadmap for the long-term
success of independent specialty retail. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is
recognized as a catalyst for the success of its retailers and vendor partners;
an advocate for specialty independent retail; a promoter of education and
community within the specialty channel; and a key influencer of the national
outdoor industry. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance also operates Connect, a
twice-annual legacy show experience that spans four days, offering an efficient
and structured format for retailers to conduct pre-season line showings
and business conversations.
Media
Contact
Max
Akslerad
917-699-8491
Verde
PR
LinkedIn |
