Gordon Seabury elected to first term as chair
Boulder, CO -(AmmoLand.com)- Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announced its newly elected 2015-2016 board of directors today.
The board also selected its officers, naming Gordon Seabury, CEO of Toad&Co, as chair. He is joined by Travis Campbell, president and CEO of Far Bank Enterprises, as vice chair and treasurer; Nora Stowell, vice president of sales at Amer Sports, as vice chair; and Catherine Walker, senior vice president & general counsel at REI, as secretary.
OIA’s board of directors provides guidance for the organization’s overall strategic direction. The board establishes policies and positions, monitors the association’s financial health, programs and overall performance and prepares the industry and association for the future, ensuring that OIA has the resources to meet the needs of its members.
In 2014, the board invested significant time, study and thought in evaluating its own effectiveness and that of the association. The board updated its bylaws and revised the board roles and responsibilities. Perhaps most significantly, it reduced the number of board positions in an attempt to create and maintain an engaged board that is flexible, effective and efficient. In addition, after reviewing other associations’ best practices, OIA revised its bylaws to eliminate the requirement that a majority of elections must be contested.
The new bylaws allow the board to identify, recruit and nominate the strongest and best slate of candidates that meet the organization’s needs at any given point in time and to put that slate of candidates to a yay-or-nay vote of the membership.
“The effectiveness of OIA is linked closely to having a diverse and representative board that includes individuals with a variety of skillsets and expertise. The governance practices require regular assessment and evaluation of the relevant skills needed to meet the organization’s strategy.” said Seabury. “We especially want to thank the board members who are stepping off the board for their commitment and service. The board has been very supportive of the governance changes that OIA has made to assure the association is following best practices in support of the industry.”
This year, the board was specifically seeking representatives from small- to mid-sized specialty retailers who can represent that important and influential segment of the industry.
Newly elected board members include:
- Joe Butler, owner, Black Creek Outfitters
- Rue Mapp, founder and CEO, Outdoor Afro
- Tracy Mayer, COO, Backcountry North
- Lisa Pike Sheehy, vice president of environmental activism, Patagonia
Continuing OIA board members include:
- Todd Bradley, co-founder, C4 Waterman
- Travis Campbell, president and CEO, Far Bank Enterprises
- Darrell Denny, senior vice president, Emerald Expositions
- Bob Holding, co-founder, Waypoint Outdoor
- Mike Joyce, president and CEO, PrimaLoft, Inc.
- Jennifer Mull, CEO, Backwoods
- Mark Satkiewicz, president, SmartWool
- Gordon Seabury, CEO, Toad&Co
- Nora Stowell, vice president of sales, Amer Sports
- Jim Zwiers, senior vice president, Wolverine Worldwide, Inc.
- Catherine Walker, senior vice president and general counsel, REI
Term-ending OIA board members include:
- Peter Bragdon, senior VP of legal and corporate affairs, Columbia Sportswear Company
- Carolyn Brodsky, president, Sterling Rope Co. Inc.
- Darren Bush, owner, Rutabaga Paddlesports
- Fred Clark, CEO, Thule
- Scott Kerslake, CEO, Prana
- David Kulow, owner, All Terrain
- David Labistour, CEO, Mountain Equipment Co-op
- John Lacy, executive vice president of global product and North American sales, Burton Corporation
- Jill Layfield, CEO, Backcountry.com
- Ed McAlister, owner, River Sports Outfitters
- Sue Rechner, CEO, Confluence Outdoor
- Ed Schmults, CEO, Wild Things, LLC.
- Kim Walker, founder and president, Outdoor Divas
“The board is very focused on ensuring that OIA’s programs and services support the continued growth and vibrancy of specialty outdoor retailers as the backbone of our industry, and that’s why we’re thrilled to have the diverse mix of voices on the new board,” said Amy Roberts, OIA executive director.
Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, CO, with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA supports the growth and success of more than 4,000 employees of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment and services.
For more information, visit www.outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.