Together Outdoors
Building a National Coalition to Expand Access to the Outdoors
I served as the inaugural Coalition Lead for Together Outdoors, an initiative launched by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable with foundational, multi-year support from THOR Industries. Working alongside ORR's leadership, I helped build the initiative from the ground up, leading strategic planning, brand development, programming, communications, partnerships, and national coalition building. The experience also gave me an opportunity to learn from ORR's deep expertise in outdoor recreation policy, industry relations, and coalition development.
I grew the coalition to more than 100 outdoor businesses, land-management agencies, nonprofits, trade associations, and community organizations, while establishing Governance and Advisory Councils that brought together leaders from companies and organizations including THOR Industries, Airstream, Winnebago Industries, Rivian, Hipcamp, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Forest Foundation, and National Park Service. Independent industry coverage specifically credited the initiative's growth to 100 organizations under my leadership.
Beyond coalition development, I helped establish Together Outdoors' national presence through media outreach, industry conferences, speaking engagements, educational programming, and strategic communications. The work expanded from organizational training around inclusive outdoor access into grantmaking, industry programming, events, and brand collaborations.
One of the initiatives I'm particularly proud of was creating Together Outdoors' inaugural grant program, which distributed $54,000 to nine organizations supporting more inclusive outdoor experiences. The program went on to win the 2023 Bessie Award for Inclusion.
