News Archive

Winter Wildlands Alliance Expands Board, Staff

NEW DIRECTORS ADD MORE VOICES FROM RECREATION INDUSTRY, GROUPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2002

CONTACT: Ken Miller, Education Outreach Coordinator, 208.344.8692 (c: 208.890.3944), .

(BOISE, Idaho) — Winter Wildlands Alliance, the nation's leading advocate to protect a quality, human-powered snow sports experience on public lands, has significantly expanded its professional staff and added four key new members of the outdoor industry to its Board of Directors.

The additions come as Winter Wildlands Alliance, in just its second year as the voice to protect a natural winter sports experience for the nation's backcountry skiers and snowshoers, takes on new challenges on behalf of its grassroots members and human-powered winter sports enthusiasts.

"An organization is only as strong as its Board of Directors and staff," said Sally Grimes, Winter Wildlands Alliance Executive Director. "By adding these talented and committed professionals to our team, I have no doubt we will succeed in our goals of protecting the natural experience our members seek on snow-covered lands."

Representing Winter Wildlands and its grassroots groups at Summer Market, Grimes said WWA's four newest board members are familiar to Outdoor Retailer attendees for their roles in the industry as well as leaders in the outdoor recreation field. They include:

• Jim Watson, Founder and General Manager of Little Bear Snowshoes in Grand Junction, Colo., and WWA's partner in SnowSchool, a hugely successful nonprofit program designed to get elementary school students on a pair of snowshoes and out into the elements to learn more about the science and fun of snow and the winter environment. As the SnowSchool program takes off, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge of the snowshoeing industry and key players within that industry. Besides being an enthusiastic catalyst for SnowSchool and introducing snowshoeing and winter ecology to thousands of elementary-aged students, Jim is an active outdoorsman and avid skier and snowshoer and lives in Kalispell, Mont.
• Stephanie Kruse, managing partner of KPS3 Advertising, Public Relations and e-Marketing in Reno, Nev. Stephanie's public relations and marketing efforts are proving invaluable to WWA as it takes on a more visible national role. She opened her firm in June 1991 after nine years as director of marketing and public relations for Saint Mary's Health Network and shortly after receiving her MBA in marketing and organizational strategy from the University of Nevada, Reno.
• David Jenkins, Director of Conservation and Public Policy at the American Canoe Association in Springfield, Va. David brings a background as a legislative aide, litigation assistant, and Director of Conservation and Public Policy at American Canoe, providing Winter Wildlands with expertise on legislative issues and strategy. David has also excelled in managing a national recreation organization's policy program while working with grassroots groups on local issues.
• Jennifer Larus, Tradeshow and Market Development Coordinator at SnowSports Industries America in McLean, Va. Jennifer's background in special events coupled with her current position at SnowSports Industries America provides Winter Wildlands with a wealth of program expertise. At SIA, Jennifer manages Winter Trails, a national snowshoeing event, and Donate-a-Ski, a program designed to encourage more youth to get involved in skiing.

Winter Wildlands has also expanded its staff at the WWA headquarters in Boise.

Coordinating WWA's critical grassroots organizing and support as Grassroots Coordinator is Sally Ferguson, who brought nine years of nonprofit organization management and a degree in management and organizational leadership when she joined WWA's staff last fall. An avid backcountry skier and snowshoer, Sally has considerable experience on the backcountry trails in the West. She oversees Winter Wildlands Alliance's growing network of grassroots groups working on human-powered sports issues on public lands. Sally is also coordinating WWA's Grassroots Advocacy Skills Conference, which will bring local activists from around the country to Idaho's Bogus Basin Ski Resort outside Boise from Oct. 4-6. Sally can be reached at 208.386.9227.

Also joining WWA's staff in Boise is Ken Miller, who as Education and Outreach Coordinator oversees the group's public relations activities and SnowSchool. Ken has 25 years of experience in newspapers in Nevada, Hawaii, and Idaho, as well as serving as the national environmental correspondent for Gannett News Service in Washington, D.C. As WWA continues to expand and address new challenges, Ken will work with local and national media as well as outdoor industry publications as a resource for those covering winter recreation issues on public lands. Ken can be reached at 208.344.8692 or via e-mail at .

Founded in 2000 by grassroots groups throughout the country, Winter Wildlands Alliance is the only national organization working to protect a quality human-powered winter recreation experience. For more information, visit www.winterwildlands.org.

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