Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Adds New Officers and Board Members
Board Chair Maile Spung owns Colorado's Ute Mountaineer and Neptune Mountaineering, and Vice Chair Charlie Wise owns New York's The Mountaineer.
By Kate Robertson
New Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Board Chair Maile Spung and Vice Chair Charlie Wise. Photo courtesy of GOA.
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (GOA) elected a new roster of officers at the June Connect Show and brought on three new board members, according to a news release.
The new officers are:
Board Chair Maile Spung, who owns Ute Mountaineer and Neptune Mountaineering in Aspen and Boulder, Colorado. Spung has worked in the outdoor industry for 20 years, beginning at her father’s shop, the Ute Mountaineer, in Aspen, when she was a teenager. She was also an outdoor guide in Washington, Alaska, and South America, and in 2021, she acquired Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder and merged it with Ute.
Vice Chair Charlie Wise, who co-owns The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, New York. Wise became a business owner after almost 25 years in software, greentech, and utility scale renewable energy consulting.
Treasurer Tracy Mayer, who owns Backcountry North in Traverse City, Michigan. After finishing her law degree and briefly practicing law, Mayer’s dad convinced her to join his independent outdoor specialty sales agency that he established in 1978. In 2000, Mayer and her husband Stephen bought Backcountry North from its founders. She was also GOA’s board chair for the last two years.
Secretary Becky Williams, the co-founder of Pack & Paddle in Lafayette, Louisiana. Becky has spent the majority of her career in the outdoor industry as a principal with Pack & Paddle, working in vision, buying and accounting. She and her husband John sold Pack & Paddle in 2023.
GOA’s three new board members are:
Chris Gerston, the co-owner of Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham, Washington, which he started with his wife Erica in 2006. Formerly a mental health counselor, Gerston helps people get outside to recharge mentally and focus on their goals.
Ross Harris, the co-owner of The Bear Mountain in Waco, Texas. Ross and his wife Beth bought The Bear Mountain in 2018 after working in outdoor and cycling retail.
Mark Anderson, the co-owner of Eagle Eye Outfitters in Dothan, Alabama. Mark and his partner Susan co-founded Eagle Eye Outfitters in 1999, and advocate for environmental stewardship and community.
These new board members join existing members Carolyn Crook, owner of Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Tina Miller, the co-owner of Walkabout Outfitter.
The next Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect show will take place in Kansas City, Missouri from Nov. 11 to 14.
Original story published by The Daily Outdoor Retailer.