Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Names New Officers, Members To Board Of Directors

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.