Q: Any challenges in the early days that you overcame?
In the beginning we feared that if we became an association, we would grow to be too big and not serve the membership. Throughout the years there have been other associations that wanted to bring AORE in as part of their association. Growth is always hard but we felt confident that this group wouldn’t get the attention or resources we needed as part of a larger organization so we resisted merging with another group and maintained autonomy. A turning point was finding solid leadership with a strong executive director.
Q: Do you have any advice for AORE members? Or any advice for your younger self working in this field?
I’ve been a member of AORE for 34 years (of 25) [laughing]! It’s heartwarming to see the dedication of members to the outdoors, conserving natural resources, and introducing others to the outdoors. It’s been an amazing journey. If I had any advice it would be to immerse yourself in this—working in O.R. for me was the most amazing experience I could have in life-- sharing experiences, meeting colleagues, showing people they could do these things. It’s a great place to teach and learn. Keep working on achieving.
Another image from the AORE archives: a photo throwback!
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