The Conservation Alliance Announces New Board Members

Scott Whipps, Peter Metcalf, and Chelsea Pawlek elected to serve; Ann Krcik and Eric Greene fill founder seats

Bend, Ore., June 11, 2015 – The Conservation Alliance completed board elections this week, and the membership elected or re-elected Scott Whipps (Clif Bar & Company), Peter Metcalf (Black Diamond Equipment), and Chelsea Pawlek (Ibex Outdoor Clothing) to serve three-year terms on the board.

Scott Whipps is Clif Bar and Company's Director of Sports Retail for North America. He has served on The Conservation Alliance board for the past three years and is the current board chair.

Peter Metcalf is Founder and CEO of Black Diamond Equipment. He is a long-time participant in Conservation Alliance activities and a leading voice for conservation in the outdoor industry.

Chelsea Pawlek is Supply Chain Manager at Ibex Outdoor Clothing. She has been an active volunteer for The Conservation Alliance over the past two years, serving on a board committee, and participating in the organization’s annual trips to Washington, D.C. 

“We are honored to add Chelsea and Peter to our board, and to retain Scott as our board chair,” said Executive Director John Sterling. “We are fortunate to have such great people willing to volunteer their time to support our conservation mission. 

In other board news, The Conservation Alliance also has new board representatives from founding members The North Face and Kelty. Each of the four founders – The North Face, Kelty, Patagonia, and REI – has a permanent seat on the board. Ann Krcik succeeds Aaron Carpenter in filling The North Face’s seat, and Eric Greene takes over for Geoff O’Keeffe in the Kelty seat. 

“With these board changes, we bring a great influx of fresh blood to an already high-energy board,” said Sterling. “We are now poised to take The Conservation Alliance to new heights.”

Click here to learn more about The Conservation Alliance board.  

About the Conservation Alliance:

The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.

Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $15 million to grassroots conservation groups. Alliance funding has helped save more than 44 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,945 miles of rivers; stop or remove 25 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 10 climbing areas.

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.

Media Contact:John Sterling541-389-2424john@conservationalliance.com