Camber Outdoors, a national nonprofit dedicated to achieving workplace equity in the active-outdoors industries, on Tuesday announced Emily Newman as its new executive director. Newman will be stepping into outgoing Interim Executive Director Diana Seung’s role effective immediately.

“I am delighted to welcome Emily into the Camber Outdoors family and as a Board, we eagerly look forward to the fresh perspective and community-minded leadership that she will bring to the organization, as well as to the Outdoor Industry,” said Camber Outdoors Board President Steve Meineke. Emily is a compassionate connector with extensive experience in inclusive systems-thinking that will help to propel workplace equity among our partners.”

Seung recently took a position as general manager, North America, for Jack Wolfskin. She reclaimed her seat on the Camber board.

Newman comes to the organization from California having dedicated her career to developing and funding solutions that empower resilient communities to achieve positive life outcomes. She has been widely recognized for her strategic work with a fresh generation of innovative philanthropists, and for developing and scaling field-leading nonprofit organizations.

“I am proud to join Camber Outdoors as Executive Director and am committed to advancing the promise of supporting our corporate partners in building diverse and inclusive workplaces,” said Newman, pictured right. “The Camber Outdoors team and partners, new and old, all play an important role. I look forward to galvanizing our collective voices to inspire a stronger workforce for the future of the active-outdoors community.”

As the founder of Beechwood Partners Inc. – a social-impact consultancy with a proven record in designing corporate and community-based strategies that bring about systematic and inclusive change – Newman’s accomplishments include an impressive list of initiatives that have set out to deliver upon the promise of equity, inclusion and access for communities nationally:

  • Newman has been instrumental in architecting a widely recognized Tribal Government charitable giving program that has since become a model framework for Tribes nationwide;
  • As chief operating officer (COO) of Chrysalis, Newman oversaw multi-site implementation of forward-thinking social enterprise programs that served as an on-ramp to employment for thousands of individuals across Los Angeles, Calif. Newman also successfully launched the Los Angeles Urban League’s Neighborhoods@Work community and economic revitalization program in partnership with the Rossier School of Education at USC;
  • In a senior role with PeerForward, Newman successfully coached a talented team of Executive Directors nationwide to activate local systems and leaders. Her overall efforts resulted in enhanced engagement of low-income students being enrolled in PeerForward’s postsecondary access and success programs;
  • Newman’s decades long commitment to championing equity and inclusion in hiring practices lead her to collaborate with executives and cofound a technology company that utilizes human resource intelligence to diminish bias in the workplace; and
  • Newman served as an interim executive to transition My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBKA), an initiative launched by former President Obama to realize a shared vision of equity and inclusion for boys and young men of color, into the Obama Foundation. Her leadership of MBKA expanded and strengthened the organization’s capacity to deeply engage government, corporate and community leaders in cities across the U.S.

Newman’s commitment to positively impacting her community extends beyond her practice. She has been a frequent lecturer on Best Practices in Nonprofit Management and Change Leadership at California State University and at the Graduate School of Management at Antioch University. A graduate of Columbia University and the New School for Social Research, Newman has also been the recipient of the P.F. Bresee Foundation’s Nehemiah Award for community-building, received a 40 Under 40 Award and was named a Next Generation Leader by the Los Angeles Downtown News.

Beyond inspiring an active-outdoor community that is committed to inclusion, equity and diversity, the Camber Outdoors board strives to spur innovation and elevate the active-outdoor industries as great places to work. In addition to setting policies and priorities, the Camber Outdoors Board serves the critical role of guiding the organization’s overall direction as it works to support and accelerate equity in the outdoors. Executive Director Newman is committed to supporting Camber Outdoors’ vision and helping it to realize its goals.

The Board of Directors and staff expresses deep gratitude to Seung, who has served on the board for two years. Seung was noted for her support of the organization through a period of significant growth and development, and was a powerful asset to the organization in its nationwide executive director search.

Photos courtesy Camber Outdoor