The Conservation Alliance membership elected Steve Barker, founder of Wild Places, LLC, Mark Heintz, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Deckers Outdoor, and Scott Whipps, director of sports retail at Clif Bar and Company to new three-year terms on the Alliance board of directors. The Alliance board also elected Seth Cobb, VP and general manager at Merrell, to fill a vacant seat.
 
Cobb, Heintz, and Whipps are new to The Conservation Alliance board, while Barker is re-elected to a second term.
 
“This election brings exciting fresh blood to The Conservation Alliance,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “We will benefit from the broad range of experience that Steve, Mark, Scott, and Seth bring to the table.”


Barker, founder of Eagle Creek Travel Gear, has served on The Conservation Alliance board for the past three years, chairing the Advocacy Committee. He also serves on the board of the Alaska Wilderness League. Cobb has been with Merrell for the past 17 years, and is responsible for the brand globally. Heintz is responsible for developing Deckers sustainability strategy and driving key initiatives in the areas of environmental sustainability, human rights and community affairs. Whipps oversees strategic sales planning and trade marketing for Clif Bar’s sports retail channel in the United States and Canada.


“With this election, we retain Steve’s deep experience with the industry and conservation, and add three creative, passionate, and committed leaders to The Conservation Alliance board,” said Sterling. “We are now poised to take The Conservation Alliance to new heights.”


The new board terms begin immediately after the August 1nd board meeting.


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 $8.3 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 49.5 million acres of wildlands; 27 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 17,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.