Maine Outdoor Brands (MOB), the outdoor business alliance working to strengthen Maine’s outdoor recreation economy, said Kay Henry has succeeded Jim Hauptman as board president.
Henry has been a MOB board member for three years. Her experience in the outdoor industry is more measured in decades. She was one of the original founders of Mad River Canoe and after selling the company in 1998 with her husband, Rob Center, created the non-profit Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile water trail that follows historic Native American travel routes.
Henry is a former board member of American Rivers, the New England Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of the Environment, the Outdoor Industry Association, and Maine Island Trail Association. Henry will continue to help fuel MOB’s growth and that of the state’s outdoor recreation economy.
“The pandemic has shown us how important outdoor recreation is to Maine and to its future. Maine’s outdoor brands are uniquely positioned to meet the rising demand for outdoor gear and services and become a larger economic driver in the state,” said Henry. “As an entrepreneur in the outdoor industry, I’ve learned first-hand what it takes to build a successful brand. MOB has a valuable role to play in being a catalyst for growth and uniting the industry, and I am humbled to serve as board chair.”
“For the past four years as MOB’s president, I’ve had the honor of guiding our alliance from its infancy to the vibrant and highly respected organization it has become today,” said Hauptman. “Kay is infinitely qualified to take over the role and will no doubt continue to help fuel MOB’s growth, as well as that of the state’s outdoor recreation economy.”
Hauptman, managing partner at Blaze Partners, in Yarmouth, ME will continue to serve on the board for another year, focusing his time and energy on MOB’s sister organization, the Maine Outdoor Foundation, founded in 2020.
Photo courtesy MOB
