Governor Newsom Appoints Katie Hawkins to California Commission
Photo credit: Aubrey McCready
Katie Hawkins, Outdoor Alliance’s California Organizer, has been appointed by California’s Governor Newsom to the California Commission on Boating and Waterways. Katie grew up surrounded by lakes, rivers, and oceans in the Pacific Northwest and now, she lives in Truckee, California, where she is raising her son on the shores of Donner Lake.
“I know how much access to waterways and shorelines has driven me personally and professionally,” she says. “I want other Californians to have that experience.”
As part of the commission, Katie will be advocating for equitable access to recreation on California’s abundant coasts, lakes, and rivers.
Katie brings to the appointment years of experience advocating for recreation in the outdoors. As a global sales manager for outdoor brands, she was an outspoken champion for women’s categories . Now, she invests her time into building community with recreation enthusiasts to nonprofits, companies, and state leaders. Her driving goal is to create more opportunities for people to experience the outdoors and to advance legislation that will protect the environment. Most recently, Katie has been devoting her days to building support for the Great American Outdoors Act in California.
“I think it’s just an honor to serve the governor and the agency and to be able to bring my background in the outdoor industry, as well as the advocacy work I’ve done with Outdoor Alliance, to the leadership within the California state government,” Katie says. Advocating for water-based outdoor recreation is a chance to also talk about water, access, conservation, and climate change, says Katie.
“Whether it’s the work of environmental justice, to the firsthand effects of climate change, California is a leader in this space and we have the opportunity to set the foundation moving forward and create a playbook for other states to take policies that we’re driving and apply them to their own places,” Katie says. “It’s about partnering.”
Nonprofits, government agencies, and community leaders are doing amazing work in California to encourage more people to get outside—whether it’s providing access to free or low cost gear, transportation, or a skills-based course. COVID-19 has only spotlighted the important role these groups play, as people seek time in nature to heal.
“They’re eliminating the barriers for folks coming into the outdoors,” Katie says. “It is all of that and connecting the dots to bring those parties together.”