Grasstops Collective
The Outdoor Alliance Grasstops Collective is a leadership and advocacy development program that trains grasstops advocates to build relationships with policymakers and advocate for conservation priorities. Grasstops leaders are unique for their meaningful voice in their communities, whether they are in business, nonprofit, or local government. They are the unofficial mayors—the ones who know everyone at the crag, trailhead, or put-in. Trained and educated on outdoor policy and advocacy, grasstops leaders will bring their local influence to move the needle on conservation, recreation, and climate policy.
The Grasstops Collective program trains these community leaders on conservation-based advocacy skills, like building meaningful relationships with decision makers, including policy makers and their staff; identifying opportunities for others in their community to advocate for public lands and outdoor recreation; and legislative terminology and process. Advocates that graduate from the program will go on to advocate for conservation and recreation policy for years to come.
Learn more about our 2024 Grasstops Collective cohort below.
Carla Avila-Martinez
Carla Avila-Martinez is a dedicated environmentalist serving as the Climate Action Program Manager at the Surfrider Foundation, supporting chapters to spearhead coastal restoration initiatives nationwide. When not advocating for coastal conservation, she loves hiking, backpacking, and braving the chilly waves of Humboldt County as she learns how to surf.
Kathleen Baker
Kathleen Baker is the executive director of Runners for Public Lands, the California-based nonprofit organization that represents runners in protecting the environment. She comes from a career in federal, state, and local government program development, policy implementation, and operations. Kathleen is also the founder and race director of the Mount Laguna Trail Marathon in San Diego, California.
Kate Beezley
Kate Beezley has been the Executive Director of the Boulder Climbing Community since 2016 and an avid climber since 2002. Kate is an avid outdoor athlete pushing herself uphill by any means available. She serves on the AIARE Board of Directors and the County of Boulder Emergency Services Grant Committee.
Loren Bell
Loren Bell focuses his life on the outdoors, conservation, community, technology, science, and where those all intersect. As the director of a regional trail non-profit, he engages with local governments to advocate for, design, build, and maintain trails on public lands. In his spare time, he coaches the high school mountain bike team, ski patrols, runs a small business, and codes open-source software.
Traci Berry
Traci lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas, surrounded by the Hot Springs National Park. She has been the Northwoods Trails Coordinator since the trails systems opening in November of 2018 and since 2012, she has directed the Raid the Rock Adventure Race. She is a lover of the outdoors and all things adventure.
Andrew Blann
Andrew is a Fayetteville, Arkansas based rock climber and currently serves as the Vice-President of the Arkansas Climbers Coalition. He has a passion for exploring the Ozark Mountains, creating opportunities for outdoor recreation, and enhancing access to our shared resources.
Philip Darden
A perpetual wearer of many hats, Philip is the Executive Director of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. He has been on staff at SORBA since 2021 and began his involvement with the organization as a volunteer at a local chapter in 2011. In addition to mountain biking, Philip enjoys running, paddling, photography, and taking his pup Eleanor on all sorts of adventures.
Scott Eisenberg
Scott is a Regional Sales Manager and Marketing Director at EuroSort, based in Ellicott City, MD, where he is also helps run an amateur enduro mountain bike team “The B-Team”. In his spare time, Scott enjoys taking his splitboard for a walk, being a mediocre enduro MTB racer, and most other activities in the woods or mountains requiring at least a little bit of type 2 fun.
Eugenia Ermacora
Eugenia Ermacora's journey with Surfrider began as a volunteer in 2018, fueled by her passion for the ocean, environmental advocacy, and community engagement. Over the years, she has dedicated herself to protecting coastal environments and advocating for ocean conservation as the Manager of the Los Angeles Chapter.
Andreea Gabor
Andreea Gabor doesn't believe in "can't." As a writer, skier, and climber, she believes that united, we can all make a difference and preserve our outdoor spaces for current and future generations. She brings this energy to her role as the Cascade Section Chair of the American Alpine Club and the Washington community at large.
Danielle Graham
Danielle is a retired natural resources professional, who lives in Issaquah, Washington, and appreciates most forms of land and water-based outdoor recreation. She enjoys instructing students and leading trips for The Mountaineers, as well as volunteering for trail work with the Washington Trails Association.
Kim Harrison, PhD
Kim Harrison is the president of the Bay Area Climbers Coalition, supporting work with the community and land managers around outdoor climbing areas and under-represented climbers. She has a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Ammen Jordan
Ammen serves as Executive Director for studioDRIFT and works on strengthening rural Arkansas communities through purpose-built outdoor recreation and active transportation infrastructure.
Corey Lilly
As a 10th-generation West Virginian, Corey Lilly brings a deep-rooted connection to his role as the Outdoor Community Development Manager at the Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative. Corey is widely revered as one of West Virginia's foremost adventure athletes with a remarkable legacy of achievements in whitewater expeditions, skiing, climbing, mountain biking, and various outdoor pursuits.
Kaycee Maas
Kaycee has developed a profound connection to Colorado’s public lands and waters through her years of experience working in the outdoor industry. At the University of Colorado - Boulder, Kaycee focused her studies on creating a more holistic understanding of the socioeconomic factors that restrict access to participation in outdoor recreation activities.
Kyle McCrohan
Kyle McCrohan is the founder and President of the Cascade Backcountry Alliance. Kyle grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is a passionate runner, skier, and climber who cares about advocating for access to the sports he enjoys. He shares his adventures and reflections with others through his blog climberkyle.com.
Dani Poirier
Dani has called Utah home since 2004, and the Wasatch Mountains have kept her there. For almost a decade, she volunteered with a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, which represents the local human-powered winter backcountry community. Dani now serves as the first paid employee for the organization as of the 2023/2024 season. She is passionate about advocating for undeveloped terrain and community access in the small but mighty Wasatch Mountains.
Mike Reardon
Mike serves as the Executive Director of the Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC), a nonprofit committed to safeguarding, conserving, and stewarding climbing areas in the Carolinas and beyond. His efforts with CCC span land acquisition, policy advocacy, stewardship initiatives, and growing a vibrant climbing community. Beyond his dedication to climbing advocacy, he is a proud father to two wonderful children, Zinnea and Jack.
Germaine Simonson
Germaine Simonson is a member of the Navajo Nation, she co-organizes a local mountain bike race called REZDURO. This event is created by Diné on Diné lands. The event brings many people together from across the world and we love sharing stories about the land, the people and culture.
Denis Tuzinovic
Denis is the environmental coordinator for Patagonia Seattle where he’s grown the environmental program over the past eight years. He works closely with Patagonia leadership to ensure equitable representation for the LGBTQ+ community within the company, and he serves on the Board of Directors of the Winter Wildlands Alliance. Denis enjoys skiing, birding and hiking in the Pacific Northwest.