Joint Policy Shop

Outdoor Alliance’s Joint Policy Shop comprises policy chiefs from our ten member groups. The Joint Policy Shop meets weekly to analyze public land policy, discuss strategies for pursuing our outdoor recreation and conservation goals, and share policy insights and resources. The Joint Policy Shop has diverse recreational, regional, and legislative expertise and its collective vision drives all our campaigns and policy work. The Joint Policy Shop is led by Outdoor Alliance’s Policy Director, Louis Geltman, a world-class paddler based in White Salmon, Washington.

Aaron Clark, Government Relations, International Mountain Bicycling Association

Aaron has a wide range of experience working on the ground with human powered trail development, flagging, and repair; leading reforms of state-administered recreation programs and legislative proposals; and lobbying in D.C on conservation and recreation policy and legislation. In his free time, Aaron is an avid cyclist, backcountry skier, and climber and seeks to recreate as often as possible with his wife, Lindsay, and sons, Aden and Axel. Aaron is based in Louisville, Colorado.

Kevin Colburn, National Stewardship Director, American Whitewater

Kevin Colburn is has been protecting and restoring rivers with American Whitewater since 2001. He holds a B.A. and an M.S. in Environmental Studies, and has been avidly exploring whitewater rivers since 1989. He lives in North Carolina.

Hilary Eisen, Policy Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance

Hilary is an avid backcountry skier and climber with a passion for wild places. She holds a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Middlebury College, a M.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and has worked in public lands management and conservation since 2008. She is based in Bozeman, Montana.

Betsy Robblee, Conservation and Advocacy Director, The Mountaineers

Betsy directs The Mountaineers’ conservation and advocacy work, through engaging and educating outdoor enthusiasts to protect public lands. Prior to joining The Mountaineers in 2020, she worked in state-level recreation and conservation advocacy, spent six years as a policy advisor in the U.S. Congress, and also worked as a chef and yoga teacher. Betsy is based in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys trail running, skiing, mountaineering, and cycling.

Byron Harvison, Directof of Policy and Government Affairs, American Alpine Club

Byron is a life-long climber that holds a Juris Doctor from The University of Tulsa College of Law.  He spent over 23 years as an officer in the U.S. Army, and draws heavily on those experiences to advocate for outdoor recreation opportunities with governmental agencies.  Having lived all over the world, he now lives in the heart of Cherokee Nation calling Tahlequah, OK home.  Byron and his wife and kids spend their time exploring the Ozark Plateau looking for new climbing and mountain biking adventures.

Julie Mach, Conservation Director, Colorado Mountain Club

Julie joined CMC in 2013 to manage the Conservation Department’s stewardship programs and outdoor recreation advocacy initiatives. Julie represents CMC in the Heart of the Rockies and embraces the incredible recreational resources throughout the state by foot, mountain bike, skis, kayak and horseback, usually with her dog Slider in tow! Julie lives in Salida, Colorado.

Dr. Erik Murdock, Policy Director, Access Fund

Erik Murdock is the Access Fund policy director. Erik works on local and national issues that affect climbing access and conserving climbing landscapes. He represents the climbing community on Capitol Hill in Washington DC where he works with federal lawmakers and land agency administrators on issues such as energy development, environmental protection and public access. Erik has a Masters degree in Geology and a PhD in Natural Resource Management. His experience includes work as a geologist, park ranger, academic, GIS analyst, and now as a climbing advocate for Access Fund. Erik lives in Estes Park, CO just outside Rocky Mountain National Park with his wife, daughter and 2 cats.

Dr. Thomas O’Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director, American Whitewater

Thomas is a river ecologist based in Seattle, Washington who serves as the Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater. He has over 25 years of experience in river conservation and management.

David Page, Director of Advocacy, Winter Wildlands Alliance

David Page is the Director of Advocacy for Winter Wildlands Alliance. Based in the heart of California’s High Sierra Nevada, he is also a senior correspondent for Powder magazine, a national award-winning journalist, and President of Mammoth Lakes Recreation, a nonprofit organization working to enhance recreation opportunities and infrastructure across the region.