Introducing the 2017 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team!

In its Sixth Year, the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team Grows to 65 Leaders and Expands to 27 states.

Since it was founded in 2011, the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team has brought together volunteers that embody the promise and passion to write a new and different narrative about Black engagement in the outdoors.   The 2017 Leadership Team unites teachers, lawyers, tech sector consultants, artists, business owners, culinary experts, nonprofit professionals, G-men and women, parents, grandparents, gardeners, kayakers, backpackers, climbers, snowboarders,  swimmers, campers, mountain bikers, and picnic lovers committed to ensuring that African Americans enjoy all of the benefits of nature.
To date,  Outdoor Afro has recruited, trained and connected more than 100 Black outdoor leaders from cities around the country. In 2017, we are proud to be expanding to new cities including Birmingham, Honolulu, and Detroit.
In April 2017, the Leadership Team will take part in the annual training at National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  In addition, our leaders will hike history in Harpers Ferry National Park and acquire skills to steward relationships between Black communities and their green spaces.
Outdoor Afro is deeply grateful to our sponsors including REI, KEEN Footwear, Klean Kanteen,  ColumbiaGo RvingNational Wildlife Federation – California, The North Face, Osprey,  US Fish and Wildlife Service and Yakima.

Outdoor Afro Team Leadership

 

Zoë Polk

Outdoor Afro National
Program Director
6th Year Leader
San Francisco, CA

Matt Reese

Outdoor Afro
Partnership Director
3rd Year Leader
Seattle, WA

Yanira Castro

Outdoor Afro
Communications Director
2nd Year Leader
Charlotte, NC

 

2017-2018 Outdoor Afro Regional Leads

 

Beky Branagan

Regional Lead West
6th Year Leader
Cary, NC

Brittany Leavitt

Regional Lead Northeast
3rd Year Leader
Baltimore, MD

Ray Smith

Regional Lead South
2nd Year Leader
Washington, DC

Duane Williams

Regional Lead South
2nd Year Leader
Washington, DC

 

2017 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team Roster

 

Alabama

 

Olivia Affuso

1st Year Leader
Birmingham, AL

Kellie Clark

1st Year Leader
Birmingham, AL

 

California

 

Lakeisha Brooks

1st Year Leader
Oakland, CA

Moleek Busby

1st Year Leader
Oakland, CA

Ivan Guillory

2nd Year Leader
Los Angeles, CA

Julius Crowe Hampton

2nd Year Leader
Oakland, CA

Zoë Polk

6th Year Leader
San Francisco, CA

Cliff Sorrell

6th Year Leader
Hercules, CA

Nina Thiebert

3rd Year Leader
Oakland, CA

Jennetta Thomas

1st Year Leader
Los Angeles, CA

 

Colorado

 

Kriste Peoples

2nd Year Leader
Denver, CO

Roz Silva

2nd Year Leader
Boulder, CO

Jalen Bazile

2nd Year Leader
Florissant, CO

 

Connecticut

 

Mercy Quaye

1st Year Leader
New Haven, CT

 

Florida

 

James Little

2nd Year Leader
Jacksonville, FL

Ta-Shana Taylor

2nd Year Leader
Miami, FL

Mayowa Ogunjobi

1st Year Leader
Tallahassee, Florida

Yanique Richards

1st Year Leader
Lakeworth, FL

 

Georgia

 

Tammy Shakur

2nd Year Leader
Atlanta, GA

Wandi Steward

3rd Year Leader
Columbus, GA

 

Illinois

 

Christine Meissner

1st Year Leader
Chicago, IL

Val Morrow

2nd Year Leader
Oak Park, IL

 

Hawaii

 

Rachel Collier

1st Year Leader
Honolulu, HI

 

Kentucky

 

Alicia Hurle

2nd Year Leader
Louisville, KY

Gerry James

1st Year Leader
Frankfurt, KY

 

Maryland

 

Monette Bailey

1st Year Leader
Baltimore, MD

Brittany Leavitt

3rd Year Leader
Baltimore, MD

Melody Mckinley

2nd Year Leader
Baltimore, MD

 

Massachusetts

 

Chaya Harris

2nd Year Leader
Baltimore, MD

 

Michigan

 

Alexis Adams-Wynn

1st Year Leader
Detroit, MI

Patrice Lopez-Smith

1st Year
Leader Detroit, MI

 

Minnesota

 

Alora Jones

2nd Year Leader Minneapolis, MN

Greg Shuck

2nd Year Leader
St. Paul, MN

Stephen Scott

2nd Year Leader Minneapolis, MN

 

Missouri

 

Anthony Beasley

1st Year Leader
St. Louis, MO

Duane Williams

3rd Year Leader
St. Louis, MO

 

New Jersey

 

Kasim Carter

1st Year Leader
Montclair, NJ

 

New Mexico

 

Ariel Elliot

1st Year Leader
Albuquerque, NM

Leandra Taylor

1st Year Leader
Albuquerque, NM

 

Nevada

 

Satara Cooley

1st Year Leader
Las Vegas, NV

Toyya Mahoney

2nd Year Leader
Las Vegas, NV

 

New York

 

Katina Grays

2nd Year Leader
New York, NY

 

North Carolina

 

Cheryl Baker

1st Year Leader
Charlotte, NC

Beky Branagan

6th Year Leader
Cary, NC

Yanira Castro

2nd Year Leader
Charlotte, NC

 

Ohio

 

Kimberly Smith-Woodford

2nd Year Leader
Cleveland, OH

 

Pennsylvania

 

Keenan Corrigan

1st Year Leader
Philadelphia, PA

Tarik Moore

1st Year Leader
Lewisburg, PA

Miriah Royal

1st Year Leader
Lewisburg, PA

Paul Starling

1st Year Leader
Philadelphia, PA

 

South Carolina

 

Adrienne Troy Frazier

3rd Year Leader
Charleston, SC

Mel Murdock

1st Year Leader
Charleston, SC

 

Texas

 

Olatunde Gbolahan

2nd Year Leader
Austin, TX

Tiffany Stoker

1st Year Leader
Dallas, TX

Starla Simmons

2nd Year Leader
Austin, TX

 

Virginia

 

Leah Young

2nd Year Leader
Fairfax, VA

 

Washington

 

Karimah Knowles

2nd Year Leader
Seattle, WA

Matt Reese

3rd Year Leader
Seattle, WA

 

Washington D.C.

 

Charles Taylor

3rd Year Leader
Washington, DC


Ray Smith
3rd Year Leader
Washington, DC

 

Wisconsin

 

Cheryl Mitchell

2nd Year Leader
Milwaukee, WI

 

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