Manisha Powar
When my husband and I moved to Seattle from India, we thought we would stay here for about five years, then go back home. But a friend introduced us to The Mountaineers, and now 20 years have gone by. The Pacific Northwest has become our home thanks in large part to this Mountaineers community that embraced us and made us feel that we belong.
I am honored to now support our community in a broader leadership capacity as our Board President. It’s incredible to see volunteers lead thousands of programs and activities all year round. I find inspiration in watching people learn new skills to confidently enjoy the natural world. By building connections to each other and the natural world, we are inspiring the next generation to protect the places where we learn, play, and grow together.
Last year marked the launch of Adventure with Purpose, our new strategic plan, in which we recommitted ourselves to:
- Lead innovation in outdoor education. Our vision is that anyone inspired to learn outdoor skills has that opportunity with The Mountaineers through books and programs.
- Engage a vibrant community of outdoor enthusiasts. This priority is centered on fostering a Mountaineers community where all people can find inspiration and belonging.
- Advocate on behalf of the natural world. This work accelerates our ability to protect the outdoor experience and educate advocates to recreate responsibly and respectfully.
These three strategic priorities, born from our core values, have already inspired growth and innovation. I am energized by seeing how our core values are most fully realized where our priorities intersect: volunteer leadership creates a culture of belonging outdoors, outdoor education inspires care for the natural world, and equitable access and advocacy play together to assure the future of outdoor recreation for generations to come.
One recent example of this intersection is the new Associate Manager of Policy & Planning. This added staff capacity strengthens our partnership with land managers and our voice in recreation plans and permitting processes. This role, made possible through philanthropy, supports outdoor education through courses and activities and creates opportunities for members to advocate for access and conservation priorities.
Our community, and the power of our connections to each other and the natural world, make transformational change possible. We are working together toward a world where our adventures extend beyond our own personal enjoyment and where all people can confidently enjoy the natural world and are inspired to protect it. I am endlessly grateful for the thousands of people who invest their time and resources into making this vision a reality, and look forward to seeing the ongoing impact of our work together in the years to come.
This article originally appeared in our summer 2024 issue of Mountaineer magazine. To view the original article in magazine form and read more stories from our publication, visit our magazine archive.
