Stephanie Forté
President
For more than 20 years, Stephanie Forté has helped socially conscious brands and business leaders shape their stories. As the founder of Forté PR, a brand communications agency in the health, fitness, and active lifestyle space, Stephanie has been a key player in the brand identity architecture for national brands and non-profits. She’s worked on public lands projects, including leading communications for the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
Stephanie is a longtime advisor for Save Red Rock. She has been a founding board member of the HERA Ovarian Cancer Foundation and received its Power of One Award. She was also a founding board member of the Smiles for Survivors Foundation. As a freelance writer, Stephanie's essays and articles have appeared in magazines like Prevention, Glamour, Desert Companion, Climbing, and Cerca Adventures, among others.
A former professional rock climbing athlete, Stephanie is an avid hiker, snowboarder, and paddleboarder. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Tim Healion
Vice President
Tim's 35-year career in food & beverage in Northern Nevada including having been instrumental in starting the legendary Deux Gros Nez and The Pneumatic Diner. His current business adventure is with the Laughing Planet Café in Reno, which advocates for locally sourced and super healthy food.
Tim has advocated for health and well-being from the local community to the state legislature. He has promoted and managed local, regional, national, and international events including the Mighty Tour de Nez Celebration of Cycling, which under his reign, became a top 5 multi-day bicycle race on the national calendar and experienced international television coverage.
As a self-proclaimed “outdoor geek”, Tim has acknowledged the tie between good food and the outdoors. “We get a lot of support and business from those who live here and also from those who visit the area because of what the area has to offer in regards to playing outside.”
Meghan Wolf
Secretary
Meghan Wolf is Patagonia's environmental activism manager for North America. She was a part of the NVOBC's founding executive committee.
Louis Bubala
Treasurer
Dan Hooper
Board Member
Carlo Luri
Board Member
Carlo grew up in New York City's urban confines but has always been drawn to the great outdoors. He moved to Nevada in 1996 for a job opportunity but ended up staying for outdoor recreation. When Carlo isn’t outside, you’ll find him managing government affairs for the Bently Heritage Estate Distillery in Minden, Nevada.
Passionate about paddling, skiing, cycling, and climbing, he is a tireless advocate for outdoor recreation. He also sits on the boards of the Carson Valley Trails Association, Alta Alpina Cycling Club, and Visit Carson Valley. He is particularly excited about the nexus between outdoor recreation and economic development and has a vision of Nevada as a sanctuary for people who live the outdoor lifestyle. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Verna Mandez
Board Member
Verna Mandez is a lifelong Nevadan and daughter of a Cuban Immigrant. As an activist and community organizer, Verna has focused her work and studies on the impacts environmental degradation has on communities of color and low-income communities, and how Nevada can be a leader in clean energy and environmental policy.
Verna is currently the Deputy Director of the Nevada Conservation League - a local nonprofit focused on environmental policy both in Nevada and Federally. Before her time at the Nevada Conservation League, Verna Mandez worked for U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, where she assisted with the Energy and Natural resource portfolio and led the Southern Nevada, Transportation, Science, and Technology portfolios.
Before her time at the office of Senator Cortez Masto, Verna worked as a Community Organizer at Battle Born Progress, and Political Assistant for the Bring Back Solar campaign. Her work has centered around various issues including the preservation of public lands, access to renewable energy, and ensuring historically marginalized communities are at the center of environmental policies.
Brina Marcus
Communications
Brina Marcus serves many roles in the outdoors and Nevada business. She is General Manager for Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon, Board of Directors for Lower Colorado Water Trail Alliance, Best Vegas Attractions, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, and the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition.
Brina has always enjoyed the outdoors. She graduated from Southern IL University at Carbondale where she was surrounded by the Shawness National Forest, further growing her love for nature and exploring the outdoors. Brina relocated to Nevada in 2009, after experiencing the Ziplines in Boulder City and finding so much appreciation with the sheer beauty of the Mojave, the spectacular views of Lake Mead, and the wildlife roaming through the desert.
Since starting with Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon in 2009, a conservation-based company that built and operate the aerial trail system in Boulder City, Brina has had the privileged of assisting in the preservation of Bootleg Canyon Park and sharing the beauty of the Mojave with thousands of tourist annually as they visit the Las Vegas area.
Dean DeGidio
Board Advisor
Dean considers himself fortunate to have been the Store Manager for REI in Reno since the store opened in 1999. Since then he's experienced many of the wild places in Nevada.
He's passionate about REI's credo that a life outdoors is a life well-lived and believes that time exploring in nature is a valuable experience for us individually and as a community. Dean believes that the connections area residents make spending time outdoors not only supports a healthy community but it is increasingly understood how this activity helps drives the local economy.
He is proud to work at REI, which is committed to working with the other businesses that are a part of the newly formed Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition to advocate for conservation in service of recreation.
Victoria Cousino
Board Advisor
Victoria grew up in the rural Vermont countryside where the vast wilderness fostered a sense of curiosity and creativity. After moving to New Mexico to attend graduate school she fell in love with the desert southwest and eventually relocated to Las Vegas to pursue a career in architecture.
Victoria takes pleasure in introducing others to the natural and sometimes unexpected beauty and outdoor opportunities that southern Nevada has to offer, and advocates for keeping these spaces open and accessible for all. Victoria’s passions include trail running, mountain biking, and landscape photography.
Big Jim Sage
Board Advisor
Growing up in rural Southern Nevada since 1947, Big Jim's life has evolved around mules, horses, cattle, and the beautiful mountains and deserts he calls home. He was fortunate enough to work on the last ranches from the McCullough’s out of Searchlight to the Howard Hugh’s Warm Springs Ranch that stretched from Gold Butte to the Delamar Range below Pioche. Then for the 1001 and the Geyser Ranch above Mt Wilson along what is now called the Great Basin Hwy.
As a kid, his folks took them to work on the ranches in Red Rock Canyon and he fell in love with its beauty. He came back with his family in 1994 and established Cowboy Trail Rides so others could enjoy and partake of its majesty and beauty from the back of a horse or mule. Cowboy Trail Rides pride themselves in the rugged climbing trails they've built and maintain, that give our guests unspoiled views of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Jim is a member of the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition because he believes we need strong advocacy to help keep lands open for our residents and guests to enjoy and appreciate thru fun and educational activities. Awareness for those given the responsibility to manage and govern this state helps insure continued use for future generations.
Jim is a member and Packing Director for Back Country Horsemen of America, Bristlecone Chapter. They advocate keeping trails open for horses and pack stock by helping build and maintain trails with the use of our pack stock. He is also a member of Friends of Red and Friends of Nevada Wilderness.