PAST & FUTURE OWAA CONFERENCES

If your destination is interested in learning more about what it takes to host an OWAA conference and use our membership of outdoor media to put a real, national spotlight on all your outdoor adventures, please check out our conference RFP.

OWAA conferences offer our members (and sometimes non-members) access to professional development content to help improve their craft, stay up to date on the latest and greatest achievements in the outdoors and outdoors industries and attain new story ideas.

YEAR PRESIDENT ANNUAL MEETING
1927 Morris Ackerman Chicago, Illinois
1928 Morris Ackerman Cleveland, Ohio
1929 Morris Ackerman Chicago, Illinois
1930 Bob Becker Chicago, Illinois
1931 Bob Becker Chicago, Illinois
1932 Cal Johnson Chicago, Illinois
1933 No Record No Record
1934 Cal Johnson No Record
1935 Cal Johnson possibly Washington, D.C.
1936-37 George Greenfield Washington, D.C.
1937-38 Cal Johnson St. Louis, Missouri
1938-39 Jack Van Coevering Baltimore, Maryland
1939-40 John Mock Detroit, Michigan
1940-41 Dave Roberts Washington, D.C.
1941-42 J. Hammond Brown Memphis, Tennessee
1942-43 J. Hammond Brown Toronto, Ontario
1943-44 J. Hammond Brown Chicago, Illinois
1944-45 J. Hammond Brown Columbus, Ohio
1945-46 J. Hammond Brown (Cancelled)
1946-47 Col. Lewis B. Rock Chattanooga, Tennessee
1947-48 J. Hammond Brown St. Petersburg, Florida
1948-49 J. Hammond Brown Rochester, New York
1949-50 J. Hammond Brown North Bay, Ontario
1950-51 J. Hammond Brown Moosehead Lake, Maine
1951-52 J. Hammond Brown Escanaba, Michigan
1952-53 J. Hammond Brown Miami, Florida
1953-54 J. Hammond Brown Missoula, Montana
1954-55 J. Hammond Brown Rolla, Missouri
1955-56 J. Hammond Brown Rangeley Lake, Maine
1956-57 Louis A. Klewer State College, Pennsylvania
1957-58 J. Murray Crowder Aberdeen, Washington
1958-59 Ries Tuttle Key Colony, Florida
1959-60 Joe Mears Hot Springs, Arkansas
1960-61 Evan W. Means Lake Texoma, Oklahoma
1961-62 Ed Keenan Jackson Lake, Wyoming
1962-63 Grits Gresham Sarasota, Florida
1963-64 Roger Latham Erie, Pennsylvania
1964-65 Bob Steber McAllen, Texas
1965-66 John Gartner Glenwood Springs, Colorado
1966-67 John Gartner Port St. Lucie, Florida
1967-68 Homer Circle Waskesiu, Saskatchewan
1968-69 Hurley Campbell Callaway Gardens, Georgia
1969-70 Howard Gray Duluth, Minnesota
1970-71 Bill Clede Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
1971-72 Bodie McDowell Pensacola, Florida
1972-73 E.L. “Buck” Rogers Mazatlan, Mexico
1973-74 Charles L. Cadieux Grand Rapids, Minnesota
1974-75 Bill Potter Quebec City, Quebec
1975-76 Henry S. Reynolds Lake Charles, Louisiana
1976-77 F. Wallace Taber Snowmass, Colorado
1977-78 Mark J. Sosin Macon, Georgia
1978-79 R.P. ‘Pete’ Czura Virginia Beach, Virginia
1979-80 Dan Saults Albuquerque, New Mexico
1980-81 Tom Opre Rapid City, South Dakota
1981-82 Sheila K. Link Louisville, Kentucky
1982-83 Bob Dennie Spokane, Washington
1983-84 Ed Park Wichita, Kansas
1984-85 Norman M. Strung Traverse City, Michigan
1985-86 George H. Harrison* Phoenix, Arizona
1986-87 Howard A. Bach Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
1987-88 Thayne Smith Kalispell, Montana
1988-89 C. Boyd Pfeiffer Marco Island, Florida
1989-90 Joel M. Vance Des Moines, Iowa
1990-91 William R Hilts Sr. Salt Lake City, Utah
1991-92 Lonnie L. Williamson Niagara Falls, New York
1992-93 Tom Huggler* Bismarck, North Dakota
1993-94 Michael Levy Portland, Oregon
1994-95 Glenn L. Sapir* Orono, Maine
1995-96 Mark A. LaBarbera* Chattanooga, Tennessee
1996-97 Judd Cooney* Duluth, Minnesota
1997-98 Betty Lou Fegely Haines City, Florida
1998-99 Tom Wharton* Redding, California
1999-00 Jim Casada Sioux Falls, South Dakota
2000-01 Cliff Shelby Greensboro, North Carolina
2001-02 Bill Monroe* St. George, Utah
2002-03 Laurie Lee Dovey Charleston, West Virginia
2003-04 Ted Upgren* Columbia, Missouri
2004-05 Marty Malin Spokane, Washington
2005-06 Spencer Turner Madison, Wisconsin
2006-07 Jim Low* Lake Charles, Louisiana
2007-08 Rich Patterson* Roanoke, Virginia
2008-09 Phil Bloom* Bismarck, North Dakota
2009-10 John Beath* Grand Rapids, Michigan
2010-11 Tony Dolle* Rochester, Minnesota
2011-12 Mike Walker Salt Lake City, Utah
2012-13 Mark Taylor* Fairbanks, Alaska
2013-14 Bill Graham* Lake Placid, New York
2014-15 Mark Freeman* McAllen, Texas
2015-16 Lisa (Densmore) Ballard* Knoxville, Tennessee
2016-17 Brett Prettyman* Billings, Montana
2017-18 Phil Bloom* Duluth, Minnesota
2018-19 Paul Queneau* Fort Wayne, Indiana
2019-20 Tim Mead Little Rock, Arkansas
2020-21 Pat Wray* Virtual (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2021-22 Christine Peterson* Jay Peak, Vermont
2022-23 Katie McKalip Casper, Wyoming
2023-24 Ken Keffer Gulf Shores, Alabama
2024-25 Amy Kapp TBD

* Current member, Past Presidents Council (which is comprised of all living past presidents who are OWAA members)

OWAA Conferences and Events

OWAA conferences and events include:

  • An annual, in-person conference (generally in the June/July time frame)
  • A series of webinars throughout the year on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 P.M. Eastern (followed by a casual social hour for those that would like to stay on to chat and network)
  • A series of ‘WOW’ (Women Outdoor Writers) virtual gatherings on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 P.M. Eastern
  • As needs dictate, there are occasional virtual conferences as well

Non-members that attend OWAA conferences and events and then decide to join OWAA later can have the registration fee for the event attended subtracted from the price of their annual dues.

A hiker pauses atop Jay Peak in Vermont. Photo by Paul Queneau.
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