OWAA names Robin Giner as Interim Executive Director

CONTACT: OWAA Headquarters, 406-728-7434, www.owaa.org.
MISSOULA, Mont. (May 1, 2010) — Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) today announced that Robin Giner has been promoted to interim Executive Director. She will manage and direct the day-to-day affairs of a professional organization of approximately 1,200 outdoor communicators and implement the policies established by its board of directors.
“I’m really excited to have Robin Giner as our interim Executive Director. Robin has been an excellent and valuable employee for OWAA and will now have the opportunity to grow her professional career with OWAA,” said OWAA President John Beath.
“As an added bonus, Robin has grant writing experience and some great ideas to promote the growth of the organization,” he said.
Most recently, Giner has served for the past three years as OWAA’s Director of Membership and Conference Services. After working as OWAA’s executive assistant in 2000-01, Robin Giner re-joined OWAA’s staff in May 2007, after returning to Missoula from Chicago, where she worked for the Urban Libraries Council, a nonprofit membership-driven organization similar to OWAA. There she honed her skills in membership, programming, development, board governance and conference planning.
“I’m excited about the transition into my new role with OWAA, and the opportunity to better serve our membership,” Giner said.
“I’m developing a list of goals I’d like to accomplish in the coming months, including working on ways to increase our membership numbers, implementing outreach to journalism schools to entice more students to join OWAA and foster the next generation of outdoor communicators, seeking partnerships with writing and literary arts groups to better spread the mission of OWAA, and enhance our budget by seeking grants to help fund outreach and education projects,” she said.
In her new role as executive director, Giner will work toward achieving the OWAA strategic plan and mission by developing strong, positive working relationships with members, volunteers, the board, other association leaders and professionals and vendors. She will support and assist members, and serve as a liaison among elected leaders, committees, and others.
Giner will replace Kevin Rhoades, who served OWAA for 11 years, first as Editor and subsequently as Executive Director. Congratulations to Robin, and a great big Thank You to Kevin, whom we’ll miss.
The 1,200-member Outdoor Writers Association of America is the oldest and largest association of professional outdoor communicators in the United States. It was organized in 1927 by members of the Izaak Walton League of America and includes professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. OWAA’s professionals include writers, photographers, outdoors radio- and television show hosts, book authors, videographers, lecturers and artists. The association is headquartered in Missoula, Mont.
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