Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, this month elected new board officers for the coming year, and added a new member to its 9-person board.
New officers for the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance board over the next year are:
- Todd Frank, owner of the Trailhead in Missoula, Mont. Frank has been Chair of the board for the past year, and will continue in that role through July 1, 2027.
- Ross Harris, co-owner of The Bear Mountain in Waco, Tex., will serve as Vice Chair,. He has been a board member for the last two years, and Treasurer for the last year.
- Mark Anderson, co-owner of Eagle Eye Outfitters in Dothan, Ala., was elected Treasurer. Anderson joined the Grassroots board in 2024.
- Tina Miller, owner of Walkabout Outfitters, which owns six locations across Virginia, was elected Secretary. This will be her second year in that role. She has been a board member for two years.
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance shareholders elected three directors to serve three-year terms on the board during the Annual Meeting at the Grassroots Connect show in June. Those include Miller, who is serving her second term on the board, and April Peterson, owner of River Rock Outfitter in Fredericksburg, Va., who is serving her first full term. In addition, Kevin Leffler, an owner of Appalachian Outfitters in Peninsula, Ohio, joined the board for his first term.
Those board members join existing board members Chris Gerston, owner of Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham, Wash., Charlie Wise, co-owner of the Mountaineer in Keene Valley, N.Y., and Carolyn Crook, owner of Pack Rate Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
The nine-member Grassroots Outdoor Alliance board reflects the geographic and market diversity served by its retailers. Board members contribute significantly to the organization’s mission as a catalyst for the success of independent specialty outdoor retail through advocacy, education, knowledge sharing and community building. Board members can serve two three-year terms consecutively. Officers are elected annually.
“The Grassroots Board of Directors is a diverse cross section of member specialty retailers who all have one thing in common — we all do our best to serve the communities we operate in,” Board Chair Todd Frank said. “We are excited by the work we have done and continue to do for both our retail members and our vendor partners. We are incredibly well-positioned to support both retailers and vendor partners and to work toward creating a more predictable sustainable, transparent and beneficial outdoor industry marketplace.”
About Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a retailer-owned network of 100+ independently owned outdoor retailers and 75+ vendor partners, working together for the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail. Through data collection and analysis, direct member support, specialty events and deep vendor partnerships, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is creating both a vision and roadmap for the long-term success of independent specialty retail. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance also operates Connect, a twice-annual legacy show experience that spans four days, offering an efficient and structured format for retailers to conduct pre-season line showings and business conversations.
