Outdoor Recreation
From the invention of windshield wipers to the Saturn V rocket that put man on the moon, Alabama is rooted in innovation. Innovate Alabama is harnessing this ingenuity to prepare the state for the economy of the future. For the past several years, public and private leaders have come together to advance innovation and technology through public policy, focusing on talent recruitment and retention, economic development and entrepreneurship.
To foster a robust, inclusive economy and drive Alabama forward, Innovate Alabama joined forces with Alabama native Condoleezza Rice and Stanford University’s Hoover Institution to conduct extensive research to help us grow smart. A primary takeaway from this research was the opportunity to leverage Alabama’s natural resources to help innovators grow roots here, thus the Innovate Alabama Council on Outdoor Recreation was formed.
Council on Outdoor Recreation
Expand Alabama’s outdoor recreation industry
Enhance the state’s attractiveness for a skilled workforce
Yield substantial returns for both rural and urban communities
The Council on Outdoor Recreation and its advisory roundtable seek to expand, promote and protect Alabama’s outdoor recreational assets for the enjoyment of current and future Alabamians. The council will also provide recommendations for the utilization of those assets as innovative economic development tools.
Council on Outdoor Recreation 2023 Recommendations
1. Build a comprehensive, regularly updated inventory of all Alabama outdoor recreation assets.
2. Create a website that’s a central hub for all outdoor recreation assets in Alabama.
3. Develop a comprehensive, long-term outdoor recreation asset branding, marketing and advertising plan for the state of Alabama.
4. Engage with state government agencies to improve and streamline the process for obtaining existing outdoor recreation funds.
5. Establish a permanent Council on Outdoor Recreation within Innovate Alabama.
6. Hire staff and establish programs within Innovate Alabama that are focused on and dedicated to promoting outdoor recreation.
7. Identify ways to cooperate with other states, cities and organizations to boost awareness about our Alabama outdoor recreation assets.
8. Organize and host an annual Alabama outdoor recreation summit/conference.
9. Develop a comprehensive, competitive analysis of what other similar states are doing well and a plan for replicating or improving upon their successes in utilizing outdoor recreation assets to retain and attract talent.
10. Leverage existing studies to guide planning and implementation efforts.
11. Bolster economic development recruitment efforts by ensuring that economic development partners have marketing assets to use in touting Alabama’s outdoor recreation resources in their pitches to both in-state and out-of-state businesses and entrepreneurs.
12. Identify large, high-profile, high-impact development opportunities, and actively recruit developers for those specific projects, possibly offering tailored economic incentives or tax credits.
13. Advocate for long-term, dedicated, sustainable funding in-state budgets for maintaining, enhancing and coordinating the promotion of outdoor recreation assets.
Council Leadership
Commissioner Chris Blankenship
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Council Chair)
Bill Poole
Chair, Innovate Alabama Board of Directors
Peter Inge
Private Sector Representative, CFO, NXTsoft
Darrell Ezell
Private Sector Representative, Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion, HudsonAlpha
Outdoor Recreation Advisory Roundtable
Recommend how to expand, promote and protect Alabama’s outdoor recreational assets
Identify creative ways to utilize Alabama’s outdoor recreational assets to enhance Alabamians’ quality of life
Organize outdoor recreational assets into sectors and provide strategies to achieve the goals of the Council on Outdoor Recreation
Advisory Roundtable Members
Amy Rauworth
Chief of Development and Strategic Partnerships
Sen. Andrew Jones
District 10
Chris Oberholster
Development Director
Emile Hughes
Co-Founder
Fred Couch Jr.
Alabama Scenic River Trails
Founder
Graham Sisson
Chairman
Mayor Jack Tibbs
John Kvach
Executive Director
Kellie Clark
CEO
Kruis Retherford
President
Rep. Kyle South
District 16
Michael Norman
Store Manager
Phillip West
Coastal Resources Manager
Preston Cauthen
Community Relations Manager
Rick Oates
State Forester
Rusha Smith
Executive Director
Themika Sims
Director
Tim Wood
General Manager
Tim Lindblom
Dean
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