ATCF Board of Directors Candidates
As a voting member of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, your company may vote to add two (2) new member-elected seats to our Board of Directors, with terms to begin on January 1, 2024. Please review the brief bios below of the following candidates who have been nominated to fill these positions:
Deirdre Campbell
Once you have reviewed the information, please complete and submit your ballot by November 24, 2023. Please note that each ATCF member company may submit only one ballot.
The ATCF strives to represent the needs of the adventure travel and outdoor industry as much as possible. We hope that the candidates presented on the ballot and elected to the Board of Directors, will help to represent your priorities as they relate to ATCF’s strategic direction our conservation goals.
Judy carvalhal, enchanted expeditions
Judy Carvalhal is the founder and CEO of Enchanted Expeditions, a company that helped to pioneer the modern tourist industry in the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. With deeply set international roots, Judy brings a unique global perspective to the travel business. She grew up in Guyana and French Guiana, and was educated at Canada’s prestigious Queen’s University before travelling to South America to become one of the first female parks naturalists in Galapagos. Her love for travel and nature is driven by her curiosity about the culture, eco-system and wildlife of the places she visit. This passion fuels Judy as an entrepreneur, conservationist and an expert in her field. She tries to ensure that her guests’ experiences include learning about the importance of conservation and local customs and cultures. Judy believes without tourism, there is no conservation of the land and the people.
Ted martens, natural habitat adventures
Ted Martens is the Vice President of Marketing & Sustainability at Natural Habitat Adventures, a nature and wildlife tour operator based in Boulder, Colorado. Ted began his career in the tourism industry as a researcher and instructor at Arizona State University’s Tourism Development and Management program, where his work focused on ecotourism development in Central America. Trading the Arizona desert for the mountains of Colorado, Ted became the Director of Outreach and Development for Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit focused on bringing sustainability solutions to the tourism industry. Today, Ted’s focus is on the intersection of conservation and marketing, pushing Nat Hab to further its leadership in sustainable travel while overseeing a broad spectrum of traditional and digital marketing programs. In his free time, Ted can be found playing music or exploring the slopes and trails of Colorado’s backcountry.
amit Sankhala, encounters asia
Amit Sankhala has pledged to continue the legacy of the Sankhala family by carrying forward the mission of nature conservation and wildlife tourism. As the Managing Director of Encounters Asia., Tiger Resorts Pvt. Ltd and Jamtara Wilderness Camp, Amit has vast knowledge and boundless enthusiasm in the field of tourism which enables him to succeed in his profession. He has had the privilege of experiencing first-hand Rudyard Kipling’s version of the Jungle Book, growing up seeing the National Parks of India as it should be and knowing the importance of its flora and fauna. He has also been involved with various innovative projects, such as Tiger Nation, which has created one of biggest databases of Tigers in India.
gordon seabury, toad&co
As an outdoor industry leader for the last 22 years, Gordon has committed his career to building brands that practice a triple bottom line (people, planet and profit) approach to business. After a four year stint as a management consultant at Deloitte, Gordon purchased Toad&Co (formerly Horny Toad Activewear), a small start-up outdoor apparel brand based in Telluride, CO. Now headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, he remains the CEO and Toad&Co designs responsible outdoor lifestyle clothing that seamlessly transitions from trail to tavern. He also co-founded Planet Access 20 years ago, a social enterprise committed to providing life skills, vocational training and outdoor experiences for people with disabilities. Gordon spent 17 years on the Outdoor Industry Association Board most recently as its Chairman. He formerly served on the Board of the not-for-profit Heal the Bay in Santa Monica and as a Director for RootsRated.com, a tech start-up in the outdoor lifestyle space. He is currently on the Advisory Boards of Alante Capital and Limeloop and sits on the Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council at the Bren School at UCSB. He also serves as a mentor for Telluride Venture Accelerator and several early stage sustainable start-ups.