Welcome Our Two Newest ATCF Board of Directors
We are so pleased to welcome two new members to the ATCF board.
Gordon Seabury and Chris Noble both come to the ATCF bringing ample experience and a readiness for joining our active board as we continue to move the dial on conservation for adventure travel destinations. With terms beginning in January 2020, adding these two individuals brings the board of directors to fourteen members. We could not be more excited!
A little more about these two men so that you can get a better sense of who they are and why they accepted their nominations (as well as receiving sufficient votes by ATCF members) for joining this board of directors:
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.
How do you feel that your history best prepares you for service on the ATCF Board?
I have been involved in the outdoor industry for 23 years as CEO of Toad&Co (formerly Horny Toad), a responsible outdoor and travel lifestyle apparel brand. During that time, I have also served on several Boards including the Outdoor Industry Association Board for 15 years (Chairman from 2015-2017). I currently work with several early stage entrepreneurs as adviser and mentor and on the Advisory Council of the Eco-Entrepreneurial program at the Bren Graduate School at UCSB. Toad&Co has been active members of the Conservation Alliance for over a decade along with many other environmental and socially responsible organizations in the industry and the communities we serve.
Describe prior experience you have working with nonprofits and conservation groups?
I have been involved as a Board member or adviser for several not-for-profits including the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Planet Access & Search for Adventure (a social venture co-founded between T&Co and an organization providing vocational training, housing and life experiences for people with disabilities), Heal the Bay and the Bren Graduate School. I have also personally been active in Toad&Co's support and Board participation of the Conservation Alliance although not personally as a Board member.
Outline the specific skills you bring or contributions you hope to make to the ATCF Board.
Financial and strategic organization planning.
Start-up/early stage organizational experience and advice.
Building stronger relationships and network between the Outdoor and Adventure Travel industries.
Contribute to the future vision, scale and scope of the ATCF.
Leverage my OIA Board experience over the past 15 years to support ATTA/ATCF organizational evolution through growth and success.
Why do you seek a position on the ATCF Board of Directors?
Through my work and personal global travel, I have a deep appreciation for the impact adventure travel experiences can have on individuals and importance of preserving those experiences for future generations. I have been impressed since the launch of the ATCF at the Alaska ATTA Summit with the vision and momentum built to-date. I believe we are at a unique moment when the powers of the ATTA and OIA communities can work more collaboratively together to further their collective influence both in the activities and experiences they promote and the responsible conservation and sustainability ethos they share. I hope to contribute to building that collaboration and the corresponding momentum it can create.
Describe any experience with sustainable tourism.
Through our Toad&Co partnerships in the ATTA and our commitment to support sustainable living methods and business practices, we have provided education and eco-travel opportunities to our responsible consumer audience.
Describe any experience working in fundraising and development.
While there were some limited fundraising elements of the OIA Board, my most specific fundraising experience came from my Board role at Heal the Bay as it was the prime purpose of the position.
Describe any experience working with indigenous/community groups.
I do not have any personal experience working with indigenous groups.
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CHRIS NOBLE, WORLD NOMADS
Chris Noble is the GM of WorldNomads.com. A travel insurance brand that provides cover to residents of over 130 countries around the world. With over 20 years’ experience in strategic marketing, brand building, strategic alliance development, poorly crafted jokes and online community development, Chris is also the co-founder of The Footprints Network. The Footprints Network is an alliance of e-commerce travel companies funding global community development projects through micro-donations. So far they have funded over 217 community projects around the world from over 2 millions donations, harnessing the power of travelers to change lives. If he hadn’t escaped into the unknown in his youth, met people from all corners of the globe, continued to understand the world he lives in and worked hard with members of the adventure travel community to make a positive impact… he’d probably have been a Vegas dancer. We think he made the right call for all of us.
How do you feel that your history best prepares you for service on the ATCF Board?
I have been the General Manager of WorldNomads.com, an adventure travel insurance and travel services provider for the past 10 years (15 years in total). We have also been an ATTA member for over 10 years. We have been at the forefront of digital and content marketing, having worked with over 25 ATTA member organizations across a multitude of programs and campaigns aimed at growing awareness and participation in adventure travel. This has lead to not only developing a highly profitable international business underpinned by a substantial community (over 1.5 million travelers) but more importantly done so through harnessing partnerships with likeminded adventure organizations. Those that want to leave a positive impact and create sustainable programs that support people, communities and our planet. That's what inspires me and working within the ATCF to that goal would be an honor.
Describe prior experience you have working with nonprofits and conservation groups?
In 2005 after the Asian Tsunami, we developed The Footprints Network. Footprints is an organisation dedicated to fundraising through micro-donations technology. We do not implement projects itself but partner with specialist charities and NGO’s. The Footprints Network fund projects that broadly align to one or more United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in effort to help end poverty and shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path by 2030. We believe that people will have come across many of these issues as they travel around the world and have a moral obligation to give a little back to do something about them. So far we have raised over $4.5 million dollars, from over 1.7 million travelers that have funded and completed 217 development projects worldwide. It's not the money we are proud of, it's that we've been able to tap into the hearts and wallets of over 1.7 million travelers that care as much as we do.
Outline the specific skills you bring or contributions you hope to make to the ATCF Board.
As above. I believe my strong marketing, leadership, partnership building skills combined with my passion for supporting the development of sustainable tourism programs makes me a strong candidate to join the team.
Why do you seek a position on the ATCF Board of Directors?
I believe through my experience with both WorldNomads.com and The Footprints Network that I can bring both the skills, passion and a different perspective on how to grow the impact of the work ATCF does. I am incredibly passionate about how to engage not just member organisations, but also travellers in general in ensuring that the work that the ATCF undertakes can have an impact beyond just the organisation membership. I want to help understand and create opportunities for all travellers to become both educated and ultimately advocates for sustainable tourism worldwide.
Describe any experience with sustainable tourism.
As above, we are working through Footprints to fund more projects based around sustainable tourism (such as - https://www.footprintsnetwork.org/project/214/Empower-Farmers-for-Sustainable-Tourism-in-South-India.aspx). We are also working on a 'Full Stack' approach to funding sustainable tourism with a number of ATTA members and have been a secondary funding partner for ATCF since its inception.
Describe any experience working in fundraising and development.
As above - lots! :)
Describe any experience working with indigenous/community groups.
Through The Footprints Network we have funded organizations that work primarily with local and indigenous community groups. This has been core to Footprints and the SDGs have provided that framework to enable our funding to reach those communities most in need. To see this in action, go to - https://www.footprintsnetwork.org/fundedprojects.aspx