Oregon Outdoor Alliance Partners with Guidepost Mentorship to Provide Career Development to Oregon’s Outdoor Industry Professionals

October 3, 2023

/OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA), the state’s outdoor business alliance, is proud to announce its partnership with Guidepost Mentorship, providing cross-company mentorship and career development programs for outdoor and active lifestyle industry professionals across Oregon.

“Since 2014, OOA has been working to bring together outdoor industry professionals to help them connect and learn from each other. We’re thrilled to announce this new partnership with Guidepost Mentorship as a way of adding value to OOA members while connecting early-to-mid career professionals in our industry with experienced leaders,” said Susan Strible, President of OOA. “This partnership is a game-changer for growth-minded professionals in our industry and for Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy.”

“Guidepost’s mission is to help organizations grow their people through easy, equitable access to mentorship. This new partnership with OOA is incredibly exciting because it allows us to do that for OOA members in the Pacific Northwest,” said Kristen Freaney, founder of Guidepost Mentorship and Path to Peak Education + Consulting. “Mentorship is such a powerful tool for employee growth and development. Research shows that it drives employee retention, skill development, and sense of belonging, but it can be cumbersome for organizations to stand up their own programs. Guidepost alleviates these challenges by providing streamlined administration, while providing industry professionals with broader connections and all the known benefits of mentorship.”

With the Outdoor Recreation Economy providing over 73,000 jobs across the state and generating more than $6.5 Billion for Oregon’s economy, OOA exists to support the continued growth and success of the state’s outdoor businesses and its workforce. This new partnership makes Guidepost a preferred workforce and professional development provider for OOA, providing exclusive discounts on Guidepost programs and services to OOA members and companies, and appoints Guidepost founder, Kristen Freaney as a strategic advisor to OOA on workforce development and education.

“Over the course of my 25+ year career in outdoor recreation, I’ve found that working with a mentor accelerated learning, expanded opportunities, and provided continued guidance as I progressed in my career,” said Matt Troskey, Guidepost Mentor and Director of Human Resources at Overwatch Imaging in Hood River, OR. “I’ve also found that being a mentor is equally beneficial. Everybody has something to teach and learn; the relationship flourishes when it has reciprocity.”

Oregon Outdoor Alliance

Oregon Outdoor Alliance was formed in 2014 by a small group of outdoor industry leaders who wanted to support and grow the outdoor industry in Oregon. Our mission is to unify and inspire the outdoor community, support our members through events, resources and advocacy, and champion a vibrant and growing outdoor industry in Oregon.

Guidepost Mentorship

At Guidepost, we help purpose-driven organizations grow their people through easy, equitable access to mentorship. We do this through our turnkey, cross-company programs, custom cohort design, and programmatic consulting to help companies of all shapes and sizes access, build, and optimize mentoring opportunities for their people.