Shannon Stowell ~ President

 “Adventure travel brings a rush of new sights, smells, activities and cultural experiences that shake the scales off everyday life, hint at unknown possibilities, and make me feel really, truly alive.”
~ Shannon Stowell

Shannon’s personal and professional background is well suited for the adventure travel industry. He’s lived in Fiji, trekked Indonesia, Thailand, Burma and China, and has spent time in many places around the world including Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and Canada. Among the diverse adventures he’s enjoyed: summiting Washington State’s Mount Rainier, diving in Mexico, sitting out a riot in Jakarta, being involved in Fijian kava ceremonies, caving in Thailand, and many more. Shannon is an active traveler, trail runner, swimmer, mountaineer, skier and fly-fisher. He brings a special passion to this industry borne of experience and a desire to see others experience the world in a richer way. His 15 years of business acumen, connections, marketing insight, environmental science, vision and passion for adventure travel have prepared him well to serve and lead as the president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association.

Early in his career, with a B.S. in Biology from Seattle Pacific University, Shannon worked as a certified fisheries observer on ships in Alaska for the National Marine Fisheries Service under NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). After a harrowing stint on the Bering Sea, and employment with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, he spent nearly eight years at an environmental testing laboratory initially as a biologist and chemist after which he was promoted into management to develop and spearhead the company’s international vision and Asian presence with the President of North Creek Analytical International (http://www.ncalabs.com/nca-asia.aspx).

With entrepreneurial spirit, Shannon then engaged in the dot-com revolution as a co-founder of Altrec.com, a successful outdoor and adventure travel gear retailer (www.altrec.com). He directed the company’s business development, affiliate marketing and non-profit relations for six years. Despite the ebbs and flows of the dot-com boom and bust, Altrec survived in part because of the partnership building strategy envisioned and executed by Shannon. During his time at Altrec.com, he struck deals with Amazon.com, CBS Sportsline, National Geographic and National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker Magazine, Virtuoso, Nike, Juno.com, Gore-Tex, Outward Bound, O.A.R.S., and Mountain Travel Sobek among many others. He wore many other hats during his tenure at Altrec, overseeing aspects of marketing, public relations, affiliate programs, advertising sales, advertising program development and the development of Altrec’s sister-content site, www.Greatoutdoors.com.

Committed to non-profit endeavors, Shannon served for four years on the Board of the American Hiking Society (www.americanhiking.org). He has also directed several community plays, been the vice-chairman in a community political group and served on the Library Board at his local library. Raised on the Arkansas River in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Shannon today lives with his wife, Shelly, and two children in the Seattle area.

Shannon is also a bibliophile, collecting classic European, American, exploration and mountaineering literature. His favorite books include a Latin Bible from 1546, a first edition of “Americans on Everest” by James Ullman and signed by Jim Whittaker, a signed edition of Sir Edmund Hillary’s book “View from the Summit” and a first edition of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”.

Favorite adventure reads- “West with the Night” by Beryl Markham, “Man Eaters of Kumaon” by Jim Corbett, “Silence” by Shusaku Endo, anything by Jack London, anything by Tim Cahill, “In the Zone” by Peter Potterfield, "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge, and the classic “Caves of Colorado” by Lloyd Parris (who scrambled directions to most of the best caves so no one else could find them, thus creating adventures on top of adventures).

Feel free to contact Shannon at any time to discuss the Adventure Travel industry or the Association.

Chris Doyle ~ Vice President, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) & Editor, AdventureTravelNews™

“My traveling mantra goes something like this: Carry adventure in your soul. Allow your imagination to run wild, always. Let ‘it’ come to you. Keep an open mind and heart. Imbue yourself in and embrace the ways of the peoples and cultures you visit. Empathize. Understand. Learn. Grow. Give back.”
~Chris Doyle

Active in road and mountain trail marathons, Chris Doyle is a long-time enthusiast of adventure travel, with first-hand whitewater rafting, fly-fishing, backpacking, sea kayaking, mountain biking and mountaineering experience on five continents.

Since 2004, Doyle has played a key role in the organization’s strategic direction and development and continues to drive its research, marketing, public relations and communications, and directs the content and execution of ATTA’s annual Adventure Travel World Summit and Webinar programs.

For nearly 20 years, he’s offered an array of strategic public relations and business expertise in the retail, technology, sports and outdoors, adventure travel, fashion, home furnishings and non-profit sectors. He’s managed corporate reputations and developed extensive national awareness campaigns for retailers and manufacturers, supported the launch of six Internet concerns, worked extensively with trade organizations and industry analysts, launched numerous private-label product campaigns and managed consumer affairs crises.

As principal of Doyle Public Relations (2001-2006), he handled media relations for Eagle Creek (www.eaglecreek.com), ExOfficio (www.exofficio.com), Converse (www.converse.com), Gateway (www.gateway.com), Altrec.com, MariSafe.com, American Alpine Club, and numerous others. Doyle also led public relations efforts at Eddie Bauer (www.eddiebauer.com), and handled corporate media and community relations for Recreational Equipment, Inc., (www.rei.com) and its adventure travel business, REI Adventures (www.reiadventures.com). An award-winning public relations professional, Doyle has actively maintained his Public Relations Society of America accreditation (APR) status since 1996.

ATTA Team

Chris Chesak ~ Development Director

“Adventure, naturally, involves some risk. Risk is, inherently, a challenge. And challenge, ultimately, creates exhilaration.”
~Chris Chesak

Chris Chesak has more than 11 years experience forging corporate partnerships and in organizational development. His past partnerships focused on the outdoor industry, bringing apparel, gear, and footwear companies like The North Face, REI, and Gore-Tex together with grassroots partners The American Alpine Club, American Hiking Society, and Winter Wildlands Alliance.

As a boy, Chris always dreamt of leaving his hardscrabble, blue-collar Massachusetts hometown for parts unknown. He dreamt of great adventures, wrote stories about exotic lands, and devoured books about both.

But practicalities (and a lot of hard work) first took him to Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) were he garnered four varsity letters in football, attended the Wesleyan Writer's Workshop and an intensive International Relations semester at The American University in Washington, D.C., and earned a B.A. in English and International Politics.

While his childhood dreams were of other continents, he realized that he first needed to know his own nation. After a year of skimping and saving his paltry salary as a reporter and photographer for a regional newspaper, he took off in a battered VW Golf for two months of solo travel across the U.S., sleeping in state parks, National Parks, youth hostels, and a few times in the Golf itself. In the hostels and on the back roads, he met more Germans, Kiwis, and Aussies than he could count, further inflaming his desire to travel farther, outside his nation's borders.

But work took him to Washington, D.C., and a year long stint at the U.S. Supreme Court, followed by three years working in marketing, conferences and trade shows, and on international subsidiary rights for an environmental book publisher. From there, Chris gravitated to the outdoor industry and began work for the American Hiking Society where he managed the National Trails Day program with such partners as Vasque boots, Thorlos socks, Vibram soles, Backpacker magazine, REI, EMS, and Altrec.com. He also participated in trail-building 'vacations' in Kentucky and California, backpacked through Shenandoah National Park, and attended a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) trip leader course.

His next stop was Golden, Colo., where he ran the development program for the venerable organization The American Alpine Club and achieved triple-digit growth in his programs. With the AAC, Chris retooled their membership development, appeal, and branding programs and built partnerships with The North Face, Gore-Tex, Helly Hansen, and numerous mountaineering guide services. In his spare time, he climbed mixed routes and ice in Rocky Mountain National Park and made a wind-blown winter attempt on Mount Rainier. His national tour then took him to settle in Boise, Idaho, where he became a grant writer and consultant to outdoor associations, most notably Winter Wildlands Alliance.

His most recent adventure was, regrettably, being deployed to Iraq for a year with the Idaho National Guard, but he still managed to have some fun along the way (including writing a blog and 'Letters from Iraq' articles for the Idaho Statesman). He looks forward to someday returning to the city of Kirkuk to explore the ancient ruins, distribute yet more candy and toys to the children, and to see the city through anything but night vision goggles. Currently he spends one weekend a month attending Officer Candidate School.

Chris is an avid climber, skier, backpacker, and writer, having published fictional works in several literary quarterlies and non-fiction in national outdoor publications. He is also a devoted husband to his wife Sally and father to his daughter Lillian.

Jason Reckers ~ Director of Online Strategies

“Adventure, for me, begins with seeing cultures worldwide come together, and, initially, all through the eyes of my laptop. Every day is a new experience filled with the education of new people, cultures, and the power the Internet has in connecting us all. Most importantly, the adventure lies in the future where we just might have the chance one day to meet those on the other side of the globe face-to-face.”
~Jason Reckers

Jason Reckers, President and CEO of PixelMill, has more than 10 years of experience providing web strategy guidance and training to professional services firms, trade associations, business and web consulting companies, and a host of industry sectors. Under his direction, PixelMill has contributed to the development of more than 65,000 web sites. Jason connects daily with diverse customers on topics ranging from web site development and web site marketing strategies to search engine optimization and web site standards. As a strategic partner of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, he provides ATTA with consultation on web site strategies and features, web-based products and services, and manages .travel authentication.

Murray Bartholomew ~ Membership Administration

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
~Helen Keller

Murray has been hard wired for the world of travel and outdoor recreation since childhood. He, along with his family, has explored many parts of the world. He has gained indelible impressions of diverse cultures drawn in part from an extended journey to Indonesia – hearing people worship in a foreign tongue, smelling the scents of tea plantations, and observing vast economic inequities. Spending time in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bali, he realized further that the world’s culture is far broader than he could have imagined. Nothing like a little first-hand experience to awaken the mind.

In college, he leapt at opportunities to leave America’s borders. Though not a Literature Major, he studied South African Literature at its source. During a month’s stay along the southern coast of Africa, he read novels depicting the Apartheid and then saw its lingering effects and an optimistic country in recovery. For his International Business Degree at Seattle Pacific University, he studied for a time at Oxford University in England, and then headed to Barcelona to study at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. In Barcelona, he immersed himself in Spanish culture; he lived with a Spanish family, ate their food, spoke their language, and gradually learned how to fit in well enough to be confused as a Spaniard.

In joining the ATTA, Murray is carrying out his dream to be intimately involved in international business. In 2004, he worked for Agros International, a non-profit organization that empowers indigenous people in Central America through land loans and training. The locals use the new land to cultivate to become self-sustaining, and to establish productive and economically viable communities. He rigorously analyzed the company’s operations in Central America, and then reported to the company’s president how Agros could be more helpful during their frequent service trips and provide the maximum value to the new village and its inhabitants.

Being raised in a family of outdoor enthusiasts, including his father who served as an executive in the outdoor recreation and manufacturing industry, adventure was never far away. Even as young as two months old, Murray, a native of Washington State, could be seen in the mountains. Active in the Scouts, he learned to appreciate hiking. In his teens, he pursued more serious endeavors, including 50 mile hiking trips in the rugged North Cascades. After earning his Eagle Scout, he did what America’s forefathers did, stepped out a little further and went on to explore the “last” American frontier — Alaska. There, Murray boned up on his glacial ice climbing and white water rafting skills throughout the 24/7 summer sun of Denali National Park. He even chose to attend Seattle Pacific University in a large part for its proximity to adventure. After he and his brother got their first set of climbing gear, he started what really should have been his Major; nearly every sunny day (i.e. every non-rainy day in Seattle) he rock climbed at Washington State’s premier locations: Index Town Wall, Peshastin Pinnacles, or Castle Rock.

Murray joined the Adventure Travel Trade Association in August 2005 in support of the Adventure Travel World Summit. After contributing to this event’s success, he has shifted roles and now coordinates the ATTA membership program.

ATTA Associates

Moe Carrick ~ Strategic Partner, Consultant

Moementum (www.moementum.com) Founder and Principal Moe Carrick has woven a cohesive and provocative tapestry of personal leadership experiences, Fortune 100 consulting, academic and institutional learning, keynote addresses, authorship, strategic partnering, and masterful facilitation. Her diverse background, which spans more than two decades, makes Moe an ideal partner for those who possess the power and desire to achieve concrete and lasting change for themselves and their organizations.

Moe grounds her approach in a unifying and undeniable truth: successful work is dependent upon human relationships. Moe believes that people and human relationships can stand between our successes and failures when not managed well. Her work begins and ends at the critical juncture where people and organizations must solve root issues while simultaneously sustaining the motivation to become better.

Counted as one of the nation’s foremost leaders in adventure learning, one of Moe’s on-river forays with senior executives on the nation’s most threatening white-water rapid were recorded in Fast Company’s, “Extreme Off-Site” feature story (1999). Straddling mainstream organizational consulting with best-of-the-best wilderness education as faculty for the National Outdoor Leadership School, Outward Bound, and Project Adventure, Moe’s varied contributions to people and organizations have consistently stimulated positive ripple effects with direct and favorable impact to the bottom line.

Her lifelong adventurous spirit and story-telling prowess coupled with her inspirational, witty, and humorous style, earn Moe rave reviews following keynote addresses, training events, and consulting experiences. Her visionary mind allows her to translate her experiences into engaging and interactive presentations, which both predict and reflect emerging trends.

Moe holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire, an MS in Organizational Development from Antioch University, and numerous relevant certifications.

Christina Heyniger ~ Associate

“Adventure travel has given me something I treasure more than the physical: a sense of purpose, clarity, energy and inspiration.”
~Christina Heyniger

Christina Heyniger has worked as a management consultant in a range of companies and government agencies - from Fortune 500 companies to small start ups - from the White House and the Department of Defense to local municipal commissions. In the adventure travel industry she has worked with adventure travel tour operators and organizations supporting sustainable development and environmentally responsible travel. Her work has helped organizations streamline operating processes to reduce costs, validate and launch new product and market ideas, and reach new market segments.

That’s the professional resume. Ms. Heyniger’s odd job resume includes night shift work at a cannery in Alaska, slicing cheddar and havarti at the Eastern Market cheese stand in Washington, D.C. and working as an au pair for New York political family on Martha’s Vineyard. She lived for 20 years in Anchorage, Alaska, before moving to Washington, DC in 1993. Growing up with a geologist father who often returned home from fishing trips with more rocks than fish, Christina came by her love of mountains and her newest interest, rock climbing, honestly. Her love of trekking, trail running, and whitewater rafting have inspired many excursions, including a hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro and a trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. She’s traveled through Africa, Thailand, Australia and Europe.

Christina also enjoys playing her viola – loud enough to scare her three maine coon cats –teaching pilates, and hosting dinner parties. The decision to focus on working inside her passions brought her to the adventure travel industry and the ATTA.

Christina has a bachelor degree in communication from Cornell University, a master of arts in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University and a master of business administration degree from American University.

Christy Rizzo ~ Associate

"Live as you would die tomorrow, Learn as if you would live forever"
~Gandhi

Christy has lived this philosophy for as long as she can remember, which drives her quest to experience life.  Just as an intense 1/2 ironman was her first approach to triathlons, Christy's step out of the NY publishing world to travel for seven months, beginning Summer 2007, is her "first" true experience with long-haul, adventure travel!  Her passion and discipline to make her dreams come true is not new however and the core of  who she is.

After graduating from Boston College, Christy landed the job she had been coveting since a child- to work for Bon Appetit Magazine.   Realizing her goal of working with food AND business motivated her to seek incorporating her other passion, travel, into a career as well.  Most recently, as an Account Manager for Men's Journal, Christy was able to accomplish this goal.   She thrived on helping tourism boards grow their business and was inspired to become, not just speak about, the "adventurer traveler" she was pitching.  She is therefore ecstatic about her current travels through the US, China, Thailand and New Zealand beginning in July 07 and can't wait to experience the unknown, be embedded in new cultures and landscapes AND learn how to cook from natives in each country!

Christy's motivation for challenge and helping others led her to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society- and organization with whom she has become grossly involved over the past five years.  Through running three marathons, completing two triathlons and racing in numerous other road races, Christy has raised awareness and thousands and thousands of dollars for this important cause.

Christy will also be representing the ATTA as an ambassador on her travels, meeting with tour operators and tourism boards to extend the ATTA’s communication and opportunities wherever she goes.  See a map and blog of her exciting trip at http://www.christyanddion.blogspot.com/

Hong Zhao ~ Associate

"Travel around the world, adventure travel in particular, is a wonderful experience that enriches and creates powerful memories you carry for life"
~Hong Zhao

Hong has been in senior management positions over the past 15 years and has been responsible for international technical and engineering management, business development, and venture operation management for several large US and Canadian companies, including AT&T Wireless and Nortel Networks. In those international management roles, he has traveled the world, from Asia to Europe, from North America to Central America. Travel has been an integral part of his business life. In his most recent duty at AT&T Wireless where he served as a senior director of engineering and a senior director of business development, he led his engineering team and implementation team developed and deployed cellular networks in the whole Caribbean region from Bermuda to Curacao, from Cayman to Barbados, explored the mountains and jungles (using machetes from time to time to create paths) for cellsite location selection. He has accumulated rich experiences in government relations, business development and operation management, which he brought in with him to the ATTA. Born and raised in Beijing, Hong speaks Mandarin and English fluently.

Hong's rich international business experience, bi-lingual capabilities and knowledge of technology and travel make him an ideal team member as the ATTA works with many international governments, NGOs and companies.

When he is at home in the beautiful emerald city of Washington, he enjoys hiking, camping and biking with the family and friends. Hong received his PhD degree in electrical and computer engineering from University of Victoria, British Columbia in 1993 and owns many US patents.

Paige Schneider ~ Associate

Paige P. Schneider is a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University. She holds an M.A. in Recreation and Tourism from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. Paige’s research has focused on marketing, communication, and consumer behavior related to tourism, with a special interest in adventure tourism. She believes adventure travel offers experiences that promote cultural understanding, fulfill personal dreams, and encourage environmental sustainability.

Paige has 15 years of experience as a travel consultant and manager of a Virtuoso member agency in Perrysburg, Ohio. She is a Certified Travel Consultant (CTC), an Adventure Travel Specialist (ATS), and has completed four Destination Specialist (DS) certificates during her career. Viewing travel as “a life-changing experience,” Paige has been passionate about adventure since her first adventure in the San Juan Island of Washington State. Since then she has actively participated in adventure travel, hiking, biking, and kayaking throughout the world. Her latest favorite places include the beautiful islands of Croatia and the breathtaking Pacific Lowlands of Nicaragua.

Paige is an active member in The Travel Institute (formerly ICTA), the Communication Majors Association (CMA) at Michigan State University, and the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), at whose June 2006 conference in Dublin she won Best Illustrated Paper Presentation.

Paige also volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northwest Ohio and, since 2004, has been a research associate with the Adventure Travel Trade Association and a member of the advisory council for the startup of Green Travel Magazine, which is to launch in 2007.

Mollie Petersen ~ Associate

“I like to think of adventure travel as being the essence of putting yourself out on a limb, literally and figuratively. Despite the questionable position you find yourself in, it seems to be the place where the most inspiring answers occur.”
~Mollie Petersen

For Mollie Petersen, growing up in Northern Nevada meant that camping, fishing, hiking and exploring the backroads was a way of life. Mollie has logged hundreds of thousands of miles exploring the open roads of the American West. Despite all of the road trips, though, it was Mollie’s first passport stamp that opened her eyes and heart to the wonders of adventruous travel.

After graduating college, Mollie obtained a student visa and moved to live and work in the heart of London. Professionally, she kicked off her career with one of the city’s top advertising agencies where she helped with an international advertising campaign. Travel-wise, she took full advantage of London as a travel hub and explored much of Europe and also ventured to Egypt to explore the great cities of the Nile.

In moving back stateside, Mollie kept on in the marketing realm when she joined a public relations agency in Seattle. She has garnered hundreds of millions of media impressions for her clients, working on everything from event planning and publicity to new product launches.

In travel, Mollie’s eyes are perpetually set on the horizon of the globe and eager to explore what is next. Since returning from her stint in London, Mollie has fed her hunger for adventure by scuba diving in Mexico and embarking on a nature expedition to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Outside travel, Mollie is captivated by yoga and recently spent a week in the jungles of Costa Rica for a yoga immersion.

Mollie graduated with a BA in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied public relations and advertising. She also worked at UNR’s Department of Recreation & Wellness, marking the first time she was romanced by the adventures of white water rafting, kayaking, and diving.

Advisory Board

The ATTA would like to thank the following individuals for their participation with our Advisory Board. Follow the link to learn more about these incredible people....

Richard Bangs, adventurer, entrepreneur, author, producer and director

Francis X. Farrell Publisher, National Geographic Adventure Magazine

Urs Eberhard Executive VP Markets & MICE, Switzerland Tourism

Nicky Fitzgerald Sales & Marketing Director, CC Africa

Rick Hemmerling Vice President Business Development – Buzz Off Insect Shield LLC

John Hogan Director – Qatar Airways

Kurt Kutay Founding Director and President of Wildland Adventures, Inc. and non-profit Travelers Conservation Trust

Perry Lungmus Director of Marketing, Cruise West

Thornton May Contributing Futurist - World Bank

Helen Nodland Traveler - Founder, Nodland Travel Enterprises

Everett Potter Author, Journalist

Gustavo Timo co-founder of ABETA (Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade Association)

Steve Trautman Principal, Solution Strategies; former Expedia manager

Russell Walters President, Northern Outdoors; former GM of O.A.R.S.

ATTA Advisory Board – Emeritus Members

Megan McCormick TV Show host for Globetrekkers

John Poimiroo Principal, Poimiroo & Partners; former Director of Tourism, California

Ed Viesturs Adventurer, Author and America’s Leading High-Altitude Mountaineer

Adventure.travel
Our consumer guide to finding high quality, trusted Adventure Travel tour operators from around the globe. A key benefit of ATTA Membership. Join today to be added to Adventure.travel. 

ATTA Press Center
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