Photo Credit: Kate Thorpe (on the land of the Shoshone-Bannock and other nations)

We’re excited to introduce you to the newest member of our team: Kate Thorpe! Kate (she/her/hers) joins Winter Wildlands Alliance as our newest Membership Director. She will lead and manage WWA’s membership and outreach program – helping you and people like you connect to, engage in, and support our work!

Kate grew up in New England where she learned to ski, snowshoe, and find joy in shoveling snow. She moved to Idaho in 2011 to pursue a masters degree at Boise State – mainly a good excuse to explore and recreate in the Northwest. During her first winter in Idaho, Kate volunteered with WWA’s SnowSchool program, seeking to introduce kids to winter and get outside more herself.

“The backcountry and the experiences that it provides are unlike any other. Whether you’re snowshoeing through the forest, skinning up your favorite track, or skiing corn – the feeling of being wild and free in the backcountry in the midst of winter frees the soul. WWA is the national voice of the winter human-powered recreation community. I’m excited to join the team at Winter Wildlands Alliance and to work with you, our members, to protect that experience and the special places that make it possible. I look forward to meeting our current members and growing our membership base. Together, we can protect the places we love!” – Kate

Prior to joining WWA, Kate worked for 8.5 years as the Deputy Director at Conservation Voters for Idaho. She has worked for the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State, the Idaho Conservation League, the Idaho Nonprofit Center, the New York State Department of Environment Conservation, Environment Connecticut, and served on the board of the Snake River Alliance. She holds a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in environmental and natural resource policy from Boise State University.

When Kate’s not working to protect our public lands and connecting with our members, she can be found kayaking one of Idaho’s world class rivers, mountain biking in the Boise foothills, skiing or snowshoeing in the backcountry, or roving around with her partner Tj and their dogs, Burleigh and Riley.

Join us in welcoming Kate to the Alliance community by sending her an email and letting her know why you’re a member and where your favorite backcountry area is: kthorpe@winterwildlands.org.