Like the hiking and paddling enthusiasts that it seeks to serve, the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry found that it had to look only into its backyard to find what it was looking for in terms of leadership.
Following a two-month search, the Colorado Office of Economic Developmentand International Trade named acting director Nathan Fey to serve as just the second full-time director of the office, succeeding Luis Benitez, who left after four years in March to become vice president of government affairs and global impact for VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC), the Fortune 250 company whose headquarters he helped attract to this state.
Fey joined the outdoor recreation office in February as deputy director, taking over almost immediately for Benitez.
Fey has spent 20 years in the outdoor-recreation arena, working in positions such as the regional director for the Colorado River Stewardship Program at American Whitewater, a public-policy adviser for Denver-based marketing and policy firm Berbur and a kayaking instructor.
OEDIT executive director Betsy Markey said it became apparent quickly that Fey’s experience and vision put him in position to continue the progress in growing the outdoor recreation industry in Colorado after the Centennial State became just the second state to open such an office.
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