About Us | Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy | OSU

The Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy is delivering a new kind of workforce development to meet the unique needs of the vast, extremely entrepreneurial, and rapidly growing outdoor recreation industry.

As a partnership of OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement, the College of Forestry, and OSU-Cascades, the Center is fueled by both the resources of an R1 research university and deep ties with policy makers and industry leaders across the country.

Our work

Research: We are connecting industry and higher education to undertake research aimed at understanding outdoor recreation workforce needs.
Program development: We are uniting industry expertise, academic rigor, and innovative instructional design to deliver engaging and relevant training for every point along the learner’s career journey.
Industry engagement: We are partnering with industry stakeholders to identify and respond to workforce training, leadership development and research needs.
Higher education outreach: We are spearheading the creation of a national consortium designed to support and coordinate industry-responsive research & development at universities and colleges nationwide.

RELEVANT, ALWAYS

Everything we do is grounded in the practical needs of our industry partners and the learners we serve. We look for gaps to fill, weak links to strengthen and opportunities to identify and deliver the skills and applied knowledge needed to move the industry forward.

BUILD FOR TOMORROW

The Outdoor Recreation Industry is changing fast. It’s becoming more dynamic, technologically advanced and customer-centric. So we build change into everything we do: embracing innovation and experimentation, and equipping learners to thrive for years to come.

MAKE THE TENT BIGGER

The outdoors are for everyone, so we seek out opportunities to make the industry more welcoming to all people, especially members of underrepresented populations.We do the work to ensure that the pipelines and pathways we support result in a more diverse and equitable workforce.

REMEMBER WHY WE'RE HERE

The Outdoor Recreation Industry is uniquely entrepreneurial, with thousands of independent businesses serving the market in distinct ways that reflect the character of their communities. We connect the dots. Providing thought leadership and a core curriculum to make the industry as a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

BE THE CONNECTOR

The Outdoor Recreation Industry is uniquely entrepreneurial, with thousands of independent businesses serving the market in distinct ways that reflect the character of their communities. We connect the dots. Providing thought leadership and a core curriculum to make the industry as a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

SEE OUR VALUES IN ACTION

Explore programs

LEE DAVIS

Executive Director

Lee brings a wealth of experience to Oregon State and is responsible for leading long-range and strategic plans for the Center. He is the past Executive Director of the Mazamas, a nonprofit education organization founded in 1894 with a mission of inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains. Lee's commitment to the outdoor industry spans decades including both his professional and personal pursuits. In the last several years, Lee has led efforts to create Oregon’s Office of Outdoor Recreation (HB3350) and Oregon’s Outdoor Recreation Day (HB2143). He also helped to organize and build the Oregon Outdoors Coalition and has collaborated on federal legislation with Senator Ron Wyden’s office.

MEREDITH MORRICE

Strategic Engagement Manager

Meredith is responsible for establishing and promoting positive, productive relationships between the outdoor recreation industry and the University through research, workforce development, education, and other public-private partnership opportunities. Meredith brings 10 years of private industry experience with more than five years in HR, executive search, and talent acquisition roles in the athletic and outdoor industry sectors. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, along with PHR and SHRM-SCP certifications.

PAULA MATANO

Senior Program Strategist

A skilled project manager and business analyst with a background in finance, policy and organizational structure, Paula drives program development and execution for the Center. Prior to joining Oregon State, Paula was a business analyst with the State of Oregon's Judicial Department. She holds a master's in Policy Studies from the University of Washington, a professional business analyst certification from Oregon State, and a bachelor's in Political Science and Spanish Literature from the University of Oregon.

DANIEL POWERS

Manager, Learning Experience Design

Daniel manages the creative process from concept to completion for all of the Center’s programs and research products. Daniel specializes in designing innovative, multimedia experiences that increase user engagement and end-product effectiveness. He is highly skilled in developing e-learning and other online assets ranging from content, media and video production to dashboards, toolkits, and online professional education courses.