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.
LEE DAVIS
Executive Director
Lee (he/him) 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.
ERIN GAINES
Government Relations & Consortium Manager
As the Government Relations Manager for CORE, Erin (she/her) builds connections with government officials and industry representatives to secure statewide and national support and resources for outdoor industry workforce development. She is a government affairs, policy, and advocacy specialist with more than a decade of experience working on federal policy issues, including four years working on Capitol Hill for Senator Ron Wyden as his Natural Resources Counsel. She is currently leading efforts to develop and launch the Outdoor Recreation Economy Workforce Development Consortium, a group of higher education institutions focused on national coordination between academia and the outdoor industry. Erin received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2005 and a juris doctor from Lewis and Clark Law School in 2011.
DANIEL POWERS
Learning Design Manager
Daniel (he/him) manages the creative process from concept to completion for all of the Center’s programs and research products. He 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. Daniel lives with his wife and son, and a small farm of animals, on Vashon Island, in the middle of Puget Sound, Washington.
DAKOTA NELSON
Administrative & Operations Coordinator
Dakota Nelson joined CORE in December 2021. Dakota is responsible for University administration and internal operations within CORE. Dakota has a bachelors in Economics and an MBA from the University of LA Verne, and has worked in business administration in both the private and public sectors. He started at OSU in 2019 and joined the CORE team at the end of 2021. He lives in Albany with his wife and daughter.
ANTONY VOROBYOV
Marketing Manager
Antony is joining CORE in June 2022.
Content Strategist, Writer
Content Writer, Facilitator, Coach
The Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy is dedicated to advancing research and curriculum development, technical skills training and leadership programming for the U.S. outdoor industry.
We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at outdooreconomy [at] oregonstate [dot] edu.