New Director brings a decade of leadership and community-building to role
On Monday, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) named Conor Hall as the new Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) Director.
“Outdoor recreation is not only a key pillar of Colorado’s economy but also a major contributor to our quality of life, mental health and physical health. I am thrilled to join OEDIT and partner with Colorado communities, and our world-class business and NGO leadership,” said Hall. “Together we will support, attract and expand our outdoor recreation industry to promote sustainable economic growth and expand equitable access while prioritizing our shared goals of clean air, clean water and the protection of public lands.”
Conor Hall has been named the new Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office Director. Courtesy photo.
Hall grew up in Crestone, CO and spent his summers on a cattle ranch. He comes to OREC from The Trust for Public Land, where he was the director of conservation strategies, policy, advocacy and government relations for the Intermountain West and led the creation of over $2 billion dollars in public funding for land and water conservation, climate and more equitable access to nature through ballot measures and legislative action. During that same period, he served as the vice president of The Trust for Public Land Action Fund, a nonprofit affiliate supporting this work.
Prior to joining The Trust for Public Land, Hall served as a Senior Advisor on Climate and Conservation on Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign. He also served as a senior advisor to Governor Hickenlooper, staffing him at all external events and meetings, managing relationships around the state and country, and advising on speeches, political and communications strategy, and a multitude of policy decisions including the creation of the OREC Office in 2015.
“Conor Hall is well-respected for his commitment to the outdoor recreation industry and conservation,” said Carlos Fernandez, Colorado State Director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and member of the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council.
“At TNC, we have had the pleasure of working with Conor for many years during his time with the Hickenlooper Administration as well at The Trust for Public Land on several projects including the creation of Fishers Peak State Park,” he added. “Conor’s background and passion for people and the outdoors make him an ideal candidate to take on this leadership role.”
“Conor brings a wealth of knowledge in the outdoor space, government relations, and consensus-building and community development, all of which will be vitally important over the next several years as OEDIT works to deploy the $9.7 million EDA grant that the OREC and tourism office received,” said Patrick Meyers, Executive Director of OEDIT. “This is an important component as we help rebuild the outdoor industry that was so adversely affected by the pandemic.”
Other priorities include working with industry partners on the future of the Outdoor Retailer show and its success in Colorado, the implementation of the revised “Grow Your Outdoor Recreation Industry” program through the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP), and ensuring the sustainable and thoughtful growth in the use of Colorado’s outdoor recreation assets.
As we know here in Chaffee County, the outdoor industry is an important part of Colorado’s economy. In 2020, Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry accounted for $9.6 billion in consumer spending annually and contributed 120,000 direct jobs. Colorado’s OREC Office has played a critical role both in the state and as a national thought leader and pacesetter with the creation of the Confluence Accords encouraging other states across the country to create OREC Offices.
Hall is an avid outdoorsman who loves to snowboard, hike, mountain bike, rock climb, SUP, and kayak. He is a cancer survivor who proudly serves on the non-profit First Descents Alumni Advisory Board and mentors other young people coping with cancer. He also serves as a national board member for the anti-bullying, nonprofit Stand for Courage and is a 2019 McKinsey Academy Leadership Fellow.
Hall graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Political Science and Government from Earlham College in Richmond, IN. He replaces Nathan Fey, who departed OEDIT to serve as the Director of Land and Water Programs with the Colorado-based Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. Hall’s first day will be February 22, 2022.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works with partners to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of Governor Jared Polis, it works to advance the state’s economy through financial and technical assistance that fosters local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado. Its 12 functional offices include the Global Business Development division; Colorado Tourism Office; Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office; Colorado Creative Industries; Business Financing & Incentives division; the Colorado Small Business Development Network; Cannabis Business Office; Colorado Office of Film, TV & Media; the Minority Business Office; Employee Ownership Office; and Rural Opportunity Office.
For more information go to oedit.colorado.gov.
Beth G: You post continuously, and most often reiterate what you have previously said about your mental and physical health suffereing. I live in BV and have to hear constantly how much BV has changed. When I purchased my house here in 2014 (yes, I am an ‘outsider’), BV was on the verge of drying up and blowing away. On Historic Main St., there was Asian Palate, Rustic Woods on the corner of Hwy 24, a print/copy/shipping store, and a small hair salon + tattoo shop. Then, South Main was developed and BV got noticed and now the town is vibrant and busy with many nice shops and restaurants.
Neither Salida or BV are Breckenridge, Vail or anything close. But, things do change in life, particularly after several decades in the same place. Many of us who read your posts feel bad that you are so unhappy here. But, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no amount of complaining that will remove the tourists or the tourism industries, marijuana is legal in Colorado, on and on. I don’t think many of us full-time residents like or appreciate the short-term rentals, and the price of housing is outrageous in many parts of the U.S., not just here. Peace and quiet is not lost in Chaffee County.
I live under completely dark skies and the nights are utterly quiet. I am just two miles outside of town. Salida has grown, industries are here, and we do have a good regional hospital that provides quality care. I don’t want to live where care is many, many miles away or there are no doctors and specialists. Finally, as much as you probably intended to live out your years here, there are other places you could go for a more peaceful existence. Quite a few people in my neighborhood have chosen to move away (most to a more southern location in Colorado) to get away from the crowds and the changes.
After seeing many of your comments, might I suggest that you check out these new things called paragraphs? They make it a lot easier to read and comprehend text.
I agree that ‘Outdoor recreation is not only a key pillar of Colorado’s economy but also a major contributor to our quality of life, mental health and physical health’ . Freedom from recreationists is a key pillar of our quality of life, mental health and physical health. When recreation is a for profit business instead of a simple quest for quality of life as it was for most of the residents who have been here more than a few years, it becomes a threat to the quality of life we have enjoyed here until 10 or 20 years ago. I hope that this office does not dismiss the quality of life issues for those of us who enjoy peaceful escape and have lived here decades to have it. The stress of the continual recreation and other tourists invading our space is costly. We have lost our housing, our peace, our ability to use our local recreation locations without crowds and none of these things are being protected by anyone. This person is obviously here to protect industry and therefore to take more from residents already struggling for some return to the reasons we lived here within the pandemic which is more profitable to allow when recreation has been classified as an industry. We are already priced out of our area by the parks and the short term rentals and everyone recently using the outfitter loopholes to get away with destroying our neighborhoods and communities. What is this office going to do to protect the locals from industry?