The Daily - August 11,2021 - 58

Summer Show 2021
S H O W N E W S
Arlene
Charles
New to
the Crew
Arlene Charles steps into OIA's chief
operating officer role.
By Latria Graham
IN JULY 2021, OUTDOOR
Industry Association (OIA)
appointed Arlene Charles as its
new chief operating officer. While
Charles is new to the outdoor
industry, she is a veteran executive
who has made a name for
herself by helping organizations
meet their short-term goals while
working toward fiscal sustainability
in order to execute the
larger missions that are part of
their long-term strategies. In her
previous position as the executive
director of Girls Inc. of Columbus
in Georgia, Charles helped that
organization meet its mission of
inspiring girls to be strong, smart,
and bold while also presenting
occasions where girls could build
their leadership skills. She plans to
continue her track record of team
building with OIA.
" For me, this role in the outdoor
industry really is about helping
the industry thrive so that people
can thrive, " Charles says. " And we
have space to work on important
things like climate change and
participation for all communities. "
After a tumultuous year of
climate events, and a variety of
unknowns due to the COVID-19
pandemic, these words are a balm
to many of OIA's members.
" Covid changed me in a way, "
Charles explains. " I got caught up
in my career and raising a family,
and some of my favorite things like
camping and exploring... suddenly
I realized we weren't doing them
58
anymore. " When things were at
their worst, like many Americans,
she sought solace in the outdoors,
which often meant exploring the
green spaces around her home in
the Atlanta area or tending to her
garden. " I think the industry has
an opportunity to expand that
worldview in a way that helps the
planet and helps those communities
create public spaces everyone
can enjoy, " she says.
Charles's childhood was spent
reveling in nature with her family.
" I grew up in New Jersey, and my
dad made sure we were always
outdoors, " she says. " We went
camping and did road trips. We
grew up in an urban center, but
my dad was always taking us out
to do different things. " As a Trinidadian
American, she credits
her upbringing with shaping who
she's become. " Trinidad is my history, "
she explains. " That's where
I learned the value of hard work
and education. " After graduating
from Fisk University, she started
her own family, and as her three
sons grew, she made sure they
had some of the same indelible
moments her father had given
her, from exploring new natural
spaces to riding bicycles through
their neighborhood. She saw the
limited range of experiences that
children in underserved communities
had and began advocating
for change.
Concerns about diversity and
inclusion in the outdoor industry
/ OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER 2021
have evolved over the years, and
Charles is ready to be part of the
momentum that moves the conversation
forward. She is excited
by the opportunity to advocate for
inclusive environments. " The idea
of thriving business and thriving
people creating a thriving planet
is what drew me to OIA, " she
says, and she plans to utilize OIA's
resources to create structures
that facilitate more equitable
organizations and outdoor spaces.
While she's only been in the
position for a month, she's already
investigating different ways to improve
OIA's participation survey.
" I think sometimes when we do
these types of measurements, we
unknowingly eliminate different
communities and cultures, and
how they experience the outdoors, "
she explains. " I'm really
focused on making sure people
understand how all communities
engage with the outdoors. Can
we paint a more holistic picture
of what that looks like? I want to
answer that question so we can
include those particular statistics
about all the ways people are experiencing
the natural beauty the
world has to offer. "
" I'm excited about seeing brands
I've heard of in person, seeing the
excitement others have about the
event, " says Charles of her first trip
to the Outdoor Retailer Show. " I'm
excited to learn about new products,
meet new companies, and
brainstorm opportunities for our
members to engage with OIA and
understand the work we do and
how that benefits them. "
Photograph by Carlo Nasisse
The Daily - August 11,2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Daily - August 11,2021
