After over six years leading Camber Outdoors and citing the organization\u2019s need for a leader with deep diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) experience, Deanne Buck has announced she is stepping down as executive director of Camber Outdoors. The Camber Outdoors board has named Diana Seung, current board member and former executive vice president of merchandising at Backcountry.com, as interim executive director, effective immediately. Buck will assist Seung on a smooth transition.<\/p>\n
Buck and board leadership have been discussing the transition since last June, when the organization evolved its mission from a focus on women to broader equity. Following the recent rollout of the CEO Outdoor Equity Pledge, Buck and the Camber Outdoors Board of Directors decided that it was best for the organization, the community and the team to accelerate a leadership transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew then that the work in front of the organization would require a leader who has the drive, energy and experience to carry forward an important body of work, and we wanted to ensure that we had readied our major programs sufficiently prior to the transition,\u201d Buck said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made good progress, we have a strong team, and I am ready to pass the baton.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work we are doing at Camber Outdoors is transformational, complex and, oftentimes, difficult,\u201d Buck said. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that I\u2019ve become a lightning rod, and the work is too important for me to become a distraction. The change in leadership at Camber Outdoors is a significant milestone in our evolution as an organization focused on equity in the workplace in the outdoor industry. With a strong board, dedicated staff and amazing partners, Camber Outdoors will play an important role in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion among our members. A new leader will have a fresh start to build bridges, listen, engage and take the organization and our work forward. We are one voice of many.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seung has worked closely with CEOs and leaders across the outdoor industry and she recognizes that while progress has been slow on the diversity, equity and inclusion front, the engagement and desire to change the complexion of the industry from outdoor participation to the workplace environment has been a promising indicator that the industry is ready for change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in diverse environments prior to transitioning to the outdoor industry and moving to Utah,\u201d Seung said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen and felt first-hand the positive impact different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences bring to the table, and the outdoor industry needs more of this. It goes without saying that I am honored to have the opportunity to work closely with the amazing Camber staff, outdoor industry leaders, and other DEI advocates and organizations at a time when the industry is ripe for much-needed change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Meineke, Camber Outdoors board president, said, \u201cDeanne is a trailblazer. With her strong team and in collaboration with community partners, she has made the outdoors and industry companies more accessible and welcoming for women and has begun the important and necessary work to evolve Camber Outdoors to focus on equity in the outdoors for all. Now, working with outdoor leaders and those with deep DEI experience, we will take this essential work to the next level with leadership from Diana Seung, the board, the Camber team and the wider community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seung has over 15 years of experience in the retail space, having worked for companies like Bloomingdale\u2019s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ann Taylor, Gymboree and The Children\u2019s Place. Her recent senior leadership role at Backcountry.com introduced her not only to the richness of the outdoor community but to Camber Outdoors. The work of Camber Outdoors was a key influence for her as she advised Backcountry\u2019s Women\u2019s Leadership Coalition with goals to attract, retain and develop female talent. Her work with Backcountry and Camber Outdoors led to an invitation to join the Camber Outdoors board in January 2018. Diana has always been an advocate of diversity and inclusion. She has a bachelor\u2019s degree from Cornell University with a major in sociocultural anthropology and a minor in Africana Studies, and a concentration in Asian American Studies. She is originally from Maryland and grew up in a first generation Korean-American household and currently lives in Park City, UT.<\/p>\n
Under Buck\u2019s leadership, Camber Outdoors has focused on making workplace equity, inclusion, and diversity an industry imperative. Buck and her team:<\/p>\n
Camber has also committed to being open, learning from its mistakes, working hard to earn and restore trust, and partnering with a range of partners and stakeholders to advance career opportunities, leadership and entrepreneurship to inspire an outdoors truly for everyone.<\/p>\n
The Camber Outdoors Board of Directors will hire a recruiter and conduct a national search for an ideal candidate to lead the organization into it next phase of important work.<\/p>\n
In addition, the Camber Outdoors Board of Directors said that board member Reggie Miller, global director of inclusion & diversity of VF Corp., one of the world\u2019s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, has joined the board\u2019s executive committee.<\/p>\n
About Camber Outdoors
\n<\/b>Founded in 1996, Camber Outdoors is the hub for advancing career opportunities, leadership and entrepreneurship to inspire an outdoors, truly for everyone. Envisioning a future of \u201cEveryone\u2019s Outdoors\u201d, it is a national organization dedicated to achieving equity for all womxn and underrepresented communities in the workplace of the active-outdoors industries, through innovative and thought-leading programming and initiatives, including industry keynotes, the CEO Outdoor Equity Pledge, Pitchfest, Camber Exchanges, and a cross-industry\/company Mentoring Program. Over 200 corporate and 7,500 individual members support equity through Camber Outdoors.<\/p>\n