The West Slope Outdoor Recreation Industry Summit & Celebration is GVORC’s annual flagship gathering, spotlighting the critical role outdoor recreation plays in shaping the Western Slope’s economy, culture, community wellbeing, and public lands. Held through two signature events during one week, the Summit & Celebration bring together industry professionals, public officials, land managers, community leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, and partners from across the region—first to learn, collaborate, and shape the future of outdoor recreation, and later to reconnect, recognize achievements, and celebrate the people and organizations moving our industry forward.
West Slope Outdoor Recreation Industry Summit
- Tuesday, November 10
- 8:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
-
Colorado Mesa University - Ballroom
1100 North Ave.
Grand Junction, CO 81501)
Program
8:00–8:30 a.m.
- Registration, Networking & Exhibitors
Coffee & light breakfast
8:30–8:40 a.m.
- Welcome & Opening Remarks
Sarah Shrader, Board President, GVORC
8:40–9:00 a.m.
- Colorado at 150 – The State of Outdoor Recreation
Sam Albert, Deputy Director, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office
Read Sam Albert Bio
Sam Albert
Deputy Director, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office
As the Deputy Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry (OREC) Office, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), Sam works to strengthen the state’s outdoor recreation economy and inspire communities and businesses to thrive in Colorado’s great outdoors. Her work advances initiatives across four key focus areas: economic prosperity for businesses and communities, conservation and stewardship of lands, waters, and climate, inclusive education and workforce training pathways, and public health and wellness through access to outdoor recreation.
Session Description
9:00–9:15 a.m.
- Break, Networking & Exhibitors
9:15–9:55 a.m.
- Morning Keynote: The Future of the Outdoor Recreation Economy
Luis Benitez, VP, Global Government Affairs, Lululemon
Read Luis Benitez Bio
Luis Benitez is Vice President of Global Government Affairs at lululemon, leading the company’s engagement on public policy, geopolitical risk, trade, sustainability, workforce, and stakeholder relations across global markets.
Previously, Luis served as Chief Impact Officer at Trust for Public Land and as Vice President of Government Affairs and Global Impact at VF Corporation. Governor John Hickenlooper also appointed him as the founding Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office—one of the first offices of its kind in the nation—helping establish outdoor recreation as a formal economic development and policy sector.
An internationally recognized mountaineer and leadership speaker, Luis has summited Mount Everest six times and led expeditions around the world, including guiding the first blind climber to the summit of Everest. His work focuses on leadership, resilience, public-private collaboration, and the intersection of business, wellbeing, and community impact.
Luis serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Denver and is the author of Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World.
Keynote Description
9:55–10:30 a.m.
- True West: Progress Toward our Shared Vision for Outdoor Recreation
Marissa Mommaerts, Project Manager & Erica Heller, Senior Program Director, Community Builders
Read Marissa Mommaerts Bio
Marissa Mommaerts
Project Manager, Community Builders
Marissa is a Project Manager at Community Builders and is thrilled to be partnering with the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition to guide a community and stakeholder-driven process to develop True West: A Shared Vision for Outdoor Recreation in Mesa County. A community organizer at heart, Marissa is passionate about aligning community action with municipal goals and plans to create the best possible outcomes for all. Marissa lives on the Western Slope in Paonia, where she co-founded a community land trust and led a community-driven comprehensive planning process. Marissa began her career in international development and then spent a decade working in community development supporting small grassroots groups across the U.S. prior to joining Community Builders. Outside work Marissa can be found spending quality time with her spouse and two children, tending her family’s small regenerative farm, and enjoying nature.
Read Erica Heller Bio
Erica Heller
Senior Program Director, Community Builders
Erica assists communities to thrive in the face of an ever-changing world by identifying specific strategies and pairing them with implementation resources and tools. Erica has worked in community and economic development for nearly 20 years. As a Senior Program Director at Community Builders, Erica provides high-level experience and project leadership, with a topical focus on resilience, community economic development, land use planning and codes, redevelopment, and public financing strategies. Erica lives in Golden, Colorado with her spouse and their two children. Together, they enjoy hiking, skiing, bluegrass concerts, and visiting National Parks. She is avid about the outdoors and has climbed to over 19,000 feet on three continents.
Session Description
True West: Progress Toward our Shared Vision for Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation in Mesa County is at a juncture: the value of our outdoor recreation is clear, we have been discovered, and use continues to grow. To keep pace, regional partners need a shared approach to stewardship, maintenance, and asset development. True West, a partnership between the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition and Community Builders, is bringing stakeholders and community members together to define a shared vision and action plan for sustaining exceptional recreation experiences while planning for the future. Join Marissa Mommaerts and Erica Heller of Community Builders to hear what we’ve learned together so far and where it is headed next.
10:30–10:45 a.m.
- Break, Networking & Exhibitors
10:45–11:30 a.m.
- True West Workshop
Facilitated breakout conversations
Session Description
True West Small Group Strategies Discussions
Help set the direction for outdoor recreation in Mesa County. Join a topical small group discussion about strategies that have emerged through the True West project so far, and share your own ideas for the future of outdoor recreation in Mesa County. Select your top interest from among these topics: recreation quality and targeted expansion; asset maintenance; healthy lands and natural resources; economy; community wellbeing & access; and culture of stewardship. Your participation will directly influence the outcomes of True West.
11:30–11:45 a.m.
- Break, Networking & Exhibitors
11:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- Mesa County Trails Reporter
Sam Redmond, Mesa County GIS
12:00–12:10 p.m.
- Lunch Service & Transition
12:10–12:55 p.m.
- Lunch Keynote: “Vitamin N: Nature”
Dr. Clint Purvance, President & CEO, Barton Health
Read Dr. Clint Purvance Bio
Dr. Clint Purvance
President & CEO, Barton Health
As President and CEO of Barton Healthcare System, Dr. Clint Purvance provides strategic leadership for a regional healthcare network serving the Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley communities. Since joining Barton Health as an emergency medicine physician in 1999, he has championed collaboration, innovation, and growth to expand access and strengthen rural healthcare, including the 2026 alignment of Barton Health and Carson Valley Health. Under his leadership, Barton Health has earned national recognition for clinical excellence, including appearances on Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list, Blue Distinction designations, and membership in Cleveland Clinic Connected. Dr. Purvance earned his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Michigan, and served as Barton Health’s Chief Medical Officer from 2007 to 2015 before becoming CEO. A Certified Physician Executive, he continues to provide volunteer patient care and serves on healthcare and nonprofit boards, supporting community and international medical initiatives.
Keynote Description
Vitamin “N” Nature
We aren’t talking about a new pill, a synthetic supplement, or an expensive medical procedure. Instead, we are looking at a powerful clinical intervention that is free, has zero negative side effects, and is available right outside our doors. It is called Vitamin N—where the “N” stands for Nature.
Coined by author Richard Louv, Vitamin N highlights a profound shift in modern medicine: nature is no longer just a nice place to visit on vacation. It is a biological necessity. Modern science now proves that when we step into green spaces, our bodies undergo immediate biochemical changes. Our stress hormones drop, our immune systems mobilize virus-fighting cells, and the areas of our brain responsible for obsessive worry quiet down.
We will explore why healthcare systems worldwide are now treating nature as a recognized medicine, how it fundamentally alters human physiology, and how we can prescribe and build “Vitamin N” into our daily lives and our communities.
12:55–1:00 p.m.
- Closing Remarks & Call to Action
Chandler Smith, Executive Director, GVORC
1:00–1:15 p.m.
- Networking & Exhibitor Showcase
Regular Summit Concludes
1:30–3:00 p.m. (INVITE ONLY)
- True West Industry Roundtable: Growing the Economic Benefit of Outdoor Recreation
Roundtable Session Description
True West Industry Roundtable: Growing the Economic Benefit of Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation is an important part of Mesa County’s economy, supporting businesses, jobs, quality of life, and the region’s ability to attract and retain talent. Building on a June 2026 True West industry roundtable discussion of strengths and challenges of local outdoor recreation businesses, this session brings together cross-sector leaders from industry, economic and workforce development, and local governments. Together, participants will explore case studies and prioritize shared opportunities to strengthen and leverage outdoor recreation for a more diverse, resilient, and locally rooted economy.
- True West Steering Committee Meeting
Steering Committee Session Description
True West Steering Committee Meeting
Building upon the strategy workshop that will take place during the Industry Summit, the True West Steering Committee will begin the work of prioritizing strategies for implementation, generating related actions, and identifying areas where further research or information is needed to move forward with project prioritization and action planning.
GVORC Celebration & Industry Awards
- Friday, November 13
- 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Orchard River View (3926 HWY 6 & 24 Palisade, CO 81526)
Theme
- Canadian Tuxedo (Denim on Denim)
The Experience
- Temptation Stations & Dessert Bar
- Cash Bar
- Live Band
- Industry Awards
- Silent Auction
Impact Goals
- Amplify the sector’s role in regional economic development
- Build stronger networks among outdoor recreation stakeholders
- Inspire new partnerships, stewardship efforts, and public engagement
- Celebrate outdoor culture as a unifying force on the Western Slope
- Recognize peers, businesses and organizations who have helped to champion the outdoors
