Speakers
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Nathan Reigner
Nathan Reigner, Ph.D., is Pennsylvania’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation. He was instrumental in the establishment of Pennsylvania's Office of Outdoor Recreation.
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Dean Privett
Born and raised in the Pittsburgh suburbs, Dean has dreamed of opening a climbing gym like Iron City Boulders in his hometown ever since first taking a University of Pittsburgh rock climbing course in 2009.
From Private Instructor to Head Routesetter to Design Consultant, Dean has positioned himself as a sport climbing industry innovator and works tirelessly to grow the sport of climbing on local and international stages.
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Jessie Powers
Executive Director, Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia
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Danny Twilley
Assistant Vice President of Economic, Community and Asset Development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University
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Andrew (AJ) Schwartz
Director of Design @ Environmental Planning and Design
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Lindsey Waugaman
Education and Outreach Coordinator, Mountain Watershed Association
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Silas Chamberlin
Principal, Firefly Outdoor + Economics
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Joel Brady
Joel Brady is the former and founding Board President of the Southwestern PA Climbers Coalition, a 501(3)(c) non-profit dedicated to fostering responsible development of climbing in Pennsylvania and working with public and private land managers to gain and preserve access, while promoting conservation of climbing resources. He is a longtime resident and climber in the Southwestern PA region.
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Gavin White
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Tress Belesi
Assistive Resources and Accessibility Coordinator for Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
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Rob Pffaffmann
Pfaffmann + Associates is known for a wide range of award winning architecture and urban design projects in Pittsburgh. Rob began his career in higher education at Syracuse and then with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in the early 80's and 90's where he led key higher ed projects including CMU’s Software Engineering Institute and the Heinz History Center.
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Brett Hollern
Vice President for Western Pennsylvania Central Region, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
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Greg Schaffer
Greg Schaffer created Bad Sauna in 2023 following his certification as a “bath master” from the International Bath Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania. A lifelong Pittsburgher, Greg first fell in love with sweat bathing at Archimedes Banya in San Francisco and has been working to establish an authentic sweat bathing culture in his hometown ever since. Greg is also certified as a “sauna master” by the Deustche Sauna Akademie (Germany) and adds his knowledge of aufguss, a popular German sauna ritual, to his expertise in traditional Lithuanian sauna treatments and rituals (e.g. vanta treatments), his knowledge of sweat bathing history and folklore, sauna microclimate, and human anatomy. In addition to his duties as bath master at Bad Sauna, Greg’s writing on sweat bathing culture has been published by Hamam Magazine, the Hot Room, and on the Bad Sauna blog, Bad News.
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Anna-Lena Kempen
Race Director of The Frigid Bitch and Head Organizer of Pittsburgh Babes on Bikes
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Adam Diem
Owner of Carpie Diem Coaching and Founder of Roughneck Gravel Roubaix in Titusville, PA
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John Stephen
John Stephen is principal of Ecosophic Strategies where he guides projects at the intersection of ecological resiliency and quality communities. With a background in engineering, law, and public policy, he is a Pittsburgh-based leader of trail, watershed, and urban revitalization initiatives, raising millions to support regional environmental projects. He is a founder of the Friends of the Riverfront and the Nine Mile Run Greenway Project (now UpstreamPgh) and currently coordinates the Many Trails, One Community program of the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy.
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Joel Perkovich
Landscape Architect (Allegheny County Parks)
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Matt Imhof
Director of PA Race Operations @ GCXC Racing
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Ryan Campbell
Owner of Signal Sauna