Name of Committee to be considered for:   
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Resource Advisory Council
Devaki Ananda Murch
Boulder, UT 84716

Letter of Nomination (1)
Tom Adams, Office of Outdoor Recreation , Petzl 

Letters of recommendation (2)
Rich Hill, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Kenji Haroutunian, Outdoor Retailer, Kenji Consults

STATEMENT:  
I would like to be considered for a position on the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Resource Advisory Council.  I have a strong background in community engagement and bringing together diverse individuals and groups.  I work in the outdoor industry as a show director for Grassroots Connect.  We represent over 150 of the leading independent specialty retail stores nationwide and top outdoor brands.  These are the voices of the industry nationwide who come to Utah to recreate at all levels on Utah's public lands.  Our retailers, outfitters, and brands are the touch points within their communities that serve as resources and conduits to getting people outside.  These connections are essential to the future of outdoor recreation. 
 As a resident of Boulder, Utah the public lands are a major reason why I live here.  It is a space that I want to experience with others with the understanding of what it means to be able to be a good steward of the land while sharing the space among different recreation groups and individuals. 

I believe I will be a strong asset to the group with my background and passion for developing participatory engagement programs where diversity and inclusion does not define and label individuals but identifies the scope of experience, fitness, preference for activities, age and access to gear and ,most importantly, the support they have to ensure a positive outdoor experience. 

Education: 
MS.Ed Instructional Design & Educational Technology,  University of Utah
B.S. Communication, University of Utah
Environmental Dispute and Resolution Certificate, SJ Quinney Law School University of Utah

Work History
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, Connect Tradeshow Director, (2015-present)
​Outdoor Retailer, Special Projects & Housing / Registration Support, 2008-2014
Salt Lake Running Company,  Marketing Manager, Race Director,  2013-2015
Park N Pedal, Owner / Operator,  2010-2014
Weber State University Outdoor Program, Marketing, 2008-2009
Paradox Sports, Marketing & Program Director,  2007-2010
Prana, Marketing & Community Coordinator, 2003-2008
Sierra Designs, Warranty Representative,  2001-2003
Outfitters Kauai, Kayak & Bike guide,  1996-2000

List significant related experience, previous advisory committee experience, civic and professional activities, education, and training that qualifies you to serve on this committee.  

International Dark Sky Association, Utah - Board of Directors, current
Utah Outdoor Association, Membership Committee, 2018-current
Environmental Dispute and Resolution Certificate, SJ Quinney Law School University of Utah
American Alpine Club, Membership Program Advisory Team, 2004-6
Conservation Alliance,  Lobbying in DC, 2005, 2006
Friends of Joshua Tree, Board Member 2004-2006

PROJECTS & TRAINING

Describe your experience of the committee's geographic area and jurisdiction:
My home is located just off the Burr Trail, the length of our land borders the monument. Over the years I have been drawn to Southern Utah for climbing, paddling, biking and exploring. I am not a professional athlete or a hardcore outdoors person, but I love being outside, and I love sharing the experience with others. I work in the outdoor industry and see that position holding a responsibility to get others outside in a way that encourages participation and offers different levels of experience. I am one of those people that will stop at every roadside kiosk to find out what it is all about and wander to a far point out on a distant mesa just to see what you can see. I meander more than trek. I poke around without time constraints or desire to reach any goals.  This allows a person to experience the land for what it is and what it wants to present.  I am familiar with the Monument, but it holds a lifetime of learning and exploring to get to truly know it.    

Describe your experience working with disparate groups.
I have guided, managed and facilitated group interactions in many of my positions of work and personal projects. I have found myself developing participatory programs over the years as a 
result of my ability to cross demographic lines and cultural barriers. I grew up on a small island in Kauai in a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. As an adopted Vietnamese child into a caucasian family- understanding different groups, backgrounds and perspectives has always been an integral part of my life. Growing up and moving into the outdoor recreation realm, I have taken the opportunity of understanding these different perspectives ranging from the native land issues to the need for expansion and development for economic growth.  Most recently I have sought the training to understand how to communicate with different groups and agencies and develop facilitation strategies through the Environmental Dispute and Resolution program at the University of Utah of Law School and continuing diversity training to understand how to address complicated relationships and identities in our society.  

Category 2: I represent dispersed recreation interests
Category 3:  I represent the affected public-at-large

BLM Permits [no]

Federally registered lobbyist [no]

LETTERS OF NOMINATION & RECOMMENDATION

FROM: Tom Adams, President, PETZL USA

I would like to nominate Devaki Murch for a position on the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument - Resource Advisory Committee.  I have worked with Devaki for over 15 years, in multiple capacities within the outdoor industry, most recently as I held my position as Director for Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation and her as the trade show Director for Grassroots Outdoor Alliance.  

Devaki has always been community-focused.  She has brought together unlikely partners for successful for-profit and nonprofit partnerships and has always supported diversity (age, fitness, experience) in many events including organized races. Lastly, Devaki started a nonprofit, Paradox Sports to integrate individuals with disabilities into mainstream human-powered sports and activities.  Understanding and acknowledging individual needs to provide positive experiences and successful interactions is what makes Devaki a valued Utahn as well as a member of the outdoor community.  

I highly recommend her for this position as a representative of rural Utah and as an influential voice in the outdoor industry.  

Thank You, 
Tom Adams, President
Petzl USA

FROM: Rich Hill,  President, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance

It’s my pleasure to recommend Devaki Murch as a participant on the Monument Advisory Council. 

Devaki and I have worked together four times over the last 20 years. First at Sierra Designs, then Prana, Outdoor Retailer in the 2000’s, and now at Grassroots Outdoor Alliance.
I thoroughly enjoy my time working with Devaki and came to know her as a valuable asset to any team. She is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. Today, she and I work closely together on building events and educational opportunities for our 75 locally-owned outdoor stores, but it is her knowledge of the outdoor recreation economy, the state offices of outdoor recreation, and diversity/equity issues that I have come to especially rely on.
Without a doubt, I confidently recommend Devaki to join the Monument Advisory Council. As a dedicated and knowledgeable professional in the Outdoor Industry, I know that she will be a helpful and beneficial addition to the conversation happening around the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument.

Please feel free to contact me, should you like to discuss Devaki’s qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.

Best wishes,
Rich Hill
Executive Director
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance


FROM:  Kenji Haroutunian,  Director, Big Gear Show

To: Whom It May Concern
Re: Devaki Murch as Monument Advisory Committee candidate 

From: Kenji Haroutunian, Director The Big Gear Show

Devaki Murch is someone I’ve known for over 20 years and have had the pleasure to work within my capacity as the Outdoor Retailer trade show Director (2007-2014), as well as in my work in the outdoor recreation industry as an event strategist, industry consultant, and business development officer. 

Devaki is one of my most trusted confidantes when it comes to the full range of businesses and organizations that make up the outdoor recreation industry. Her experience working for brands (prAna, Sierra Designs), brand aggregators (Outdoor Retailer, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, Salt Lake Running Company) and industry advocacy organizations (Friends Of Joshua Tree, Utah International Dark Sky, and Paradox Sports, where she is co-founder) gives her an amazing depth and range of operational and strategic awareness. 

Devaki is also well versed in policy and community service..She was an active partner in building a bike share service called Park and Pedal for the Outdoor Retailer shows and has been active in supporting Friends Of Joshua Tree’s Climb Smart programming each year. She has also been a co-founder of the Inclusivity Luncheon at the trade shows, this event is the largest gathering of diverse leadership in the outdoor industry, and has been going continuously for 10 years now. She actively explores the mountains and canyons near her home in Boulder, UT, and understands the balance of public access for recreation and conservation challenges. 

The main reason I believe Devaki Murch would make an excellent advisory committee member is that she is that rare combination of curious, organized and committed. Devaki is an excellent listener and knows how to process information and regularly come up with creative solutions. When she makes a commitment to serve, she is absolutely dedicated despite her busy schedule managing national trade shows that serve the outdoor industry. 


Very Truly Yours, 
Kenji Haroutunian
KenjiConsults.com
Director, The Big Gear Show 
Comm Director, Friends Of Joshua Tree
Development Director, Outdoor Media Summit