About Us

Our Mission:
We promote outdoor recreation and bring people together to enjoy, preserve and improve the places where we play.

Our Strategies:
Stewardship
Recreation Northwest facilitates collaboration between outdoor enthusiasts, local governments, businesses and individual landowners to improve local trail networks, provide direct service to maintain local parks and develop a sense of pride and ownership in these outdoor places that make our community unique.
     Fairhaven Park Trail & Youth Mountain Bike Leadership projects

Education
Our work highlights the importance of outdoor recreation to our local economy and the value open space holds for our community health. We share information to increase awareness and positive shared use of our parks and trails and to lessen the environmental impact of events on public places.
     Recreation Economy Study
     Outdoor Recreation Summit & EXPO
     Parkscriptions

Fun
Our multi-sport races and events get adults and children outside to be active, build community and enjoy our parks and trails.
     Bellingham Traverse
     Quest Adventure Racing
     Basecamp Networking
     Breakfast of Champions

Our Approach:

RELATIONSHIPS
It’s about people and we put relationships first

We go the extra mile on customer service

We celebrate our donors, volunteers, sponsors and partners

POSITIVE

Productive and FUN – that’s how we roll

We focus on solutions

We prioritize community building and Win-Win-Win

ENTREPRENEURIAL

We are nimble and flexible in our staff and our programs

Keep it simple and keep our standards high

We run the organization as a sustainable and professional business

Staff

Todd Elsworth, Co-Executive Director

Todd Elsworth brings decades of extensive event production and marketing experience. He has served on start-up boards, managed his own consulting business and worked for local and global non-profits. He brings an entrepreneurial approach and is known for developing innovative ideas and bringing the right people together to make it happen.
He enjoys biking, hiking, paddling, skiing and will try anything twice.

Todd@RecreationNorthwest.org
Blog posts

April Claxton, Co-Executive Director

April Claxton begin her career in non-profit management in 1997 developing and directing statewide and national environmental advocacy campaigns. Passion for her work is shown in the enthusiasm she invests into the projects she manages, consistently raising the expectations of fellow staff and board members. She has a special place in her heart for organizational development and loves diving into the processes and details that keep a project moving forward.
She has a passion for place and loves exploring, experiencing and sharing the beauty of the pacific northwest.

April@RecreationNorthwest.org
Blog posts

Why Co-Executive Directors?

Board of Directors

Dean Fearing, President
Brian Roche, Vice-President
Al Ragan, Treasurer
Erin McCain-Anderson, Secretary
Kurt Baumgarten
Adam Lent
Nikki Quinn
Sonja Max
Krissy Moehl

Please Support Recreation Northwest:

Make a donation to support our work.

Check out our Recreation Northwest Sponsorship Opportunities.

Our Social Networks:

Recreation Northwest is a 501(c)3 charity.  All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.  Our non-profit federal tax-exempt number is 46-1774882 .