Jill Simmons

Executive Director

Washington Trails Association

TBD

The Pledge

The Basics

Company Name: Washington Trails Association
Location: Seattle, WA
Founded: 1966
Full-Time Employees: 50
Products: Empowered hikers that champion and steward public lands and trails.
Social: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter
Claim to Fame: WTA is one of the largest statewide advocacy and volunteer trail maintenance organizations in the country, donating more than 4.4 million in volunteer labor on our public lands in 2018 alone. We also created a Game of Thrones hiking feature!

The Culture

The best thing about working at Washington Trails Association is: being part of an amazing and welcoming community that is passionate about playing in and protecting our natural wonders.
When we’re not working, we’re: Hiking, camping and volunteering in the places we love here in Washington State.
What we’re reading: Washington Trails magazine, High Country News, So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and that romance or YA novel we bring backpacking 
What we’re listening to: Sounds of nature, Seattle indie rock and lots of podcasts.
If they made a movie about our workplace, it would be called: The 11th Essential: How a community came together for trails. A story of passion, hard work and hiking
Inclusion in the outdoors matters because: Exploring nature is good for people’s hearts, minds and bodies. It is also a powerful way for everyone to connect with Washington’s natural wonders. Yet, we know social inequities impact all aspects of our lives, including engagement with the outdoors, and that significant barriers have prevented many people from hiking. We are committed to changing this.

Five years down the line, it’s our hope that: Time in the outdoors is recognized as a must-have not a nice-to-have and we’ve begun investing in our trail infrastructure to ensure that everyone has equitable access to a variety of quality hiking experiences from backyard adventures to backcountry exploration.