New AMC CEO

[TEO]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/30/business/appalachian-mountain-club-names-nicole-zussman-ceo/

 

[Ken MacGray]

Non-paywall version:

https://www.outdoors.org/resources/...appoints-nicole-zussman-as-president-and-ceo/

 

[maineguy]

She once worked for the YES Network. Maybe she's a Yankees fan...

 

[hikerbrian]

I confess, my love of the AMC faltered under John Judge. I remain incredibly thankful to all of the volunteers (mainly NH chapter folks from whom I learned all of the fundamentals) who literally made my life better by passing on their knowledge. But the direction of the organization hasn't been quite what I'd like for some time now. Not holding my breath exactly with Zussman, but maybe I'll be surprised.

 

[roadtripper]

Task #1 - change the logo that 90% of people dislike

 

[JoshandBaron]

Task #1 - change the logo that 90% of people dislike

Right. That's the problem.

 

[roadtripper]

Right. That's the problem.

Lol it’s one of them. Also not just solely focusing on the uber-wealthy is another.

 

[peakbagger]

Does 30 minutes from Manhattan apply? https://www.outdoors.org/destinatio...and-betsy-corman-amc-harriman-outdoor-center/
I expect many folks did not even know about this facility as its fairly new. I ran into AMC employee awhile back and she made the comment that that facility was sort of an albatross, definitely not on the agenda for a staff member that was hoping to move up in the organization., somewhat like the Mohican Center in New Jersey.

Years ago on VFTT someone published a confidential long term planning document for AMC. They were in quandary for the long term, the demographics were that the membership was going to decline rapidly yet there was a large potential source of funds from bequests and estates of older members if they could keep the long term wealthier members engaged and that meant upgrading and building new facilities that were border line "glamping" compared to the AMC tradition. The Highland Center was one such project and the Maine Wilderness Lodges were created from older sporting camps substantially upgraded to be higher end supplemented by new construction. The huts are effectively a cash cow that have benefactors just waiting to donate. The club would maintain the primitive experiences as much for image as for actual attraction to the older members and the club would invest in youth programs to attempt to reduce the demographic slide or at least give the illusion of trying to stop the slide.

Whenever I run into long term outdoors people near or in retirement (boomers), especially couples, the universal script is they may have roughed it while backpacking, canoeing and biking years ago, but now one spouse or the other has decided that they want more luxurious accommodations these days, if they do not get it from AMC, there are plenty of other commercial enterprises who are willing to supply them. Hut to hut with a private room, heat and hot water with a service to move their gear so they dont need to carry it seems to be the desired experience. The other spouse who still would love to get out in the woods with a backpack agrees to it in order to keep the other one happy and they just go along for the ride and hope the retirement funds hold out.

BTW the facility in Harriman does go against the AMC's reported policy internal policy developed after they almost lost the huts to invest in land they do not own or control (outside of the existing White Mountain Huts). This Harriman Facility is on long term lease and the major upgrade of Camp Dodge is also on WMNF land but arguably Camp Dodge would fall under "part of the AMC hut system".

 

[maineguy]

Right. That's the problem.

Maybe the thinking that led them to believe this was a good logo is part of the problem

 

[skiguy]

Does 30 minutes from Manhattan apply? https://www.outdoors.org/destinatio...and-betsy-corman-amc-harriman-outdoor-center/
I expect many folks did not even know about this facility as its fairly new. I ran into AMC employee awhile back and she made the comment that that facility was sort of an albatross, definitely not on the agenda for a staff member that was hoping to move up in the organization., somewhat like the Mohican Center in New Jersey.

Years ago on VFTT someone published a confidential long term planning document for AMC. They were in quandary for the long term, the demographics were that the membership was going to decline rapidly yet there was a large potential source of funds from bequests and estates of older members if they could keep the long term wealthier members engaged and that meant upgrading and building new facilities that were border line "glamping" compared to the AMC tradition. The Highland Center was one such project and the Maine Wilderness Lodges were created from older sporting camps substantially upgraded to be higher end supplemented by new construction. The huts are effectively a cash cow that have benefactors just waiting to donate. The club would maintain the primitive experiences as much for image as for actual attraction to the older members and the club would invest in youth programs to attempt to reduce the demographic slide or at least give the illusion of trying to stop the slide.

Whenever I run into long term outdoors people near or in retirement (boomers), especially couples, the universal script is they may have roughed it while backpacking, canoeing and biking years ago, but now one spouse or the other has decided that they want more luxurious accommodations these days, if they do not get it from AMC, there are plenty of other commercial enterprises who are willing to supply them. Hut to hut with a private room, heat and hot water with a service to move their gear so they dont need to carry it seems to be the desired experience. The other spouse who still would love to get out in the woods with a backpack agrees to it in order to keep the other one happy and they just go along for the ride and hope the retirement funds hold out.

BTW the facility in Harriman does go against the AMC's reported policy internal policy developed after they almost lost the huts to invest in land they do not own or control (outside of the existing White Mountain Huts). This Harriman Facility is on long term lease and the major upgrade of Camp Dodge is also on WMNF land but arguably Camp Dodge would fall under "part of the AMC hut system".

We have all seen a lot of people come and go through the AMC in the last five or six decades. I have been acquainted with many members but also many present and past employees of the AMC over that time. Which include many folks from my generation, their parents generation and now their children's generation. Most interesting to speak with is the current generation of 20 and 30 somethings. The demographic of these folks usually consists of employees that are around for a few years and then move on as the AMC holds very little potential to have a lifetime career. They usually come from well to do Bostonian Families that have graduated from expensive Liberal Arts Schools that can't figure out what they want to do yet with the rest of their life. Which ironically fits the mold of the entire AMC paradigm. Speaking with the younger generation of AMC employees there is a constant theme expressed which essentially leads to the same conclusion. "The AMC lacks direction and they have not adapted appropriately or analogously to the needs of the times".