After graduating from CU Boulder with degrees in International Affairs, Spanish and Geography, I began working at King Conservation District on the Education team. I had the opportunity to help King County residents manage natural resources, but I still had plans to attend an environmental law program at the end of the year despite this great work. All the while, I continued volunteering with groups like SheJumps in the hopes it would open the door to working professionally in the elusive snow and avalanche industry. I was hired at the Northwest Avalanche Center as the Outreach Coordinator in the summer of 2020 and spent a season innovating online education amidst the pandemic, scheduling instructors, and coordinating volunteers.
Many of the skills I learned at NWAC, in addition to my experience as a woman entering the avalanche industry, will inform my work with Verascapes as Communications Coordinator!
Certifications & Credentials
● AIARE Rec I, II, Companion Rescue Course
● AIARE Professional Level 1
● NOLS Wilderness First Responder
● Recipient of Kizaki-Wolf Scholarship
● Bilingual: Spanish
● B.A. International Affairs, Spanish and Geography
Renee Shapiro
(she/her/hers)
Verascapes Communications Coordinator
Growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho, was a beautiful yet bubble-like existence, where the white and wealthy majority fostered complacency throughout my upbringing. The time I spent studying in California, Colorado and Chile opened my eyes to some of the intersection and nuances of the outdoor industry and showed me that I wanted to work at the coalescence of outdoor recreation and social, environmental, racial and economic justice. Verascapes is innovating at this coalescence, and I am beyond thrilled to be a small part of the step in the right direction for the industry.
