The OM Team
Staff
Heather Distad (she/her)
Executive Director
Our Executive Director, Heather Distad, is an enthusiastic leader and all-things-outsider. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit, outdoor, and giving the best high fives, her passion for community engagement, philanthropy, team leadership, and transformative outdoor experiences shines through in every interaction.
Heather is an accomplished fundraising, programming, and community engagement guru. Heather oversaw the school-aged recreation and events department at Ken-Caryl Metropolitan District, managed the marketing, events, fundraising, and educational programming for Friends of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), and led the national philanthropy team at Access Fund. Heather is also the founder and lead consultant at High Point Nonprofit Consulting, where she has worked with organizations like the United States Ski Mountaineering Association, PCOS Challenge, Cerebral Therapeutics, SheJumps, and Justice Necessary.
Heather holds a Master of Science in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This is complemented by a Bachelor’s Degree in Nonprofit Management, Psychology, and Service Leadership at Wartburg College.
When Heather isn’t working hard for Outdoor Mindset, you’ll find her enjoying time with her family, taking pictures, trail running, mountain biking, backcountry skiing, climbing, or sailing around the world.
Board of Directors
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Kyle Martin (he/him)
FOUNDER / BOARD PRESIDENT
Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009, Kyle knows firsthand the positive power of the outdoors and community on quality of life.
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Jake Quigley (he/him)
VICE PRESIDENT
Jake’s direct connection to a neurological diagnosis drives his passion to help OM inspire and positively impact its members.
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Lisa Avram (she/her)
MEMBER
Diagnosed with epilepsy after receiving a traumatic brain injury, she became involved with Outdoor Mindset almost 10 years ago!
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Marcy DeBurkarte (she/her)
MEMBER
mdeburkarte@outdoormindset.org
When her partner suffered sudden cardiac arrest and an anoxic brain injury in 2019, she discovered how the outdoors can have transformative benefits for both survivors and their families.
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Eric Distad (he/him)
MEMBER
Eric has focused his career on researching CNS diseases, primarily movement disorders, and believes in the transformative power of the outdoors.
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Kristen Drake (she/her)
MEMBER
Kristen has spent the bulk of her career studying treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s, Essential Tremor, dyskinesia, OCD, depression, and Alzheimer's, among others.
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Dr. Nathan Fountain (he/him)
MEMBER
Nathan is a long-standing fixture as a neurologist at the University of Virginia directing the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program.
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Ryan Johnson (he/him)
MEMBER
After spending over a decade working for non-profits, Ryan is excited for the opportunity to serve and to leverage my experience in any way that can support OM.
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Ashton Roach (she/her)
MEMBER
As a nonprofit professional and mental health therapist, Ashton is looking forward to her involvement as a means to blend personal and professional passions, while expanding OM’s mission, programs, and community of support.
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Jeffrey Stutsman (he/him)
MEMBER
A difficult recovery from a TBI granted Jeffrey a new appreciation for both the healing power of outdoor activities, and some of the ways neurological challenges can complicate access.
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Megan Wright (she/her)
MEMBER
Megan knows, in a very intimate way, how significant both community and nature can be when walking the trail to renewal. Thus, she strives to share nature’s transformative power through communities like Outdoor Mindset, to all who seek healing and well-being.
Meet Our Ambassadors
Our mission and meetup Ambassadors make our world go ‘round! They are an integral part of our team—meet this awesome group of people making a difference in their local communities.
