Boulder, CO -- The Access Fund has significantly improved its ability to represent the climbing community by naming Heather Clark to the position of Director of Development, and by filling the key staff positions of Event Coordinator and Office Manager. Each of these new staff members assumed their roles late last year.

Clark has several years of experience in the outdoor industry, and a strong background in fundraising and sponsorship development. Clark was a founding member of the Moving Mountains coalition of non-profits affiliated with the outdoor industry, and has helped grow the Access Fund's corporate sponsor program to 20% of the organization's operating budget. In addition to her role as corporate sponsor liaison, she will develop a major gifts program. Clark honed her climbing skills in North Carolina, which explains her penchant for trad climbing. She was formerly Associate Director of Development for the Access Fund.

Long-time climber and former professional skier Kate Cavicchio is now Event Coordinator. Cavicchio will support the Access Fund's 450+ community partners and over 400 benefit events yearly including Adopt-a-Crag Day. A signature event for The Access Fund, Adopt-a-Crag Day is a national stewardship event involving local climbers who collect trash, build trails, and support land management efforts across the country. Cavicchio will also support Kurt Smith's national slide show tour, which last year raised thousands of dollars and yielded hundreds of new members for the Access Fund.

As Office Manager, Aimee Baker is responsible for most administrative, facilities management, and bookkeeping duties. Baker started as a part-time administrative assistant, but quickly demonstrated that her superior organizational and bookkeeping talents were needed full-time. Baker is a dancer and climber and has a dance company based in Boulder.

"Now is a critical time for expanding our fundraising capabilities and collaboration with our corporate sponsors," said Sam Davidson, Executive Director. "Climbers face more threats to access than ever before, and the Access Fund depends on outreach to climbers through our Events Program and through corporate sponsored initiatives such as our Bouldering Campaign to keep climbing areas open, defend climbing freedoms, and protect the climbing environment. I'm excited to add such talented and hard working people to our team."

The Access Fund is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment. Preserving the opportunity to climb and the diversity of the climbing experience are fundamental to the mission of the Access Fund. The organization works in cooperation with climbers, other recreational users, public land managers and private landowners to promote the responsible use and sound management of climbing resources throughout the United States. The Access Fund encourages an ethic of personal responsibility, self-regulation, strong conservation values and minimum impact practices among climbers. For more information, visit www.accessfund.org.

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Staff