Leadership

Jessica (Wahl) Turner is the first President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), America’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations and organizations. Under her leadership, ORR has connected all segments of the outdoor recreation economy to pass historical legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act and achieve millions of dollars in funding for public lands, waters and rural gateway communities. Jessica has over a decade of experience navigating the halls of The White House, Department of the Interior (DOI), Capitol Hill, state recreation offices and outdoor lifestyle businesses. Prior to ORR, she directed Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) outdoor recreation portfolio in Washington D.C. where she successfully gained landmark government recognition of outdoor recreation’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product as one of America’s leading industry sectors. Jessica began her career at the Department of the Interior where she managed external relations for the Secretary, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Outside and Let’s Move! in Indian Country initiatives. Jessica is also the co-founder and past-chair of the Coalition for Outdoor Access, serves on the Board of the American Conservation Coalition, Advisory Council of Oregon State University’s Outdoor Economy Program, Business Advisory Council for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has been recognized for her leadership in D.C. and the outdoor industry with Outdoors’ 30 Under 30 and the Hill’s Top Lobbyist. Jessica has a Master of Arts and bachelor’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University and is a passionate outdoorswoman.

Ben Nasta is Director at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable where he works on a variety of issues including federal government relations, communications, state Offices of Outdoor Recreation, events and much more. Ben has been with ORR since its inception, and prior to that worked with the American Recreation Coalition for five years. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., Ben worked as a local news producer at 13-WHAMTV in Rochester, NY. He holds a degree in journalism with a minor in politics from Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications.