By Tom Beckwith
In June, the Colorado Mountain Club welcomed Katie Blackett as its new Executive Director. The post had been empty since the departure of Kristy Judd in January, after which Bill Strathearn, former CMC treasurer, served as interim E.D.
Blackett brings a wealth of financial, organizational, and operational management experience to the position. Most recently, she served as the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance and Operations at the non-profit National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) in Louisville, Colorado. While there, she oversaw three departments and worked with a twenty-three person board of directors.
Katie is also a professional marathon runner. “I began running when I was nine years old,” she said. “My dad was also a marathoner, and for college I got a full-ride scholarship to Villanova University in the long jump, the triple jump, and the heptathlon. But Villanova has such strength in distance running that before long, I was competing in marathons.”
She has been a professional runner for eight years and is sponsored by Saucony, a company specializing in shoes and apparel for runners (www.saucony.com), and by Powerbar. She recently competed in her second Olympic marathon trial and admits to some relief that she didn’t make the Olympic team. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the Colorado Mountain Club,” she said. “When you’re a professional runner, you can’t hike or ski or climb because of the danger of injury. It’s the loss of a pay check if you can’t compete.” She also plans to dial down her involvement in professional running. “You don’t really have a life,” she admits, “when you’re training three hours or more every day. I’m ready to be a part of this wonderful organization. I’m ready to hike and ski!”
She and her husband, Matt Schneider, live in Boulder and have joined the Boulder Group. Matt is an orthopedic physicians’ assistant who works for Boulder’s Center for Sports Medicine. The couple met in Tucson, Arizona, where Matt was working as a trainer. “I faked an injury to meet him,” Katie admits. “I described an old, healed injury so I’d know what the symptoms were.” Matt is also a runner who competed this in the Boston Marathon while she was participating in the Olympic trials there. Meanwhile, a brother and his family are moving to Colorado from Tucson, Arizona, and Katie has plans to get them to join the Colorado Mountain Club, as well. “All these runners turning into hikers,” she laughs. “The family is breathing a sigh of relief.”
When asked why she became interested in the CMC’s Executive Director position, Katie said, “I love non-profits. I’ve worked for both for-profit corporations and non-profits, and I prefer the dedication and lifestyle of the non-profit world. I wanted to find an organization focused on recreation, conservation, education, or the arts and get behind its mission. The CMC was a perfect fit.”
Katie looks forward to ensuring that the Groups of the CMC and the various stakeholders in the club have a voice that is heard and respected and that the club will continue to grow into its mission as the premier outdoor organization in the Rocky Mountain west.