Andy Marker
Andy, founder and principal of IPA Connect has been working on pro programs in the Outdoor, Ski, and Bike Industry for over 25 years. With some of the most prestigious companies in the industry on his resume, including Black Diamond Equipment, Nike, The North Face, Patagonia and prAna as a F/T employee; and now running this business with a solid list of clients of some the best and brightest names in the Outdoor Recreation space. Andy has more direct experience in building and managing pro programs than anyone else in the industry, bar none.
Andy grew up all over the western US and counts skiing, biking, hiking, swimming, woodworking, and competitive baking as interests. He currently lives in Hood River, OR with his wife Nicole Bassett of The Renewal Workshop and 2 Australian Shepherds - Astro the Wonder Dog and Cosmo the Great & Fearless.
Kellie Dunn
Kellie Dunn has over a decade of experience in the sports and Outdoor Industry. She worked at companies such as Columbia Sportswear and Dakine with experience ranging from marketing to customer service before joining the IPA Connect team. After finishing a degree and collegiate water polo career at Santa Clara University, Kellie moved back to Oregon where she remains active in the outdoors. Any given day you can find her road biking, mountain biking, skiing, running, swimming, hiking, or anything that keeps her moving and outside. Kellie also coaches the Hood River Valley High School water polo team and also the Hood River Water Polo Club. She currently resides in Hood River, OR with her boyfriend Gary and Great Pyrenees dog Oso.
Mike Sherman
Mike joined the IPA team with years of experience in the Outdoor Industry including guiding whitewater in Idaho and Colorado and a background in retail and purchasing. Additionally, Mike has worked in the food industry for sixteen years overseeing freight management, sales, and customer service. When not spending time with family and working, he seeks out all things bikes and when snow flies, you’ll find him out skiing.
Ashley Watts
Ashley is responsible for recruiting, vetting, and approving professionals at IPA Connect for the brands she supports. Originally from a very rural town of southwestern Montana, Ashley moved to Hood River, Oregon where she worked in customer service prior to joining IPA Connect. With a true appreciation for the outdoors she enjoys hiking, skiing, road biking, SUP-ing, off roading, and camping. Her two dogs Luna and Apex always get to accompany her and her boyfriend Casey in their adventures. Ashley currently resides in Reno, Nevada and you will find her exploring new places or volunteering with Keep Tahoe Blue in her free time.
Erin Makowsky
Erin is responsible for developing human resources programs and services that enhance the employee experience at IPA Connect. Erin has seven years of HR experience working on behalf of Yellowstone National Park and nearly a decade of nonprofit experience. She enjoys spending time exploring public lands and national parks and hopes her young daughter will grow up to share a similar deep love of wild places. Erin enjoys skiing, trail running, floating Montana’s rivers, and spending time in her garden.
Jessamyn George
Jessamyn has more than 10 years of experience in the sports and Outdoor Industry. After living in Colorado and California, Jessamyn returned to her home state of Vermont, where she lives with her husband and daughter, Saylor Emerson. With a true appreciation for the outdoors she enjoys hiking, biking, running, and spending time with her family.
Stacey marcus
Stacey joins the IPA team with many years of experience in the outdoor industry. Her passion and knowledge for awesome gear make her a great fit for our collaborative team. She calls Bend OR home after spending 20 years in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and enjoys the great PNW outdoor playground. Some of her passions include chasing powder, mountain biking, playing pickleball, surfing and enjoying music festivals.
Brent Russell
Brent specializes in building some of IPA’s databases and calls Raleigh, North Carolina home after 20 years in Southern California. Retired from a 30 year career playing Ultimate frisbee Brent played with the National Champion Santa Barbara Condors and now teaches the youth in North Carolina, including his own kids, the sport. Brent leads a very active lifestyle although driving to youth sporting events to either coach or watch his kids dominates his spare time.
Giordan Morey
Giordan got her start in the Outdoor Industry at Klean Kanteen as their Marketing Coordinator. She then moved to Simms Fishing Products to run the Custom Branding department and Duckworth Co. where she met the IPA team. She is originally from Northern California but is now located in Bozeman, Montana with her boyfriend and big fluffy white dog, Disket. She spends her weekend hiking, floating and fishing her way through Montana.
Heather Price
Heather comes from a Retail and Brand Management background, with 20 years of Event Planning in-between. She has extensive Customer Service and Marketing experience and has helped launch several outdoor brands and actually likes trade shows!
Combining her love for all things bike, Heather helped start a cycling safety advocacy group and also helps produce a Cyclocross race series in Boise, Idaho. Seasonally she runs, boats, fly fishes and skis…and collects the gear for all of the above, and more. The latest gear includes cool things for her new baby boy.
Teri Winston
Teri Winston has been in customer service for over 20 years her most recent work was 9 years at Dakine; gathering experience in e-commerce and pro sales management, warranty, and sales. Teri grew up in Hood River, Oregon where she met her husband and raised her family.In her free time you will find her on the Columbia river boating/fishing, SUP-ing, or enjoying her best friend and dog, Brody, an energetic Aussie. Her real passion is cake decorating and quilting.
Cara Ward
Cara joined the IPA Connect team to provide account management support for numerous brands. Her love of all things outdoors and lifelong customer service background make her role in the Outdoor Industry and with IPA Connect a perfect match. On her days off, she likes to raft, camp, hike, Nordic ski, read, and forage for wild edibles.
Nancy Odle
Nancy joined the IPA Connect team with a strong customer service background. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering for her local High School Mountain Bike League. She loves mountain biking, nordic skiing and pretty much anything else outside.
ROBBIE WALSH
Robbie joined IPA Connect with 20 years under his belt in the outdoor industry. He started off selling rollerblades in the brief time they were all the rage, however, he quickly, and thankfully, switched to the larger wheels of a mountain bike where he found his home in the cycling industry. Robbie has run action sports programs all over the PNW for the last decade, most recently managing the Pro Program for Dakine. He now resides in the mountain bike mecca of Bend, OR where he rides his bike or his board everyday, most often with his girlfriend, Jamie, and his trail dog, Otis.
Danielle Miller
Danielle is our Digital Marketing Manager and also manages our Dakine account. She is a Hood River native, but currently resides in Ohio with her husband & two cats, Kiwi & Brimstone. In her off time, Danielle is an avid hiker and swimmer who, when she’s not walking around a pool deck, can be found binge watching TV, knitting, pickling, or nurturing her pride and joy: her sourdough starter.
Mary Williams
Mary supports the IPA Connect team as an Account Manager for multiple brands. She is an Idaho native and loves to participate in all the wonderful outdoor pursuits Idaho provides! Mary loves to ski, backpack, swim, hike, trail run, and mountain bike. She lives in Boise, Idaho with her family and enjoys recreating whenever possible and in any season with her husband and four teenagers.
Kristi Buchanan
Kristi joined the IPA Connect team with over ten years in customer service and sales. She lives in Hood River, Oregon where she enjoys kayaking, hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, riding trails on her quad and traveling. In her down time, you can find Kristi knitting, crocheting, reading and spending time with my family.
PETE TAYLOR
Pete Taylor joined IPA Connect in the fall of 2021 after a decade in the outdoor industry. His experience includes six years at Petzl in Operations and Training and one year at SOTAR custom rafts in Sales. Pete grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from the University of Montana (Griz morning to ya!) with a degree in Geography. You can find him on the single track in southern Oregon in the warmer months and in Utah planning around storms in winter. He is happiest in the desert and mountains among friends and family and his loyal companion Piper
Amanda hull
Amanda joined the IPA Connect team in June 2022 and is a European Account Manager. She got her start in the Outdoor Industry working in the wholesale department at Ibex and managing bicycle tours at Discovery Bicycle Tours. After teaching kindergarten (including forest kindergarten) for several years, she is excited to be back in the Outdoor Industry with IPA Connect. Amanda enjoys the great outdoors with activities like hiking, biking, running, kayaking, and snowshoeing while spending time with her husband and two children in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont.
Stacey Galinat
Stacey first joined IPA working with various brands and now works with our renewing pros.
She also enjoys coaching cross country skiing at her local ski area to people of all ages. In her spare time, she enjoys mountain biking and running.
Helen Nightingale
Helen joins IPA Connect with a strong background in sales, customer service, and event planning in the Sports and Outdoor Industry working as an independent contractor for X Games and Dew Tour. With a true love for the outdoors, you can find her near the ocean in the summer and on the mountains in the winter. Helen currently resides in Vermont with her husband, two kids and yellow lab, Willow. She enjoys traveling, biking, paddle boarding, hiking, skiing, and chasing her kids down the mountain.
ingrid granlin
Ingrid hails from Smithers, BC but now calls Bend, Oregon home. When she's not exploring the backcountry you'll find her assisting IPA with all things web and graphic related, running her busy gardening business, and teaching the masses perfect cross country ski technique.
