Mark Singleton Named Executive Director

Mark Singleton has been selected as Executive Director for American Whitewater, the nation’s leading whitewater river conservation, access, and safety organization. Singleton will be responsible for leading American Whitewater’s staff and volunteers, and implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the organization.

“Mark brings to American Whitewater deep experience and knowledge of our sport and our membership constituency,” states Search Committee Chairman and incoming Board President Sutton Bacon. “He is extremely well-regarded as both an industry executive and thought-leader. We look forward to him taking this organization to the next level to strengthen our ability to protect and restore our whitewater resources.”

An avid paddler, cyclist and skier, Singleton arrives at American Whitewater with an accomplished background in the outdoor industry. From 1990 to 2003, Singleton led the marketing efforts of Nantahala Outdoor Center as Marketing Vice President. While at NOC, Singleton worked closely with American Whitewater staff to create a “pass through contribution” for new membership in American Whitewater. Near the completion of his tenure at NOC, Singleton oversaw the retail division of the company. Mark has also served a three-year term on the board of the Outdoor Industry Association, where he represented the interests of specialty outdoor retailers.

Singleton comes to American Whitewater with significant experience serving on government and tourism boards. For seven years he sat on the North Carolina Division of Travel and Tourism Board. He is a past president of Smoky Mountain Host, where he helped implement a Rural Tourism Grant Program in North Carolina. Grants from this program have been used for river enhancement projects on the Nantahala and Tuckasegee Rivers that help fuel the economic vitality of region.

“I am thrilled to be coming on board as the new Executive Director of American Whitewater,” states Mark. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to work closely with our talented staff and volunteers to build on the legacy of accomplishment in landmark river conservation and access issues throughout the United States.”

Mark, his wife Debby, a faculty member in the Parks and Recreation Management program at Western Carolina University, and their two daughters (Mckayla age 4 and Skyler age 6) live on Wesser Creek in the Nantahala River Gorge where spare time is spent catching salamanders and exploring the outdoors from the cockpit of a kayak. Mark will initially be based out of American Whitewater’s Asheville office.

For more information and for a complete biography, please visit our website at www.americanwhitewater.org.

Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national organization with a mission “to conserve and restore America’s whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” American Whitewater is a membership organization representing a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and more than 100 local paddling club affiliates across America. The organization is the primary advocate for the preservation and protection of whitewater resources throughout the United States, and connects the interests of human-powered recreational river users with ecological and science-based data to achieve the goals within its mission.