An outdoor retailer has been elected as the new chairman of the Outdoor Industry Association of the U.S. Will Manzer, chief executive of the Eastern Mountain Sports chain, is taking the place of Dan Templin, chief financial officer of VF Outdoor, on the OIA board, which consists of 18 voting members and 10 non-voting members. Manzer has presented Peter Metcalf, co-founder, CEO, president and chairman of Black Diamond Equipment, with the OIA Chairman's Award for his leadership, commitment and inspiration during service to the OIA board. It is the third time that a retailer has been elected chairman of the American OIA, after Connie Self from A16 and Denise Friend from REI. Many outdoor retailers are members of this dynamic American association, which still has Frank Hugelmeyer as its president and CEO. By the end of this year, the OIA will have over 1,200 corporate members, 12 percent more than last year. More than 10 percent of the members are based outside the U.S. and more than 30 percent operate internationally. Including the members of 60 affiliated niche associations, the OIA already represents more than 4,000 different companies, including suppliers to the industry, sales representatives and retailers.

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