Meet SheJumps Board Member: Tania Lown-Hecht

Welcome to the Board of Directors: Tania, we’re excited to have you and learn more about you!

Tania Lown-Hecht is the Vice President of Communications and Strategy at Outdoor Alliance, a national nonprofit coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups. In the last ten years, Tania built a national campaign that defined "public lands" for the 21st century, co-founded the Recreate Responsibly campaign, and led efforts to keep public lands public that resulted in outdoor advocates sending more than a million messages to members of Congress. She also has a PhD in English. 

Tania grew up backpacking, camping, and hiking through California and the west coast, and has a deep commitment to ensuring the outdoors are both accessible and conserved for now and future generations. Tania lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children and is passionate about the slowest-speed outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, backpacking, and cross-country skiing.

Q: What do you hope to contribute to the SheJumps Board of Directors?

A:  With more than a decade of nonprofit work in the outdoor realm under my belt, I hope to bring a deep appreciation for the hard work of the staff and board and a spirit of service to support them in doing their best work for the organization. 

Q: What is your vision for SheJumps?

A:  My vision for SheJumps is that it will continue to build the next generation of female leadership in the outdoors, being the leading organization to provide women and girls a path to leadership through transformative outdoor experiences. 

Q: Who inspires you to go outside and why?

A: The peace, joy, connection, and gratitude to be alive that I feel every time I’m outside is what inspires me to go outside!

Q: Where is your favorite place to go outside or on an adventure? 

A:  I grew up spending summers in the eastern Sierra, which is still a favorite place of mine, but living in Portland, Oregon now, I spend a lot of time in the Gorge and on Mt. Hood and am so grateful to be so close to incredible outdoor adventures.

Q: How has the outdoors benefited your health and overall physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing? 

A: I had leukemia as a teenager, and one of the worst parts of the experience was being stuck inside the hospital without being able to go outside or even see sunlight for weeks at a time. While I was in treatment, I was determined to be able to return to the mountains as soon as I could. After my final round of chemo, I headed straight for the Sierras, and I will never forget how it felt to be surrounded by the trees, the breeze, the sound of the Stanislaus River. I’ve always said that while the chemotherapy might have cured the cancer, being in the mountains the following summer brought me back to life. Even twenty years later, I still feel profound gratitude for the mountains, for my own health, and for being alive, every time I am outside.

Thanks, Tania!

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