Their leadership and expertise will help steer the organization for the next three years and beyond 

Washington, D.C. — The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is pleased to announce the onboarding of four new directors to its leadership team. Shawn Gorman, Rue Mapp, Sanjay Patel, and Simon Perkins bring a diverse set of experience to the TRCP’s Board of Directors.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these industry leaders and dedicated advocates to our Board at a time when the conservation community has become so influential and effective at securing bipartisan-backed conservation solutions,” says Whit Fosburgh, TRCP’s president and CEO. “We have even more opportunity to advance conservation in the years ahead, and Shawn, Rue, Sanjay, and Simon will have a strong impact as the Board works to set up our organization for success and empower our staff.”

Learn more about our newest Board members below and see the full roster here.

Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman of L.L.Bean, Inc.

Shawn Gorman serves as executive chairman of L.L.Bean, a family-owned outdoor retailer that was founded by his great-grandfather, Leon Leonwood (“L.L.”) Bean, in Freeport, Maine in 1912. Previously, Gorman served the business in various roles in marketing, communications, and customer operations for more than 20 years. In addition to leading L.L.Bean’s Board of Directors, Gorman oversees the company’s audit and Board compensation committees and is a member of L.L.Bean’s governance committee.

Outside L.L.Bean, Gorman serves as chairman of the John T. Gorman Foundation and on the boards of the Outdoor Industry Association and University of New Hampshire Foundation. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and recently joined the steering committee of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters organization. He is also a former vice chair of the United Way of Greater Portland.

Gorman grew up in Exeter, New Hampshire and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from UNH in 1989. He has also completed executive programs at the Wharton School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management. Like his great-grandfather was, Gorman is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys spending time outside with friends and family.

Rue Mapp, Founder & CEO of Outdoor Afro

Rue Mapp is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, a national not-for-profit organization with offices in Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C. She oversees a carefully selected and trained national volunteer leadership team of nearly 90 men and women from 30 states around the U.S. and has successfully connected thousands of people, especially from the Black American community, to nature and the benefits of spending more time outdoors. Since Outdoor Afro’s inception in 2009 as a blog, Mapp has captured the attention and support of millions through a multimedia approach that is grounded in personal connections and community organizing.

In 2010, Mapp participated in the America’s Great Outdoors Conference at the Obama White House and subsequently took part in a think-tank to inform the launch of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. She has been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions including: The Root 100, as one of the most influential African Americans in the country in 2012 and 2016; the Outdoor Industry Inspiration Award; the National Wildlife Federation Communication award, received alongside President Bill Clinton; and one of America’s 20 Most Influential Moms as named by Family Circle Magazine. In 2020, Outdoor Afro was also chosen to be highlighted and visited by Oprah on her 2020 Vision Tour. She has served on the Boards of the Outdoor Industry Association and The Wilderness Society. In 2014, she was appointed to the California State Parks Commission by Governor Jerry Brown. She has also been named a National Geographic fellow and a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.

As a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Art History, Mapp’s skills and background make her a unique voice in the effort to enlighten a diverse community on the wonders and benefits of the outdoors. She resides in Vallejo, Calif., and is the proud mother of three young adults.

Sanjay Patel, Chairman International and Senior Partner of Private Equity at Apollo Management

Sanjay Patel is chairman international and senior partner of private equity at Apollo Management in New York City, where he is responsible for helping to build and develop Apollo’s international businesses. He was formerly head of their European division and managing partner of Apollo European Principal Finance based in London. He joined Apollo Management in 2010 as head of international private equity. He is a member of the firm’s management committee and investment committees. Patel started his career at Goldman Sachs in 1983 and spent 17 years working in European and Indian private equity for their Principal Investment Area in New York and London. Previously, he was president of Greenwich Street Capital from 1998 to 2003.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Tegra Apparel and is a member of the Financial Sector Forum for the Bank of England. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers for Harvard University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council. He serves on the Investment Committee of the Eton College Foundation and is the chair of the Eton Development Committee.

Patel received his AB and SM engineering degrees, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and received his MBA degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. He was educated at Eton College in the UK, where he was a King’s Scholar concentrating on American foreign policy and international economics.

Simon Perkins, President of The Orvis Company

Simon Perkins is president of Orvis, representing the third generation of the Perkins family to lead the company since 1856—he is the son of Leigh “Perk” Perkins, former Orvis CEO, and grandson of Leigh H. Perkins, who purchased The Orvis Company in 1965. Simon joined Orvis in 2012 and has filled leadership roles across merchandising, adventures, and brand marketing teams. As vice president of brand marketing and chief operating officer, he oversaw the execution of the company’s long-term strategic planning and has championed projects aimed at diversifying the sport of flyfishing, such as the 50/50 On the Water initiative and the Breaking Barriers Award, which highlights individuals broadening the flyfishing audience.

Perkins has served on the Boards of the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Trout Unlimited Headwaters. He has been a driver of Orvis’s involvement in advocacy for conservation projects in locations such as Bristol Bay, Alaska and Florida’s Everglades. Before joining Orvis, Perkins spent 11 years as an upland hunting and flyfishing guide in Montana, sharing his love of the outdoors, fishing, and hunting with clients.