Alison DeLapp is the new Executive Director of the Overland Expo Foundation
After an exhaustive search, The Overland Expo Foundation has tapped Alison DeLapp as its new Executive Director.
Alison will lead the organization into the future while upholding the foundation’s mission of protecting public lands, educating new and seasoned travelers, and responsibly exploring our world – both domestic and internationally. Alison knows the mission of the Overland Expo Foundation because she’s lived the mission.
DeLapp brings a strong work ethic, having worked with Overland Expo as Logistics Manager, Assistant Director, Operations Director, and now Creative Director as well as a past-life in the professional photography industry. However, the thing that drew the Board of Directors to Alison was her rich overland travel experience.
In 2009 DeLapp bought a Kawasaki KLR650 and embarked on a solo ride through the desert southwest in 2010. In 2011 she spent a summer-long trip riding from Los Angeles to Alaska. From there, the next logical move was to travel south. She quit her job in photography in 2012 and spent six-months journeying through Mexico, Central, and South America, ending up in Ushuaia, Argentina – which she documented on her website, Alison’s Wanderland. She began working with Overland Expo in 2013 while living abroad in Panama and Colombia and traveling back-and-forth between events.
Alison truly embodies the overland lifestyle and is excited to move the Overland Expo Foundation forward strategically while taking the opportunity to fund people and organizations that protect and restore public land, provide education in responsible overland travel, and travelers that make a mark on our communities domestically and internationally.
“I am excited to take on this new role and work alongside groups and individuals that make a difference in our community. As a seasoned overlander, I have always valued the importance of education, even more so now as the popularity of overlanding arises. The Foundation is looking to support projects that protect access to land, promote a minimal ecological imprint, and cultivate a more conscientious community. We will do our part to ensure that overlanding can be an impactful experience for generations to come.” DeLapp said.
Jessica Kirchner, Board President of the Overland Expo Foundation summed it up nicely when she said, “As a driving force behind the business of Overland Expo for many years, and an avid overlander herself, Alison DeLapp was the natural choice to become Executive Director of the Foundation. Alison has a passion for supporting “do good as you go” causes and a keen awareness of the need for community education in outdoor ethics and sustainability. Alison’s passion for the overland community, matched with her business acumen, makes her the ideal steward for the Overland Foundation.”
About The Overland Expo Foundation
We are a group of enthusiasts passionate about the freedom of overland travel and the majesty of our public lands.
Our mission is to help fund stellar organizations and individuals who help protect and advance the overland community.
The Overland Expo Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations and people; advancing the protection of public lands, enhancing the ability and freedom to explore the world by overland vehicle or adventure motorcycle, providing education that fosters preparedness, understanding, and a more conscientious community, completing trail restoration and cleanup programs, and funding travelers that make a difference in our communities.
To learn more about the Overland Expo Foundation, or apply for funding please visit www.overlandexpo.com/foundation.
Header image: Alison DeLapp