“Find a Way and Make it Fun”: Welcoming Katie Allred as Development Director with WAS

I am excited to introduce myself and join the wonderful work that WAS and its amazing community of students, supporters, and staff have been doing.

My name is Katie Allred and I am the new Development Director for WAS. I have been interested in adaptive recreation and universal design since I was young. I grew up around family and friends of all physical and mental ability levels and my family motto was to “find a way and make it fun.” In middle school I volunteered with children in special education classes and in high school I spent two hours a week helping a neighbor couple around their house, one of whom had advanced MS and the other was paraplegic. I saw what a powerful couple they were and also what gaps could be filled if the community came together. In college I hit my tipping point as I fought to find equitable recreational opportunities for my niece with OI (“soft bones”). It was not her OI that was holding her back, but rather pool facilities that saw her as a liability instead of a child with rights to recreate. Throughout these experiences I grew as an adaptive ally and I saw the power of recreation to open up a world of possibility and wellness for those around me.

Following my passion for inclusivity, I got my Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management and Experience Design and a minor in Business Administration from Brigham Young University in Provo. I have worked in adaptive aquatics, adaptive equestrian, and with Splore’s adaptive youth and veterans programs. I have worked for the National Park Service and partnered with the National Forest Service. I have experience in city recreation and have served on the administration teams of three health and human service nonprofits. I am the founder of Pivot Adventure nonprofit and I have raised more than half a million dollars to advance resiliency and mental health for youth in the outdoors. I am an experienced event manager, partner, and fundraiser. I am married and the mother of two children. In my free time I enjoy skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering, and world travel.

I look forward to meeting you at a WAS lesson, fundraising event, group ride, or out on the slopes and trails of the Wasatch.

Thank you,

Katie Allred