Jonathan “J.W.” Williams

Why I’m on the steering committee:
J.W. is the Director of Public Policy for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and lives full time in Lander, Wyoming. As a former whitewater rafting guide and ski patroller, J.W. knows first hand the powerful and transformative experiences that are made possible by adventuring in and learning about wild places. His passion for the outdoors and love for seeing how people/cultures connect to their surrounding landscapes led him to embark on a 9-month bicycle trip from Mexico to Argentina. J.W. appreciates the Coalition for Outdoor Access (COA) and their ongoing effort to work alongside other members of the outdoor industry and the U.S. land management agencies to improve access to America’s great outdoors.

Stakeholder group:
NOLS is a non-profit that strives to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serves people and the environment. While the school is headquartered in Wyoming, it has several operating locations around the U.S. and the world. Apart from wilderness expeditions, NOLS also offers training in wilderness medicine and rescue skills, and students of all skill types are eligible to receive college credit through the University of Utah.