AUTHORS
Raymond A. Poff, Ph.D.
Dr. Raymond Poff is a Professor of Recreation in the School of Kinesiology, Recreation & Sport at Western Kentucky University; He is also the WKU program coordinator for the Recreation Administration major.
Raymond had the privilege of working under the direction of the late David J Webb twice during his professional career: 1996-1998 as the full-time Wilkinson Student Center Recreational Services Coordinator managing Brigham Young University Outdoors Unlimited and part-time for the program from 1994-1995 while an undergraduate student at BYU.
His educational background includes earning a Ph.D. in Leisure Behavior from Indiana University (2001), a M.S. in Recreation from Indiana University (1997), and a B.S. in Recreation Management and Youth Leadership from Brigham Young University (1995).
Raymond also had the privilege of working with Indiana University Outdoor Adventures on two different occasions while completing graduate coursework. While working for David Calvin and Tom Stuessy, Raymond’s role focused primarily on coordinating equipment purchases and instructing kayaking courses. The time spent working with IU Outdoor Adventures gave him valuable perspective and experience to complement his experiences at BYU Outdoors Unlimited.
He attended numerous tradeshows: Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, Ski Industries of America Trade Show, Ski Industries of America Snow Show, and the American Rental Association Trade Show. The experiences gained from attending these shows and purchasing outdoor recreation equipment provided additional perspectives on the field of outdoor recreation.
Raymond was on the Board of Directors for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) from 2001-2005. He served as President of AORE from 2003-2004 and Past President from 2004-2005. Raymond continues to play an active role in presenting and participating in the Annual AORE Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Education.
He teaches fly fishing and is a former ACA Whitewater Kayaking instructor. The satisfaction from helping others succeed in developing new outdoor recreation skills is rewarding. He enjoys being outdoors and participating in a number of activities such as camping and fly fishing.
Raymond and his wonderful wife, Sandee, are the proud parents of four children. His family enjoys spending time together and traveling.
David J Webb, M.A. (1953-2002)
The late David J Webb was employed as the Manager of the Wilkinson Student Center Recreational Services at Brigham Young University. He operated BYU Outdoors Unlimited from 1982-1996 and supervised the operation from 1996-2002; he was the driving force behind the organization’s many successes.
He received a Masters of Arts in Recreation Administration, Outdoor Education, and Community Education from Brigham Young University. While attending BYU, David taught nordic skiing, rock climbing and mountaineering, and ballroom dance. He worked as the Program Director for the Outdoor Learning Center at Ricks College and as the Program Director and Assistant Camp Director for Navajo Trails Rocky Mountain Ranch in Bicknell, UT.
David served on the NIRSA and ACU-I Outdoor Recreation Committees, and was elected to a three-year term on the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education Board of Directors in November 1999. He was also affiliated with AAHPERD, AEE, Leave No Trace, the National Safety Council, and the Outdoor Network. He helped organize the 3rd, 4th, and 5th International Conferences on Outdoor Recreation and Education.
David wrote the first chapter of Adventure Programming, edited by Miles and Priest. This chapter, entitled “Outdoor Recreation Programs: Philosophy, Theory, and Models,” discusses various aspects of outdoor programs at schools and military bases. David published more than twenty-five works and gave twenty presentations. David has presented in nine of the International Conferences on Outdoor Recreation and Education. Presentations have called David as far away as Yucatan, Mexico; Okinawa, Japan; and Moscow—Idaho, that is.
In 1998, the US Navy asked David to research their Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs. In December of that year, David presented the Navy with the Navy Outdoor Program Final Assessment and Evaluation. This was the first study of the US Navy’s outdoor adventure recreation program, and included over ninety recommendations for change and improvement.
Dave visited over eighty university and college outdoor recreation programs and over fifty-four military and corporate outdoor recreation facilities. He was the first recipient of The Outdoor Network Leadership Award.
David was active in the administration of BYU Outdoors Unlimited and BYU Games Center. He was a certified windsurfing instructor, raft guide, and cross-country ski instructor. During the summer he spent much of his time training raft guides for Outdoors Unlimited. In the winter, David enjoyed volunteering as a race official for ski and snowboard races at the many resorts in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. David especially enjoyed working as an official for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, UT.
David and his beautiful wife, Delanie, had four wonderful children: Heather, Jason, Cassie, and Tiffany. Together, they enjoyed participating in all the outdoors has to offer. When not performing some task for work, David enjoyed spending time with his family. David was truly the driving force behind the success of BYU Outdoors Unlimited, and was a valuable tool in the outdoor program industry.