McKean to Serve on Gov's Get Outdoors Advisory

Glasgow resident Andrew McKean loves the outdoors and has worn many hats within the outdoor industry. He has been a hunter, an independent journalist writing about the outdoors and even as former editor-in-chief of Outdoor Life magazine. It's only fitting he was one of 16 people throughout the state to be selected by Governor Bullock to serve on the Get Outdoors Montana Advisory. As a member, he is tasked with growing and making Montana's outdoor recreation economy more viable.

"The outdoor industry needs management. All across the country, the industry is getting bigger and bigger. People are starting to recognize the benefits of camping, RVing and spending time on public lands in addition to hunting and fishing," said McKean. Due to the growth of the industry, every state in the country is vying for the title of "The Next Outdoor State," with some states creating outdoor councils themselves to be the biggest and best. In order to obtain the title, states are trying to recruit outdoor companies to make their state home, and it's a very competitive process. "Why can't Montana, who has the abundance of a good work force, and the public lands, be one of the viable states for this industry?," asked McKean.

Another goal of the advisory council is to assist current businesses in the state to expand. "We want to be able to establish more economic stability for the family rancher. We want to be able to add value through recreation as well as bring companies in to be here long-term," said McKean. "We want to find people with business opportunities and take them to the next level and be more economically stable."

As one of two council members representing eastern Montana, McKean admits he is "flying the flag for Northeast Montana," when he attends conferences and conventions where members of the outdoor industry converge. "I want to make eastern Montana part of these conversations. I want to attract the right business by explaining what we have: good public land, good recreation access, a pretty good digital infrastructure and a good workforce," admitted McKean.

Being a part of the council happened by accident, recalled McKean, as he had no intention of applying. He was initially a promoter for the position, talking to a few of his friends and acquaintances who would be good assets in the post. After a series of events and none of the people he talked to deciding to apply, McKean decided to "put his hat in the ring." Due to his experience with the outdoors, he was chosen by Governor Bullock and has hit the ground running ever since. He was most recently in Utah attending an outdoor convention, making connections and promoting our area.

The 16-member council has committed to meet four times a year to compare notes and make sure everyone is on the same page regarding making progress for Montana. McKean hopes to continue to grow knowledge about eastern Montana throughout the country. "This is the right time for this. Eastern Montana has many attributes that are appealing to companies. People can work anywhere nowadays. In the past, companies were more focused on infrastructure, in this day and age that is not needed. We just need to be able to promote ourselves as a region," stated McKean.