Welcome Bix Firer, our New Director of Philanthropy!

By Bix Firer, Director of Philanthropy for the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

I am thrilled to join the Ice Age Trail Alliance as the Director of Philanthropy!

I was born and raised in Milwaukee and took my first backpacking trip on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. I now have the pleasure of closing this circle and supporting the Ice Age Trail and the community, which sparked my passion for the outdoors and connecting people to the natural world.

For the last decade and a half, my career has focused on connecting communities to our public lands and life-changing experiences in the outdoors. Early in my career, I guided rock climbing, paddling, and backpacking trips for young folks in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Wyoming. I was lucky to spend my twenties exploring the Upper Midwest and the Rocky Mountains while helping my students learn to love being outside and develop their land ethics. I worked as the National Program Director for Big City Mountaineers, connecting youth to wilderness experiences and building a community of support for our work. Since leaving Big City Mountaineers, I have worked in higher education, directing and overseeing funding for outdoor education programs in Idaho and Alaska. With the recent birth of my first child and this fantastic opportunity with the Alliance, I knew it was time to head home to continue this work in Wisconsin.

The Director of Philanthropy role combines my favorite aspects of work: building relationships and getting people outside. I look forward to getting to know the amazing community surrounding the Alliance and doing the vital work of supporting the chapters and projects that make the Ice Age Trail possible. Over the next year, I am eager to get to know as many of you as possible, visit our chapters and supporters to see firsthand the crucial work you are doing, and hear how I can support you.

In my free time, I am passionate about getting outside. I love to backpack, run, canoe, fly fish, and spend time in the field with my dogs, my wife Emma, and, as of March, our son Angus. We love to garden, cook, and forage and are excited to return to the land of wild ramps and morels.

We look forward to visiting new Trail segments and revisiting old favorites. My family will be relocating from Anchorage, Alaska over the next few months, and we look forward to calling the Driftless area home.