James Henderson
In recent years, The Mountaineers has expanded its risk management activity to include an increased focus on the interpersonal environment, understanding that there is a direct link between physical and emotional safety. The Mountaineers recognizes the importance of organizational culture in establishing an inclusive and welcoming environment.
What is organizational culture? Organizational culture is the combined impact of our individual actions, supported by policies, procedures, communications, and supports. We each have a role to play, and our collective efforts, intentionally applied, can move the needle in important ways.
In early 2024, The Mountaineers launched a Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Prevention (SHSAP) Advisory Committee to better define and understand the risks of sexual harassment and sexual assault within The Mountaineers. The Committee also identified ways to prevent these behaviors and to respond appropriately when they occur. The SHSAP Advisory Committee released their recommendations in October 2024. These recommendations include a phased action plan for policy updates, communications and visibility, training and education, and improvements to reporting and investigation.
The Advisory Committee’s top-line recommendation was the creation of a cross-functional team to drive the implementation, both in coordination of ongoing efforts and support for new initiatives. Thus the SHSAP Committee was born. The Mountaineers Board of Directors approved the SHSAP Committee Charter in January and work is now underway to prioritize specific actions that The Mountaineers will undertake to strengthen its culture of safety and inclusion.
In parallel with filling key committee roles and developing a work plan, a number of things have been implemented to build momentum:
- A new interim policy was approved by the Board, limiting participation in Mountaineers activities by members with sex convictions;
- The Mountaineers incident reporting form was updated to include behavior complaint information and a link to the complaint form itself;
- A new, general incident report form was created for lodges and events.
As structured, the SHSAP Committee is composed of an Executive Committee and an Implementation Team. Members of the Executive Team include:
- James Henderson, Chair
- Erin Vagley, Vice-Char
- Tess Wendel, Safety Committee Liaison
- Ramki Pitchuiyer, Equity & Inclusion Liaison
- Amanda Piro, Branch Leadership Liaison
- Tom Vogl, CEO (ex-officio, non-voting)
- Becca Polglase, Director of Programs & Operations (ex-officio, non-voting)
- Nomi Rachel Fuchs Montgomery, Communications Chair
The SHSAP Executive Committee convened for the first time in early June and is now recruiting for the Implementation Team to assist in advancing the SHSAP Advisory Committee recommendations. If you are interested in serving on the SHSAP ImplementationTeam, please use this form.
The SHSAP Committee is committed to timely and transparent reporting on its work. Look for regular updates on The Mountaineers blog and on the SHSAP Committee page as the Committee’s work continues.
