Travis Stanley
Hello!
I'm from Roanoke City, Virginia and was born in the closing months of the 70s.
The number 1 song in America when I was born was, "Ring My Bell." So from time to time I'll be asking for more cow bell. I created ASTC.
My roots come from Dickenson County and Franklin County, Virginia.
I have been a lot of things over the decades.
Tiger Major Colonel
Highlander Sailor Grizzly Bear
I was very fortunate to have been born after V-J Day 1945 on planet Earth. My luck continued when I was born on a highly developed country on the North American continent. On a global scale, many of my peers never made it past 5 years of age, or learned to read. So, I'm grateful for the hard work my ancestors put in which has allowed me to have a very educated and soft life. Because of my plush life, everyday I do things to harden my body and mind to prevent myself form becoming doughy, thus preserving the legacy of my elders.
The events that really started leading me towards creating ASTC, LLC happened in early 2013.
I had just 9 months left on my 6 year enlistment in the World's Finest Navy and I was looking at ways to travel. I was looking at vehicles and then I remembered that I could ride a motorcycle (it had been 15 years), and after some research I liked the minimalist foot print it offered. Faster than a bicycle, more accessible than a car.
The following year, I bought a brand new Suzuki DR650 to go travel North America. I decided to stay in the lower 48 states. From Jan-Nov, I went on three trips and traveled to many states and put over 23,000 miles on my new motorcycle. During these travels I become more interested in tourism.
In late 2014 I learned of the Mt. Adams Institute which is partnered with AmeriCorps. They were doing a Military Veteran internship for a 10.5 month program with the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, and the Virginia Regional Office of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
The internship lasted from May 2015-March 2016. I was able to learn the fundamentals of trail work, and learn more about national resource use and collaboration.
Please look over this blog I wrote while there.
I also became a life time member of the Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club.
In 2016 I moved to Abingdon, VA.
In 2017 after putting in some applications for tourism in the area and failing to get a job, I decided to use my ace in the hole, the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Before using the generous benefits I went to the very friendly Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon and paid out of pocket for some prerequisites in business.
It is always good to network with new people and learn from different perspectives, so in the Spring of 2018 I moved out west to attend the pride of Montana, the University of Montana (UM). My first stop was Helena where I joined the Montana Conservation Corps for the summer. This was a great primer to better understand the region, and it allowed me to give back through community service, which is a Guiding Principle of ASTC.
The Fall Semester of 2018 I enrolled in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, and studied Parks Tourism and Recreation Management. I also studied nonprofit administration and business, because of my interest in economic development in Appalachia.
This two year period in Montana was very good to me because it helped me gain humility due to the heavy interpersonal activity and self reflection.
In the summer of 2020, I completed a 400 hour internship with the Clinch Ranger District of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. I completed trail asset inventory on nearly all of the trails and inputted the data on a software program. During the long hikes, I decided to become a social entrepreneur.
In December of 2020 I earned my BS in Recreation Management: Parks, Tourism & Rec Management, MAGNA CUM LAUDE.
Beginning September 2021, Travis will take temporary jobs as per this Blog. The duration will be 100 days -12 months inside the general 112 county service area to network, improve skills, learn about the potential, and fund the social enterprise.
My first temporary job came in the Fall with the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards.
I was apart of a hard working 11 person Crew in the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. The trail was right next to the Bald River Falls Parking lot, and is an approach trail for the Bald River Gorge Wilderness. We actually had a University of Montana and a Montana State University Alum as apart of the Crew. How about that?
760 ft² crib wall constructed
53 rock steps built
68 ft² rock paving installed
Please consider going to the Travis Stanley Introduction sub-forum to ask me any questions.
Thanks again for visiting.
Travis Stanley,
President
Appalachia Sustainable Tourism Collaboration, LLC.
Travis Stanley's Resume:
Objective: To obtain temporary full-time or part-time employment in hopes of helping improve nature based tourism development in the mountains of KY, NC, TN, VA, WV.
Education:
B.S. Parks Tourism and Recreation Management. Nov 2020
G.P.A. 3.8. University of Montana. Missoula, MT
B.S. Exercise, Sport, and Health Education. May 2004
G.P.A. 3.6. Radford University. Radford, VA
Certifications:
American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR. Exp: Aug 2023
USNF FFT2 Red Card. Fitness Arduous. Exp: June 2023
Leave No Trace, Trainer Course, Fall of 2019
Experience:
Shuttle Driver--River Host with Twin River Outfitters. 2022
Learned about a high volume recreational river business model.
Improved knowledge of kayaks, canoes, and tubes.
Improved skills in driving vehicles with trailers.
Learned about class 1-3 rapids and river conditions.
Trail Crew Member for the 2021 Fall Season with the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards.
Improved trail building skills with a concentration in stone work by helping put in 50 rock steps.
Learned about recreational opportunities in the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokke National Forest.
Networked with SAWS staff and fellow Trail Crew Members.
Appalachia Sustainable Tourism Collaboration. Feb 2021
Founder and President of Social Enterprise
Self starter who created enterprise from scratch
Future operations will offer made from scratch trip planning
Creating a database of Guides, and Travel Agents to help trip planners
Daily improving knowledge of tourism opportunities in the region
Clinch Ranger District of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
400 hour College Internship June-Sep. 2020
Hiked nearly all of the 22 trails in the District and conducted asset inventory
Captured 1,400 trail structures, points of interests, and resource coordinates
Put 1,400 GPS coordinates into ArcGIS attribute tables
Understands the strengths, weakness, and potential of the trails on the District
Montana Conservation Corps. Veterans Green Corps. May-Aug. 2018
Safety Officer on Chainsaw Crew that spent multiple days in the field
Attended Wildland FireFighter School in the Helena National Forest
Improved camping skills while staying at primitive locations for days at a time
AmeriCorps/US Forest Service/Appalachian Trail Conservancy. May 2015- March 2016
Onboarded volunteers for the Konnarock Trail Crew
Learned essential skills on trail maintenance and the use of tools
Coordinated and led work hikes on the AT with Virginia Tech students
Carilion Wellness Center Roanoke, Personal Trainer (2014-2016)
Developed individualized exercise programs for various fitness levels
Taught exercises to improve body mechanics and functional daily living skills
Reevaluated exercise programs based upon individual results
United States Navy, Hospital Corpsman (2007-2013)
Operation Enduring Freedom, Combat Medic, Afghanistan
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Combat Medic
Humanitarian Aid Mission, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Pacific Partnership 2012, USNS T-AH-19 Mercy, Intensive Care Unit
Achievements:
Certificate of Appreciation from the Cherokee National Forest for stone work on the Bald River Trail. 2021
Created Appalachia Sustainable Tourism Collaboration, LLC (Social Enterprise)
3 cross country motorcycle trips on Suzuki DR650 that totaled 166 days. 2014
Combat Action Ribbon, Operation Enduring Freedom. 2011
Outstanding Major Award, VA Association for Health Physical Ed Rec and Dance. 2003
Community volunteering:
Revitalizing rural Appalachia by informing tourists and stakeholders
Interests:
Create a network of outdoor tourism vendors for travel agents to call upon
Motivating stakeholders that we can host global tourists 12 months a year
Aid entrepreneurs with their startups with constructive feedback and strategic planning
