Leadership Conference Presenters

The 2019 Leadership Conference is scheduled for Saturday, December 7 at the Seattle Program Center in Magnuson Park.  

• Click here to view a list of this year's breakout sessions.
• Click here for a printable version of the 2019 Leadership Conference schedule.
  

Presenters

• Deb Ajango, SafetyEd
• Sally Anderson, The Mountaineers
• Kevin Bacher, Mount Rainier National Park
• Andy Bassett, The Mountaineers
• Tor Bell, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
• Josh Breger, Select Physical Therapy
• Ben Brown, The Mountaineers
• Lorna Corrigan, The Mountaineers
• Deloa Dalby, The Mountaineers
• Monica Fisk, The Mountaineers
• Jim French, The Mountaineers
• Diane Gelotte, The Mountaineers
• Sean Gombasy, Remote Medical Training
• Jen Gradisher, Washington Trails Association
• Joe Harper Kowalczyk, The Mountaineers
• Michelle Harper Kowalczyk, The Mountaineers
• Katherine Hollis, The Mountaineers
• Richard Jolley, Keating, Bucklin & McCormack
• Debbee Lynn, Jellyfish Flow & The Mountaineers
• Natalia Martinez-Paz, The Mountaineers
• Monserrat Alvarez Matehuala, American Mountain Guides Association
• Bam Mendiola, Bam Org
• Lyra Pierotti, American Mountain Guides Association
• Travis Prescott, The Mountaineers
• Tracy Rekart, McCarthy Consulting
• Annie Runde, Mount Rainier National Park
• Vik Sahney, The Mountaineers
• Steve Smith, Experiential Consulting
• Jason Vogel, Climate Impacts Group
• Tom Vogl, The Mountaineers
• Felicia Wibowo, The Mountaineers
• Terry Wildy, Mount Rainier National Park

Deb Ajango

SafetyEd

Deb Ajango has written two books on safety-related topics and has presented nationally and internationally on risk management, emergency action planning, and wilderness medicine. She is owner and Director of SafetyEd, a company that provides safety education, and she is part-time faculty at Alaska Pacific University. Deb is currently a member of the faculty committee for Wilderness Medical Associates International and she has served on the Safety Committees for the Student Conservation Association and Outward Bound. She has also served as a member of the Alaska State Parks advisory board, and for nine years she was a member of the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE’s) Accreditation Council.

Sally Anderson

The Mountaineers

Sally Anderson was born in Central Washington and has been an outdoor enthusiast her whole life. She enjoys snow skiing, hiking, camping, sea kayaking, and natural sciences. Sally enjoys creating various foods for multi-day trips and incorporating home dehydration.

Kevin Bacher

Mount Rainier National Park

Kevin Bacher has been the Volunteer Program Manager at Mount Rainier for the past 17 years, a program that engages more than 2,000 people every year in park stewardship. He's previously served at Crater Lake, Everglades, Great Basin, and Grand Canyon National Parks as well as Oregon Caves and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. He has a Master of Science degree from Cornell University.

Andy Bassett

The Mountaineers

Andy Bassett has worked in outdoor education for the last 15 years and is the Youth Education Manager for The Mountaineers. Prior to joining The Mountaineers, he worked as a Senior Field Instructor for NOLS - from the mountains of Wyoming, to the deserts of the southwest, to the Pasayten Wilderness in the Cascades. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

Tor Bell

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust

Tor Bell directs the Greenway Trust’s field programs, which focuses on implementing on-the-ground ecological and recreational enhancements and providing environmental education programming throughout the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Program work includes trail construction, trail maintenance, logging road decommissioning, invasive weed surveys and removal, tree plantings, K-12 environmental education, and volunteer engagement.

Josh Breger

Select Physical Therapy

Josh Breger is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy who has achieved success in the treatment of shoulder and knee injuries, lower back pain, and sports-related injuries/surgeries. His patient population consists of endurance and mountain sport athletes. As an avid cyclist, rock climber, hiker, and outdoor enthusiast you can find him riding around the streets of Seattle, climbing at local gyms and crags, and hiking the greater Washington trails! His goal is to assist his patients in returning to the activities they love.

BEn Brown

The Mountaineers

Ben Brown has been a K-12 public teacher for nine years, and a volunteer instructor with The Mountaineers for three. He currently works as an instructional coach supporting teachers in the Bethel School District with effective, efficient, student-centered implementation of technology in their classrooms. Ben is working on a Doctorate in Education in Instructional Systems Design and Technology, and is concentrating on professional development and adult learners.

Lorna Corrigan

The Mountaineers

Lorna Corrigan is the current president of the Board of Directors of The Mountaineers, past Secretary of the Board, and past director-at-large on the Board. She also served on the Climbing Education Advisory Committee and the Branch Collaborations Taskforce. Lorna learned to ski at the Snoqualmie and Meany Lodges as a child and member of a “Mountaineers family”, and she is an attorney in private practice in Everett.

Deloa Dalby

The Mountaineers

Deloa Dalby serves on the Mountains to Sound Greenway Board of Directors, as well as several other MTS leadership teams. As the chair of the Foothills Conservation Committee, she has worked to integrate the Greenway’s work into The Mountaineers conservation projects. Deloa also owns Dalby Property Solutions LLC, a real estate project management firm that specializes in complex land use projects. She incorporates stewardship values into her work, effectuating sustainable and balanced results for all.

Monica Fisk

The Mountaineers

Monica Fisk (she/her) is a professional educator and program administrator with over 15 years of experience leading groups. She loves supporting people as they explore new challenges, whether it's going on their first alpine climb, doing strategic planning for their organization, or engaging in discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has a Master's degree in Education and has contributed to The Mountaineers as a climb leader, committee member, and chair of the Outdoor Leadership Course in Tacoma. Her favorite ways to be outside are gardening, biking, climbing, running, backpacking, swimming, and lounging anywhere in the sun with loved ones.

Jim French

The Mountaineers

Jim French is the co-chair for the Olympia Conservation & Stewardship Committee, where he and his colleagues issued the Stewardship Challenge, challenging all club members to volunteer one day each year towards our public lands. His committee also has a goal of partnering on stewardship projects with every public land management agency and conservation organization in the South Puget Sound. Jim is retired from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, where he served as the Administrator of the Statewide Recreation Programs.

Diane Gelotte

The Mountaineers

Diane Gelotte is an RN and yoga instructor who loves the outdoors. She is a sea kayak trip leader with The Mountaineers, and she recently did a 10-day trip on the Green River in Utah through the beautiful canyons. Diane likes to dehydrate her own food so she can pack it with nutrition.

Sean Gombasy

Remote Medical Training

Sean Gombasy loves medicine and helping others. After completing his REMT course in 2015, he went back to school and graduated from Western Washington University in 2018 with a degree in Kinesiology. Sean is a Volunteer Ski Patroller at Mt. Baker Ski Area, works part-time for a private ambulance company, and recently transitioned to a full-time position with Remote Medical Training. Having had many injuries of his own, Sean knows that major trauma is no fun and he’s motivated to make the outdoors safer for everyone.

Jen Gradisher

Washington Trails Association

Jen Gradisher is the Trail Program Director for Washington Trails Association, where she oversees a growing volunteer trail maintenance program consisting of 5,000 youth and adult participants statewide. Prior to her current role, Jen spent multiple years leading volunteer trail maintenance and conservation projects with WTA and the Northwest Youth Corps, and she also spent time as an environmental educator and kayak guide for YMCA Camp Orkila. A transplant from Michigan, Jen lives in Seattle and spends her free time camping, hiking, backpacking, and enjoying all that Washington has to offer.

JOE HARPER KOWALCZYK

THE MOUNTAINEERS

Joe Harper Kowalczyk serves as an Academic Services Director in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. He has been an educator and administrator for over 12 years, working in university and K-12 settings in Washington, Colorado, Maryland, South Africa, and Switzerland, as well as an instructor with the Tacoma Mountaineers for over five years. Joe's recent adventures have him hiking and camping with his toddler around the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

MICHELLE HARPER KOWALCZYK

THE MOUNTAINEERS

Michelle Harper Kowalczyk earned a BA in Elementary Education in 2007 and her MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2010. Since then, she has served in a variety of settings as a classroom educator, teacher trainer, and workshop facilitator. She currently serves as an Associate Director for Leadership and Government in the Center for Student Involvement at Seattle University and assists in instructing lectures through the Tacoma Mountaineers.

KATHERINE HOLLIS

THE MOUNTAINEERS

Katherine Hollis directs The Mountaineers conservation and advocacy work, envisioning and driving the organization's unique approach to public lands conservation. The Mountaineers conservation advocacy program works to protect the outdoor experience – our wild places depend on our powerful voice for conservation and responsible access. We advocate, educate, and engage outdoor enthusiasts to protect our public lands.

Richard Jolley

KEATING, BUCKLIN & MCCORMACK

Richard Jolley is a partner at Keating, Bucklin & McCormack in Seattle, where he has worked for over twenty years. In conjunction with Ruth Nielsen, he has been representing recreational entities like Washington state ski areas for over ten years and is a member of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys. Richard is passionate about mountain recreation and loves skiing, climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. He has climbed a number of North America’s 50 classics but has led none of them! Richard and his wife split time between Seattle and Jackson, Wyoming.

Debbee Lynn

Jellyfish Flow & The Mountaineers

Debbee Lynn, Doctoral Student, MSEd, RYT-500hr yoga instructor is an accomplished educator in her community. As a prior middle school STEM teacher, she left full-time teaching to create her business, continue her studies, and work as the Youth Program Coordinator with the Kitsap Mountaineers. Debbee teaches yoga, mindfulness, and mountaineering skills and is a Mountaineers volunteer and staff member.

Natalia Martinez-Paz

The Mountaineers

Natalia Martinez-Paz, MA, MPA, is a graduate of the Seattle Glacier course and the Tacoma Basic Climbing course. She is the Tacoma Basic Climbing Chair, serves on the PCE Curriculum Committee and the Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee, and is incoming Tacoma Branch Council Vice-Chair. In her other life she works in public health to change the culture around antibiotic prescribing. Before that she worked in International Development and Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Monserrat Alvarez Matehuala

American Mountain Guides Association

Monserrat Alvarez Matehuala (Guachichil y Mexica) is the Membership and Inclusion Coordinator at the AMGA and a certified Single Pitch Instructor. She lives and works in Boulder though she calls North Carolina home, by way of California by way of Mexico. Monserrat has presented at conferences like PGM ONE and AORE on diversity, equity, and inclusion and facilitates DEI trainings through various roles. She works part time as an instructor with Women's Wilderness and is part of the national leadership team for Brown Girls Climb.

Bam Mendiola

Bam Org

(they/them) is a public speaker, published writer, and diversity consultant. Their work is informed by their social location as a queer person of color and has been featured by NBC, REI, and Mountainfilm Festival. Their NBC documentary has received over 200,000 views and their essays have been featured on the covers of Washington Trails and Mountaineer magazines. Bam was recently named the winner of the 2019 Outdoor Industry Association's Together We Are a Force award and lives on occupied Duwamish territory (Seattle, WA) with a 13-lb cat named Mitzi.

Lyra Pierotti

American Mountain Guides Association

Lyra Pierotti has guided expeditions all over the world, including Yosemite Valley, the North Cascades, and several of the Seven Summits. Her long resume also includes working in technical field support for scientists in Antarctica, as an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and teaching mountaineering skills to high school girls with the Inspiring Girls Expeditions program. On “rest” days, Lyra works as a freelance writer and coaches climbers and mountain athletes at local climbing gyms to help them improve movement economy and mobility.

Travis Prescott

The Mountaineers

Travis Prescott is a Navy submarine veteran and software engineer. A member of the Foothills Branch, he serves on the Foothills Branch Council and as the chair of the Foothills Snowshoe Committee. He is the lead instructor for the Foothills Intermediate Snowshoeing course as well as the Foothills Digital Navigation and Trip Planning course. When not instructing, he can be found leading scrambles and snowshoeing trips throughout the year, or working on his alpine climbing skills.

Tracy Rekart

McCarthy Consulting

Tracy Rekart is a highly respected leadership and organizational development coach who loves to inspire people to go beyond where they are to where they want to be. She is a Master Somatic Coach and holds a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Science from LIOS. Tracy lives in Seattle with her husband, two children, and a dog. In addition to her many outdoor pursuits, she is a yoga teacher, student of meditation, aspiring guitar player, and seeker of balance.

Annie Runde

Mount Rainier National Park

Annie Runde is an environmental educator at Mount Rainier committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. For the past ten years, she has been inspiring the next generation of stewards in national parks around the west. You can usually find her on The Mountain snowshoeing, playing games, or looking for bugs with students from the Puget Sound.

VIK SAHNEY

THE MOUNTAINEERS

Vik Sahney is an outdoor adventurer and business leader. He is also the Vice President of the Mountaineers Board and a climb leader. In 2011, Vik became one of approximately 350 people and the first Indian-American to complete the Seven Summits, summiting the tallest peak on each continent.

Steve Smith

Experiential Consulting

Steve Smith is a risk management consultant who works primarily with outdoor education and experiential learning programs. His career has included administrative leadership roles with Outward Bound and the Student Conservation Association, and he has contributed to The Mountaineers as a volunteer, magazine author, and former staff member. He spent three years as the chair of the Wilderness Risk Management Conference and has presented annually at that conference since 2010.

Jason Vogel

Climate Impacts Group

Jason Vogel recently joined the Climate Impacts Group as its Deputy Director. Prior to that he spent 12 years as a private consultant in Boulder, Colorado assisting local, state, federal, foundation, and international clients in understanding climate change science, evaluating climate impacts and vulnerability, and developing adaptation strategies. Jason is an avid mountain biker, backpacker, hunter, trail runner, and skier who loves getting lost in the mountains and sharing his love of the outdoors with his wife and two young children.

Tom Vogl

The Mountaineers

Tom Vogl is the Chief Executive Officer of The Mountaineers. He works closely with The Mountaineers staff and Board of Directors to support the strategic vision, operational plans, and resourcing to execute the organization’s mission with a high degree of integrity and financial responsibility.

Felicia Wibowo

The Mountaineers

Felicia Wibowo is an active member of the Seattle Sea Kayak Committee. Recently retired from a software engineer job, she keeps herself busy paddling, hiking, biking, backpacking, and skiing. Felicia likes to eat delicious food in the backcountry, not just survival food, and she constantly thinks about how to cook the food she loves without carrying the kitchen sink. Felicia is happiest when she is eating a pad see ew dinner after a day of adventure.

Terry Wildy

Mount Rainier National Park

Terry Wildy is the incoming Chief of Interpretation and Education at Mount Rainier National Park. Her 20-year career in the National Park Service has taken her to eight NPS sites and the NPS Southeast Regional Office. She is excited about her return to the PNW and the opportunity to work with park partners on critical issues.