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Joan Chitiea, Trustee Emeritus
NOLS Graduate: 1978 Rocky Mountain Thirty-Niner's Course, 1979 Fly Fishing Course, 1985 Baja Sea Kayak, 1985 Alaska Fishing Expedition, 1987 Kenya Wilderness Skills, and 1989 Alaska Alatna River Kayak.
Joan was introduced to NOLS’ philosophy and education in 1978 when she and her husband, Andy, took a Rocky Mountain Thirty-Niner’s course. That course set the direction of her life and created an interest in outdoor education that is still going strong to this day. In 1979, Joan returned to the Wind River Mountains for a Wilderness Fly Fishing course.
Joan was asked to join the board of trustees in December 1980, the second woman to be elected to the board. She served on the board from 1980 to 1987.
With the skills learned on her NOLS courses, Joan contracted a sea kayaking trip for friends in 1985 to NOLS Mexico. Also in 1985, she participated in the Alaska Fishing Expedition in Southwest Alaska. In 1987 Joan traveled to NOLS Kenya to participate in a Kenya Wilderness Skills course. In 1989, Joan contracted an all women’s two-week kayak trip down the Alatna River in Alaska’s Brooks Range.
A wonderful group of like-minded friends met through NOLS courses during these years and, as often as they could, they put together trips backpacking, llama trekking, kayaking and camping, and even a goat-packing trip. Joan thanks NOLS for engendering in her the confidence to deal with the totally demanding activity of mushing the entire 1100 mile Iditarod Trail, which she did in 1993.
Most recently, Joan participated in the 2003 Past Chair’s Trip in the Wind River Mountains and the 2004 Sea Kayak Board Trip in Prince William Sound.
Joan has always been interested in education put into action, both of the mind, body and particularly of the spirit. Because of this she has the strongest affinity for the NOLS mission and for all of the NOLS community who work within this philosophy.
Joan grew up on a farm in Ohio and attended Ohio State University. Joan and her husband, Andy, have four sons. Both Andy and son Matthew participated in the Baja Sea Kayak and Kenya Wilderness Skills contract courses. Joan and Andy now reside in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Joan’s interests lie mainly in resource conservation issues as well as county-wide trail issues, of which she is an active and strong supporter. She enjoys extensive trail riding and camping in the mountains and the desert, hands-on gardening, woodworking, and her musical talents include playing piano, classical recorder, guitar, and in her church bell choir.
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