NOLS Professional Training Staff:
Experience and dedication to meet your needs.

The NOLS Professional Training staff is made up of an enthusiastic group of people spanning a diverse set of 0f backgrounds. Each member brings his or her unique strengths to the team, creating the best course experiences for NOLS Professional Training's Clients!

	Rick Rochelle - Director
	Rick enjoys coaching individuals and teams to their full potential by simultaneously challenging them physically, intellectually and emotionally—something readily achieved on remote expeditions. Rick grew up recreating outdoors, but his twin passions through college were wrestling and academics. His life changed on a 1985 NOLS semester, when he developed a third passion—studying teamwork and leadership. Rick has worked 290 weeks in the field for NOLS, leading courses in India, Kenya, Chile and United States. He previously worked as NOLS Alaska assistant director, a biologist, and mountain guide. He earned a M.S. in Ecology (Colorado State University), B.S. in Civil Engineering (Princeton University) and certificate in nonprofit management (University of Alaska). Rick loves long trail runs with his wife, Shannon. Leading the talented NOLS Professional Training team is his dream job!
	Jake Freed Ph.D. - Assistant Director
	Jake’s love of the outdoors began at summer camp during his teen years. After completing a B.A. in History he spent the next few years venturing on long personal trips including a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a cross-country bicycle trip and a solo sea kayak trip along the coast of the southern United States. Soon after completing a M.Ed. in Outdoor Education Administration Jake became a NOLS instructor and began working in the challenge course industry. Over the next 11 years, he worked 130 weeks as a NOLS instructor on backpacking, mountaineering, sea kayaking, outdoor educator and professional training courses. He also worked as a program supervisor at NOLS Alaska and NOLS Southwest . During this same time Jake was working to complete a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University, graduating in 2004. Jake enjoys the intensity of short format NOLS Pro courses as well as the opportunity to work with a diverse group of clients. Jake and his wife, Erin live and play in Lander, Wyoming.
	Sarah Annarella - Program Coordinator
	Originally from Massachusetts, Sarah migrated to Wyoming in 1993 as a NOLS Rocky Mountain Semester student and made the West her new home. After taking a NOLS Mountain Instructor Course in 1999, Sarah worked as a full-time instructor for NOLS' hiking, caving, horse-packing and mountaineering programs before transitioning to in-town supervising, and eventually to NOLS Professional Training. Sarah loves working with clients to create focused custom NOLS courses, which meet client goals for long-term organizational change. Sarah has a M.S. in Environmental Studies (University of Montana) and a B.A. in Education (Wheaton College). Sarah lives with her husband in Lander, Wyoming.
	Haven Holsapple - Leave No Trace Program Coordinator
	Haven first attended NOLS as a student in 1967 and began instructing for NOLS in 1969 . He has over 200 weeks in the field and has served in a variety positions including director of both NOLS Tennessee and NOLS Alaska. In 1996, Haven worked his first Leave No Trace Master Educator courses in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, he has worked over 30 of these courses in every region of the United States. As the NOLS Leave No Trace Program Coordinator, Haven works to create custom courses for groups, universities, and federal land management agencies. He has a B.A. in Business (Loretto Heights College) and years of experience in the financial industry. Haven lives with his wife and horses in Hamilton, Montana.
	Kat Smithhammer - Program Coordinator
	With a background as a high-school teacher and running an outdoor education center, Kat took the NOLS Mountain Instructor Course 1996. She has professionally camped for 176 weeks in the backcountry, passionately instructing hiking, mountaineering, winter, canoe and sea kayak expeditions. She has a M.A. in Leadership and Training (Royal Roads University), B.Ed. (Queen's University) and a B.A. (Trent University). Kat helps learners recognize personal and group behavior patterns in order to make conscious choices that build individual and team capacities. Her creative curriculum design and diverse teaching strategies produce unique opportunities for her clients. She has a reputation for building strong relationships with her students, contacts and clients, which foster lifelong relationships and partnerships. Kat is fluent in French and German and dabbles in Spanish.
	Liz Tuohy - Senior Risk Management Consultant
	Liz brings 13 years experience as a NOLS field instructor and administrator. She has supervised over 300 field courses in risk management— from student behavior to crisis incidents. She also brings experience working for smaller wilderness programs and a wide range of participant activities. Liz has a B.A. in Biology (Colorado College). Liz helps people evaluate outdoor programs’ risk management strategies through two-day NOLS Risk Management Trainings as well as site-specific risk management consults.
	Kelly Sherwin - Operations Manager
	Kelly moved to Lander after completing a NOLS Semester for Outdoor Educators. Her love of the outdoors--kayaking, hiking and epic games of capture the flag--started in summer camp when she was young. She has a B.A. in Psychology (Princeton University) and led wilderness trips in college. She worked in East Africa and New York City's financial sector before NOLS. As Operations Manager, Kelly oversees logistics for our courses. She has never met a document editing task she doesn't like. She lives in Lander with her black lab, Judd.
	Mandy Pohja - Operations Assistant
	With a passion for the outdoors and a passion for business, Mandy has found the perfect combination with NOLS Pro. She is an active instructor for NOLS and enjoys recreating on rock, snow, and water. Mandy also loves working within the business realm, and has an B.S. in Marketing (Azusa Pacific University) and a Masters in Business Administration (Univ. of Wyoming). In her journey to NOLS Pro Mandy was a collegiate pole vaulter and worked for the L.A. Dodgers.
	Brian Fabel - Marketing Coordinator
	With a B.A. in Communication (University of Arizona), Brian helps create new marketing materials and developing new market segments for NOLS Professional Training. His creativity and innovation bring the unique story of NOLS Professional Training to a broader audience among those seeking leadership training. As a NOLS Instructor, Brian teaches backpacking, rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding. His other hobbies include photography and video production.