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.
	Anne Magnan - Program Manager
	Following time spent running residence halls and leadership programs at colleges, Anne landed at NOLS after deciding to pursue the opportunity to be in a complete learner role. She took a NOLS Outdoor Educator semester without any prior experience outdoors. She was so impressed with NOLS’ practices and specifically its focus on expedition behavior that she moved to Lander to pursue a career with NOLS. After time as a marketing representative and then as a staffing coordinator, Anne is excited to make her home in NOLS Pro where she can combine her interest in and passion for leadership development with working with outside audiences who, like her, may have little exposure to outdoor education. Anne has a B.A. in History (University of Virginia) and an M.S. in College Student Personnel (Miami University), which focused on higher education using the lenses of organizational development, anthropology, and psychology. Anne is thrilled to be a part of the dynamic, invested team in NOLS Pro.
	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.
	Katie Baum Mettenbrink - Staffing Coordinator
	Katie came to NOLS as a student on the Mountain Instructor Course in 2003. She spent four years as a full-time field instructor in the rock climbing, hiking, caving and mountaineering programs before moving on to supervise faculty and risk management at NOLS Alaska, and then, eventually, to NOLS Professional Training. She taught environmental education, worked in public relations and spent time climbing and backpacking around the Western U.S. before coming to NOLS. She has a B.A. in American History (Princeton University), and led wilderness trips and taught leadership and facilitation during college. She loves working with and mentoring NOLS faculty, and matching NOLS Pro’s unique and varied clients with the individual instructors that will serve them best. Katie lives with her husband, Pat, in Lander, Wyoming.
	Carrie Dodge - Program Coordinator
	Hailing from Michigan originally, Carrie came from an active outdoorsy family beginning her love for camping as just a baby. She first came to NOLS as a PNW semester student in 1999 and went on to receive her B.A. in Outdoor Experiential Education from Prescott College in Arizona. She has taught and led trips for a variety of outdoor programs throughout the country including ropes course facilitation, leading trips for a summer camp in Maine, teaching Marine Science in the Florida Keys, leading a wilderness therapy program in Montana, and traveling the country on a marketing tour for Backpacker Magazine. She returned to NOLS in a work capacity in 2007 as a field staff coordinator and a hike and sea kayak instructor. Carrie is now a program coordinator in the Professional Training department and still spends a portion of her year in the field. She enjoys the dynamic work environment in NOLS Pro and the challenge of developing programs from the ground up with exciting and diverse clients.
	Lynn Petzold - Program Coordinator
	Lynn highly values the positive impacts that outdoor experiences can bring to individuals in their work , studies, and personal lives. Since 1989, she has been coaching, and mentoring students and clients towards self-transformation by placing themselves in new and challenging environments. In 1994, she took a NOLS Instructor Course and has since worked 280+ field weeks leading courses in Mexico, Chile, British Columbia, New Zealand, and United States. She has also worked as a program supervisor in Mexico. Lynn has a B.S. in Business (Bloomsburg University). She has a Spanish major and has studied and lived abroad in Bolivia, Spain, and New Zealand. While Lynn is passionate about travelling in wilderness areas, especially in a sea kayak, as a certified Hatha yoga instructor she also has an appreciation for nurturing inner journeys.
	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.
	Marcio Paes Barreto - Program Coordinator
	Marcio grew up in Brazil and studied Industrial Engineering. After college he started a small business, worked as designer, and marketing and sales coordinator. In 2000, he transitioned to working in consulting services and Internet solutions at Bowne Global Solutions. Marcio started working as an outdoor educator in 2003. Before moving to the Untied States in 2006, Marcio coordinated an outdoor program for Unisul Business School in Brazil. He created and managed a program designed to develop leadership and teamwork skills by introducing business school students to the challenges of the outdoors. He became a NOLS instructor in 2005 and Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI) instructor in 2007. He has led expeditions in Brazil, Mexico, Alaska, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Marcio now lives in Lander, Wyoming with his wife and son. He enjoys volunteering on the local Search and Rescue and spending time with his family outdoors.
	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.
	Gabi Kilko-Jackson - Wilderness Risk Management Conference Manager
	Having grown up in Mississippi and Texas, in 1998 Gabi moved to Lander, Wyoming – sight unseen – less dreaming of mountains than fearing a return to the biting cold and harsh environs she’d recently experienced teaching in Russia for a year; but, once in Lander she felt she’d been misplaced all her life. Now an avid winter skier and summer hiker and biker (and year-round cellist for the Fremont County Orchestra; her degree is in music), she values most about her adopted home the close connections she’s developed and the bright communities into which she has been so openly welcomed. Today she is a NOLS graduate (25 and over Rock Climbing) and an integral planner and organizer at Headquarters, but when she got her start at NOLS a decade ago, as a temporary “map folder” at the Rocky Mountain Branch, she had no idea she’d be starting a career, let alone igniting such a passion and appreciation for wilderness education. Working her way though NOLS – Human Resources, Staffing, Alumni and Development, and now NOLS Pro – Gabi has seen many aspects of the school, but what ties it all together for her are the amazing people and their shared mission. She’s a true believer in NOLS and in the power and awe of its classroom.
	Sarah Lancaster - Operations Manager
	Sarah first came to NOLS as a student in 2002. After completing a B.A. in Art History (University of Denver), Sarah made her way to Lander and settled in the NOLS Marketing Department. Her time in the lower west wing was spent working on NOLS word of mouth marketing team. Now, when not helping to support NOLS Pro students, clients and employees, Sarah can be found working as a Wilderness EMT helping EMT students prefect their skills, undertaking a large home improvement project (she loves to craft!), working to complete her MBA (Colorado State University), training for her next triathlon, waiting tables at the local pub, fishing or spending time exploring the Winds with her husky, Cleo.
	Emily Scheer - Operations Assistant
	Emily Scheer has recently come to NOLS Pro as the new Operations Assistant. It’s a great possibility that you will first hear Emily’s chipper voice when you call the NOLS Pro department.  Growing up near Chicago, she has only visited out west two times, and is enjoying adjusting to Wyoming life with her husband. Emily earned her B.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism (University of Missouri-Columbia), during which she co-led outdoor trips and facilitated alpine tower ropes courses. Now, in her spare time, she can be found painting, running, and exploring her new outdoor surroundings on fantastic hikes.
	Teresa Boever - Finance and Communications Assistant
	Teresa was introduced to NOLS as a student participating in her college freshman orientation: the first Wyoming Catholic College Wind River Leadership Expedition, a NOLS custom course for freshmen attending the college in Lander, WY. She believes in the dynamism of the human spirit and that the fullness of a persons potential is unveiled when they are immersed in the truth, goodness and beauty of the outdoors. She was an avid outdoor leader in her college’s Outdoor Leadership Program, and recently served in AmeriCorps as a Field Education Intern at Teton Science Schools. As the youngest of eight, she loves spending time with her family and playing with her nieces and nephews. Teresa is thrilled to be an active player in the NOLS Pro team!
	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.