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Ryland Gardner, WEMT
Ryland has worked for WMI since 2005. Ryland moved to the west after college and has lived in or near the Rocky Mountains since. Ryland has a Master of Arts from Prescott College in Natural Science and Environmental Education and his passion for the natural history and ecology of the Rockies compliments his passion for backcountry skiing, climbing, and sharing the magic of wild places with his students and clients. In addition to teaching for WMI, Ryland also works as a wilderness and rock climbing instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School guiding climbing and wilderness trips up to a month in length. In addition to guiding in the backcountry and teaching wilderness medicine, Ryland works as an adjunct faculty member for the Prescott College Graduate program in the fields of adventure and environmental education as well as environmental studies. When he is not guiding, he can be found doing carpentry work in Lyons, CO or off on an adventure with his wife Shari and their two boys Nate and Robbie.

Anna Gast, WEMT
Anna Gast ran away from the circus (where she practiced flying trapeze and contortion) for a less sedentary lifestyle as a WMI and NOLS instructor. She chose these schools because they were easier to spell than Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey. In her tenure for WMI she has managed to push the boundaries of what the company vehicle can (and should) do. To date, none of these adventures have ended up on her permanent record. Anna joined the ranks of the WMI Office in 2010 as the WMI Staffing Coordinator-- the school is now better able to keep her under tight surveillance and indulge her insatiable appetite for color-coding and white board markers.

Brian Gee, MD, WFR
Brian was raised in rural northern Michigan where phones were on party lines and TVs looked like rabbits. After finishing his BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University, he ventured from the UP to Chicago to learn Medicine. For the past 18 years he has been in Wyoming learning and practicing ER medicine. He currently calls Lander home though loves to travel just about anywhere. He enjoys splitting wood, fly-fishing, nordic/backcountry skiing, backpacking, shooting longbows and learning new things about most things.  

Rachel Glass, WEMT, WMI Office Assistant
Rachel originally hails from the rainy PNW but is prone to roaming the country in search of sun. She loves working for NOLS, both in the WMI office and as a year round NOLS field instructor. In her spare time she enjoys rock climbing in the desert, snowboarding and eating pastries, especially ones with marzipan. She plans to continue traveling, exploring and expanding her wilderness medicine knowledge. 

Amy Gordon, WEMT
Amy Gordon is an avid outdoor adventurer with midwest roots and a bi-coastal spirit. She is goal-oriented, striving for the next challenge, which at this juncture is working as a nurse in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, MN. In her off hours, Amy paddles and hikes to the beat of a wilderness therapy organization in northern Minnesota and southern New Mexico, empowers women through wilderness pursuits, and teaches outdoor professionals wilderness first aid skills with none other than the leader in wilderness medicine.

Melissa Gray, WEMT
Melissa got her start in wilderness medicine in 1985 by teaching with SOLO in Conway, NH, where she also volunteered for various urban and mountain rescue teams. She co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute in 1990 largely because she only wanted to work half of the year so she could save the other half of the year for playing in wild places. Additionally, she was really intimidated by applying for jobs. Her business plan at that time was to hire only the best people, who had the most passion about people, education, medicine, and the wilderness.

Melissa has been working full-time as WMI’s Director since 1990 and in her spare time has been instructing wilderness medicine courses, working in the outdoors as an outdoor educator, and often using her wilderness medicine skills in a variety of venues. Actually, through the years her business plan hasn’t changed much and she is honored still to work with all the talented staff at WMI.

Recently, she has taken up surfing (in warm, non-shark infested waters only) and hopes to achieve a true nose ride before she is too old to paddle out through the break. She continues to try to find a way to work only half the year so she can play the other half the year with her family and friends.

Aiyana Green, WFR
Aiyana began climbing when she was 14 years old in the Pacific Northwest, and spent her 20s guiding rafts, instructing Outward Bound courses, and leading high school students in the outdoors. She'd like to know how to rescue people from all situations, so has Avalanche Level I and Whitewater Rescue Technician training. Among Aiyana's most cherished values are sincerity, humility, and silliness. She has steadfastly sought these out in her travels through Asia and the Americas, and by instructing courses for WMI. When not talking about patient assessment, she can be found working on an organic farm in Southern Oregon or dreaming about rivers. The words 'Nepal' and 'canyoneering' are guaranteed to put a smile on her face.

Ross Greedy, WFR
Ross grew up in the bountiful loess hills of the Missouri River Valley known to some as Nebriowa. He has migrated across the country working in the outdoor industry for the better part of ten years now as a raft guide, outdoor educator/instructor, program manager, and self-proclaimed director of fun. Currently Ross is working with Winona State University’s Outdoor Education and Recreation Center (OREC) doing his part to get new students hooked on outdoor activities while earning his MS in Educational Leadership. When Ross isn’t teaching you can find him climbing the hills of southeast Minnesota, paddling the backwaters of the mighty Mississippi, or roaming the Colorado Rockies when he can sneak away.

Megan T. Guffey, WEMT
Megan was born and raised in Mammoth Lakes, California and graduated with a BA in Kinesiology from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. She has worked since 2003 as a whitewater raft guide in Northern California.  In 2010, she became a NOLS field instructor. Megan balances her time substitute teaching, working in restaurants, and volunteering for Showboat Youth theater, Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee, Disabled Sports of the Eastern Sierra, and Mono County Search and Rescue.  Megan loves photography, exploring the outdoors in various capacities, traveling, theater, jazz, swing dancing, and playing music.  She is excited to be part of the WMI staff.

Amber Guzzardo, WEMT
Amber graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Movement Science and has since explored her own movement across the country and to different jobs. She got her start in medicine working with athletes at UM in the athletic training program and then by helping choking patients at restaurants in Iowa. Now she can be found ski patrolling and exploring the mountains of Colorado in the winter and instructing for Outward Bound in Oregon in the summers. In between, she teaches for WMI and works on her passion/obsession of knitting.

Katie Hammonds, WEMT
Katie is just too multifaceted to summarize in words, let alone one paragraph. But I can tell you that she grew up on an apple orchard in Maine and had a wild and free childhood running around the hills barefoot and unsupervised. However, this was a double-edged sword and meant she would always be drawn to the outdoor, seasonal lifestyle despite a degree in Art History. So has survived thus far by working as a Sailing Instructor, Rafting Guide, Mountain Host Supervisor, Ski Patroller, and Backcountry Park Ranger. These days, when she’s not scrambling around the Wasatch Mountains or down in the desert she can be found in SLC, Utah with her like-minded husband and cats, Josey and Agnes. Her motto: Life’s a Garden… Dig it!

Greg Hanscom, WEMT
After spending most of his life in Western mountain towns, most recently working as a journalist and moonlighting as an EMT, Greg Hanscom moved to Baltimore, Maryland, for a taste of the urban wilderness. He is a writer and editor at Urbanite magazine, where he has learned that The Wire is closer to fact than fiction. In his free time, he is studying to be a paramedic. He lives with his sweetie, Tara Thomas (a Bal'more native, hon), his daughter Lucia, and their Chesapeake Bay retriever, Finnegan.

Brian Harper, WEMT
Brian Harper has been a NOLS instructor since 2006 and primarily worked sailing courses in Mexico. He has a BA in biology and history from UNC Chapel Hill. It was at UNC’s outdoor program, Carolina Adventures, that Brian first began working in outdoor education. He is an experienced offshore sailor, and worked as an instructor at Sail Caribbean for 3 years. Brian is also a PADI Divemaster and has extensive diving experience around the world. His hare-brained scenarios add color to the courses he teaches, as does his occasional penchant for banging away on a guitar.

Philip Hart, WEMT
Philip Hart is a WEMT, river guide trainer and trip leader working with Landmark Learning. He is also training officer for Swain County Rescue Squad, a member of the counties swiftwater rescue team and a member of North Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Team One. He has been a first responder with EMS in North Carolina since 1985. Phil settled in western North Carolina after indulging his wanderlust by solo through hiking the Appalachian Trail and sailing the Atlantic & Caribbean with his wife and son.

NREMT-B, WEMT, N.C. Certified Rescue Technician, Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Technical Ropes Technician, HAZMAT Operations and N.C. USAR TEAM 1

Amy Hartline, WFR
Since 1997, Amy has worked in the outdoor education field. With a background in wilderness therapy and transformative leadership, her interests include yoga, somatic psychology, rafting, and running. When not working for WMI, Amy spends time in the deserts and mountains of Southwest Colorado with her son, Gus.

JohnRey Hassan, RN, Paramedic, WEMT
Little did JohnRey know taking a WFR in 2002 would spark an adventure with the outdoors and emergency medicine which would lead him to his present career. JohnRey brings a diverse background of EMS, SAR, Law Enforcement, and ER/Critical Care Nursing

experience to WMI and couples it with his passion for the outdoors. Presently, he works as an Emergency Department and Critical Care Transport Registered Nurse in the San Francisco Bay Area. He possesses a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science from UC Irvine, is a board Certified Emergency Nurse, and a Paramedic. JohnRey has been a member of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Mountain Rescue Team since 2005 where he has been involved with multiple complex rescue and search operations. He worked as a Seasonal U.S. Law Enforcement Ranger for the National Park Service and as a Reserve Park Ranger-Peace Officer in Southern California. Generally living the dream, when not working in the ER, transporting a critical patient, or teaching JohnRey can be found running the San Francisco waterfront or driving to the nearby Sierra’s for a mountain fix.

Katie Hawkins, WEMT
Originally from Tennessee, Katie has played and worked all over the world. After graduating from Middlebury College in Vermont in 2007 with a joint degree in Geology and Environmental Studies, she moved overseas to teach, but now she uses Colorado as a fantastic home base. Most of her work has involved education, both in the conventional classroom, including work at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary, and in the outdoors, leading backpacking, climbing, kayaking, and leadership courses for various organizations. She has also worked on an ambulance and wants to settle down slightly to become a physician assistant. When she's not balancing various jobs and school, Katie loves to play outside in any number of ways. Katie is absolutely thrilled to work for WMI as it serves as the perfect interdisciplinary medium to combine education, outdoor enthusiasm, and medicine.

Eli Helbert, WEMT
Eli Helbert is a WEMT working with Landmark Learning in the Southeast. He is an Eagle Scout with the Vigil Honor from the Order of the Arrow. He earned a B.A. in Economics/Business Administration from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. Eli is a third generation canoer, has numerous first descents, has canoed in over a dozencountries, and has won 3 World Championships as a playboater. He is currently self-employed blending a mix of wilderness medicine instruction, canoeing instruction, repping canoes (www.esquif.com), videoboating, safetyboating, rafting, and construction when the bill
collectors come calling.

Courtney Heller, WEMT
Living in her hometown of Denver, CO Courtney works as an EMT on an ambulance, an ER and ski patrol in the winter. She got her start in EMS when she took her first WFR course as a requirement for her job as an Outward Bound instructor, from there she couldn’t get enough of the action and will be going to paramedic school in the fall. When not working her many jobs Courtney can be found running in the park, doing yoga, eating pizza with pineapple on it and hanging with friends and family.

Greg Henington, WEMT
Greg Henington is the owner of Far Flung Outdoor Center, an outdoor adventure company based near Big Bend National Park, Texas. Far Flung Outdoor Center specializes in guided river trips of the Rio Grande along the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Greg, a Licensed Paramedic, currently serves as the EMS chief for Terlingua Fire & EMS. Greg holds a BBA in finance from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Dayton.

Julie Henningsen, WEMT
As a WMI instructor, Julie teaches both Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses. She has a degree in forestry and started her outdoor career working as a forester and wildland fire fighter in NW Montana. She later worked in the outdoor studies program at St. Lawrence University, where she field-directed an outdoor immersion semester in the Adirondacks. Julie also coordinated the outdoor program at Miami University of Ohio and continues to lead international expeditions to Mexico and New Zealand, in between teaching courses for WMI. She keeps her medical skills up to date by working as a ski patroller in Big Sky, Montana, during the winters."

Randy Hertzman, WEMT
Randy comes to WMI with a background as a canoe guide and ACA whitewater canoe instructor. He has degrees from MIT and the University of Colorado. He supports his boating habit by working as a self-employed software developer. When not on the water, he lives with his wife and (four-legged) family in Paonia, Colorado, where he works on the local all-volunteer ambulance service. He has served at various times as training officer and vice-president of the West Elk Mountain Rescue, a search-and-rescue team serving Gunnison County, Colorado.

Forest Hietpas WEMT
Forest is native to an island off the coast of Washington called the Olympic Peninsula. He has been involved in EMS since 2009. When not teaching courses for WMI he is a firefighter, assistant tech rescue instructor, outdoor educator and primitive living skills student. More often than not he can be found mending fences, splitting wood, lifting or hitting large objects and yes running... for extended periods of time.

Tate Higgins, WEMT
Tate grew up in South Carolina then moved to Colorado to explore and ended up with an M.F.A. in creative writing along the way. He found his tribe when he figured out he could make a living guiding folks down rivers and has shunned the idea of a permanent address ever since. His favorite places are the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho and the next place he’s never been. He currently splits his time writing, working for WMI, and chasing water and fish between the South and the West.

John Hovey, WEMT
Hovey’s stock introduction may be short and direct, but his path to NOLS was anything but. He studied film and mechanical engineering, bartended, worked as an airplane mechanic for the U.S. Marine Corps, and changed addresses more frequently than a fugitive before completing Rocky Mountain and WMI instructor courses in 2005. A self-proclaimed “person who needs balance,” Hovey values not just stability, but also the pursuit of distinct yet complementary passions.

Dan Howells, WFR

Dan “retired” after a 39-year federal land management career. Dan has always had a strong love of the outdoors and sense of community service, spending more than 40 years in working and playing outside and volunteering as a Boy Scout leader. In “retirement”, he is enjoying teaching Leave No Trace Master Educator courses, volunteering as a leader for the Boy Scouts, and serving as a Nordic ski patroller with the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol. Oh, and to prove he really doesn’t understand retirement, he also works part-time for REI “inspiring, educating and outfitting” customers in the Eugene, Oregon store, and travelling throughout the west teaching WFA courses for REI as well.

Laura Hudecek, WEMT
Laura teaches WMI courses and works in the field for NOLS. In recent history she has also worked a ski patroller, raft-guide, and peregrine falcon monitor for the park service. She spends her spare time writing, playing guitar, and baking pie. She currently lives in Salt Lake City and has never, to the best of her knowledge, lost a handstand competition.

Jim Hutchison, WEMT
Jim has worked in outdoor education since the early 90's, instructing in multiple environments for skills such as canoeing, canyoneering, climbing, skiing, and hiking. Jim has been a WEMT since1995 and an instructor for WMI since 1996. He has years of experience working for search and rescue, as well as many years as an EMT. Originally from New Mexico, Jim now lives in Portland, ME, where his current focus is raising his son. He spends his free time skiing and riding bikes on the rural roads of Maine with his wife and son.

Geoff Irons, WFR

Geoff “retired” after a 26-year Army career to the small town of Woodland Park so he and his wife could “enjoy climbing and skiing the beautiful mountains of Colorado.” He has always had a strong love of the outdoors and sense of community service, spending more than 20 years in emergency medicine. While in the military, Geoff volunteered his free time working as an EMT on an ambulance squad, a WEMT on a SAR team, and a ski patroller in Germany (he eventually served as the director of the Mountain Travel and Rescue program for the European Division of the NSP). In Colorado, he is enjoying serving on his county SAR team, and as a patroller with the Breckenridge Auxiliary Ski Patrol. Oh, and to prove he really doesn’t understand retirement, he also works full-time for REI “inspiring, educating and outfitting” customers in the Colorado Springs store, and travelling throughout the west to train REI employees.

Ginna Irwin, WFR
Ginna loves the outdoors, education, and medicine- and is excited to incorporate all three while working for WMI. Ginna graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Masters in Physical Therapy, and during the majority of the year, you can find her working as a school-based physical therapist where she gets paid to play with kids all day! During the summer months she can often be found visiting family and friends, and instructing for Outward Bound in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota.

Craig Isenberg, WEMT
Craig has worked in outdoor education for the since 1994 and has been an EMT-B since 1996. In 2005 Craig began teaching for WMI and currently makes time for a few courses a year while managing the Trek Program for Gray Wolf Ranch, a wilderness based drug and alcohol recovery program in Port Townsend, Washington. Keeping his EMT skills current, Craig also fills the occasional shift for a local critical care transport, Jefferson Lifelink. Despite a strong pull to all things free heel, Craig spends most of his time paddling his homemade wooden kayak and avoiding collisions on his fixed gear bike.

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Felipe Jacome, WEMT
With experience as a mountaineering guide in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, WMI instructor Felipe Jacome has made leaps and bounds in providing wilderness medicine courses in Spanish for locals in Ecuador. “When I took my first WFR course in Ecuador it was in English,” he said. “Of course it was hard.” What began as extended training for his guiding career formulated into a dual career of guiding and wilderness medicine education. After receiving his WFR certification, Felipe traveled to North Carolina, USA, with two fellow coursemates to receive an EMT-B certification through Landmark Learning, a WMI affiliate. “The intention was to create a group of permanent local instructors that taught Spanish courses in Ecuador,” he said. Felipe began instructing for WMI in 2006, and in looking for new ways to expand wilderness medicine education created a nonprofit organization intended to assist instructors to teach basic first aid workshops in rural communities throughout Ecuador and hopefully the rest of South America he says. “[First Aid] is important because it improves your quality of life in all senses,” he said. “You become useful in your family, home, and even your community.” Mingai (native word for team work) is a WMI affiliate and a volunteer-based program opened to all WMI students and staff. “I wanted to give the opportunity to our students to practice all the skills they learned on WMI courses,” he said, noting he hopes to train more instructors.

Renee Jenkinson, WEMT
Raised by wolves in the western states, Renee Jenkinson has come far from her furry past. Along the journey Renee has been spotted ski patrolling in Oregon, exploring the wilds of the world with teen girls, and teaching everything from art to medicine from the wet forests of Mt. Hood to the sunny shores of Senegal. Renee now makes her home on the Big Island of Hawaii. When she's not in the water, she teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and hones her Bob Ross-inspired whiteboard teaching and interpretive dance skills. Renee has a degree in public health and has been an EMT since 2001 and a WMI instructor since 2003.

Read more about Renee here.

Jerry Jex, WEMT
Jerry has worked in outdoor education for over 40 years. He is currently a faculty member and department chair of the Recreation Leadership Dept. at Brigham Young University, Idaho. Jerry is the father of 6 children and 15 grandchildren. He served in the United States Coast Guard in Search and Rescue, has taught water rescue courses for the State of Idaho and for local county law enforcement entities. Jerry joined WMI on 9/11 and has found a wonderful family of friends. Jerry and Linda live in Sugar City, Idaho.

Jeremy Johnson, WEMT
Jeremy Johnson is a faculty member of the Experiential Education Department of Albuquerque Academy. He has been an outdoor educator since the early 90's, beginning by teaching backpacking in New Mexico, teaching rock climbing in the Southeast. Before moving back to New Mexico, Jeremy was in Northern New Hampshire, running an outdoor adventure program for teenagers and adults for the Appalachian Mountain Club. His passion for teaching in the outdoors and wilderness medicine have led him to become an instructor for WMI.

Marco Johnson, WEMT, EMT-I
In 1985 Marco Johnson took his NOLS Instructor Course, and since then has worked over 120 NOLS field courses, and has accumulated 625 weeks in the field. In 2005, Marco took the WMI instructor course and focused on teaching WFRs and WEMTs. Marco recently assumed the role as the NOLS Field Staffing Director, but teaching still plays a large role in what he does. “It’s really important as the Field Staffing Director that I continue to teach both in the field as well as the classroom. WMI work is different, but also incredibly exciting and a great deal of fun; I would miss it terribly if I didn’t get a chance to work WMI courses. Listening to students say ‘look what I can do’ as they come off a course, and having them feel empowered because they were able to help somebody by providing emergency medical care, is an amazingly satisfying experience.”

Now 27 years since he joined the NOLS family Marco says that he is lucky to be able to work with such an amazing group of people. “The NOLS community is the largest group of overachievers I’ve ever met. They are always pushing themselves to expand their abilities and skills, and it’s an exciting environment to be in. As an instructor, you get the chance to travel to different parts of the world, and every student group and environment is very different and unique. I can’t pick out a particular one, and that’s what has kept me so fresh at NOLS, the ability to do different things with a variety of amazing people and to challenge myself”

Maria Kallman, WEMT
In winters, Maria works as a ski guide and patroller at the Silverton Mountain ski area. She studied human physiology and ecology at the University of Colorado and works on the ambulance in Silverton. “Working as part of a team in difficult conditions and helping others perform well under challenging circumstances provides me with motivation for most of what I do.” An outdoor educator in the summers since the early 00's, Maria started working as a field instructor for NOLS in 2011. Her other passions include whitewater kayaking, backcountry skiing, playing with her cats, and tackling intimidating projects.

Mark Kane, WEMT
Mark Kane came to WMI as an instructor in 2004 after serving almost 22 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry and force reconnaissance officer. Six of those years Mark spent between the Middle East, Europe, and the Western Pacific, both stationed and on operations in the field. He is a graduate of The Citadel where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the course of many leadership positions in which he served Mark developed a love of teachingand mentorship and found WMI a perfect fit to continue that passion.When not working WMI courses Mark resides in the Live Music Capitol of the World, Austin, TX, and aspires to become a physicians assistant in his next life. After a year-long mountain biking and skiing holiday, Mark now works as an EMT in a local emergency room and attends schoo lto completehis prerequisites for a physician's assistant master's program.

Scott (Griz) Kelley, WEMT
Born in Geneva, raised in Rome, and educated in Troy - all in New York State. Scott K Kelley (a.k.a. Griz) grew up in upstate New York and earned a Bachelor's degree in German and philosophy, and a Master of Science in Elementary Education. He has never used either degree, but is still paying for both. Griz moved to Colorado in 1991 to start a 9-year career at a local wilderness camp (how many people can say that?). Just shy of a decade at summer camp, he took on the Program Director's position at the Adaptive Sports Association in Durango, Colorado, an outdoor sports and recreation program for people with disabilities. Seven years of running a non-profit was great fun and very rewarding, but not exactly profitable. He has recently moved into the exciting trade of tile setting. He lives in a small home in the woods with his three kids: Seamus the retriever (11), RIP the border collie (6), and Scorch the cat (15). Griz has been teaching for WMI since 1999.

Sarah Kleinschmidt, WEMT
Sarah's interest in wilderness medicine began in second grade, when she was kicked out of class for bringing a dead bird to show-and-tell. Since then she has "grown up" considerably, gaining a college degree in biology, WEMT certification, and experience as a backpacking guide in New England, Alaska, and the West. Most recently she has worked as a program director for Farm and Wilderness Camps, a senior field instructor at Second Nature Wilderness Program, and an EMT-B in Moab, UT. When she's not on-call or teaching for WMI she enjoys rock climbing, trail running, playing fiddle, and eating buffalo burgers in the desert of southwest Utah.

Tom Lamberth, WEMT
Tom has worked as an outdoor educator since the early 90's as the director of wilderness programs at the United World College – USA in New Mexico. He started teaching first aid and CPR courses through the Belize Red Cross in 1980, when he was a Peace Corps volunteer. Tom currently teaches Emergency Response and CPR courses through the American Red Cross, as well as WFA courses through WMI of NOLS. He enjoys reading, studying Spanish, and transforming himself into a 7-foot clown in the Copper Canyon. His theme for the year is, “talk is cheap.”

Steve Lanwermeyer, WEMT

Steve began working for WMI in 2003 after earning a BA in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound.  Since then, between teaching WFR courses, Recerts and WFAs, he has punched his work and fun clocks as the medic for a group of university students on a year-long trip across Asia, as Education Director for field studies programs in island ecology and marine biology, and as a designer/installer of renewable energy systems in Ecuador and throughout coastal Alaska.  In 2012 he’ll be working on a project to install solar powered electrical systems for lighting, communications equipment and chlorine generating units used to disinfect contaminated water at seven health clinics across rural Nicaragua.  Either behind the oars or up front with his fly rod Hozzler, he’s happiest when floating downstream somewhere… Look for him this summer raft or fly fishing guiding near his southeast Alaska home or at a WMI course coming your way soon!

Jen Latham, WEMT
Jen was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, but somehow ditched the Southern accent when she left. She studied Geology at Colorado College, and really likes granite. Jen lived in Yosemite from 2003-2010, and now calls Talkeetna, AK home.  She has a background in outdoor education and leading wilderness trips for adolescents.  When she is not teaching for WMI she works for Talkeetna Air Taxi, which specializes in expedition support and flightseeing tours in the Alaska Range.  She also started and directs a charitable nonprofit called Denali Rescue Volunteers. She started teaching for WMI in 2007.

Daniela Lawler, WEMT
Daniela Frum has been a commercial raft guide in Colorado since the early 00's. She has a degree in Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University. She is an avid traveler and includes such places as India, Argentina and New Zealand as her favorites. She is currently working as a clinical technician at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Shari Leach, WEMT
Shari Leach has worked in outdoor and adventure education since the early 90's, starting as an assistant counselor in the Panda Bear Cabin. She has since worked for OB, NOLS, the United World College, Prescott College and WMI. Currently Shari divides her time between teaching first aid, working field rock climbing and backpacking courses, and being an associate faculty in Prescott's Master of Arts program. She is fluent in English and Spanish, having lived in Honduras while serving in the Peace Corps. Shari has a BA in environmental conservation, an MA in humanities, and an interdisciplinary PhD focused on culture and identity. When she isn’t experientially teaching about hypothermia (by throwing students into cold bodies of water), Shari can be found basking in Lyons, Colorado with her husband and their orange dog.

Tyson Lehmann, WEMT, Paramedic
Antipodean to start, northern resident by choice. Tyson has been involved in outdoor education since Y2K ...tricked... him into leaving a distinguished military career. From then Tyson removed himself to the back country as an avid student of all modes of travel in all seasons. Tyson was drawn to Wilderness Medicine after being inspired by the education model (along with the smell of whiteboard markers) and has taught with WMI internationally since 2005. Currently filling a clinical role as a critical care flight medic within the Albertan Provincial Air Ambulance Program, Tyson teaches for WMI sporadically yet enthusiastically.

Erica Linnell, WEMT
Erica first merged medicine and wilderness when she switched her college major away from pre-med in order to instruct for NOLS. Despite parental disbelief, she has been playing, teaching, or guiding in the outdoors ever since. After years of leading expeditions, Erica began a desk-bound adventure as a NOLS Program Supervisor and renewed her interest in medicine by becoming an EMT. She has tainted WMI students with her musical rendition of "Gender Specific Medical Issues" since 2004. Between WMI courses she can be found teaching telemark skiing at Grand Targhee or searching for fresh powder in the backcountry.

Chandra Llewellyn, WEMT
Chandra spends her time split between her two passions wilderness and science.  She has a graduate degree in ecology and has worked all over the world on a number of conservation projects from the western US, Alaska, Antarctica and the South Pacific.  Chandra has worked as a professional guide mountaineering and climbing as well as instructing for many organizations including NOLS and Outward Bound. When not playing in the mountains or doing research she can be found gardening, yoga-ing, surfing, reading, giggling, skiing with her favorite 4-legged friend, cooking and practicing her dance moves.  Her favorite "super hero" is a tie between Animal and the Swedish chef from the Muppets. 

Erin Lotz, WEMT
Erin has enjoyed decades of teaching in the field of experiential education. From adjudicated youth to Montessori preschoolers, from Outward Bound expeditions to science camp, Erin has taught individuals of all ages and facilitated groups with widely varied objectives. Her full time job is Faculty of Adventure Education at Prescott College in Arizona. She enjoys teaching for WMI as it opens doors to new people, new places and great learning of the inner workings of the human body. Erin's newest enterprise is combining her outdoor work and lifestyle with newborn daughter Violet.

Jon Lowrance, WEMT, RN
Jon brings to each course an enthusiasm for creating learning environments that are engaging and effective. He hopes students gain a clear sense of the skills, knowledge and attitude it takes to be confident wilderness medicine care providers. While Jon is not working as a critical care nurse or teaching for WMI and Landmark Learning, he can usually be found whitewater canoeing or running in the mountains with his dogs. He seeks out life's adventures alongside his beautiful wife Jennifer.

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Chris Mader, WFR
That’s me on the left…with WMI Instructor Doug Caum! It’s been an interesting road to teaching for WMI! I started the journey as a NOLS instructor in ’91, ultimately working summers for NOLS while being a full time middle and high school science teacher in Albuquerque, NM. Summers traveling and adventuring with my wife were rapidly becoming a priority. In order to stay connected with the community, and continue to further the mission of the school in other ways, I found a niche teaching Wilderness Medicine at WMI. I believe strongly that wilderness medical skills are integral to wilderness leadership, so here I’ve been for three years! I have a blast teaching each of the courses and working with the excellent instructors and wonderful students!

Allison Maffei, WFR
Allison currently resides in San Francisco where she laments the absence of a river canyon by enjoying the coastal waters as much as possible. When not teaching for WMI Allison can almost always be found working at her “real job” managing an adaptive Sea Kayak Program for Environmental Traveling Companions or learning to sail her latest toy around SF Bay! Other San Francisco residents don't believe she actually lives there as on the weekends she is almost always finding wilder, sunnier places to spend her time. Allison thinks knowing Wilderness Medicine is important like bringing rain gear on a cloudy day, the more prepared you are the less likely you are to need it!

Chris Manchester, WFR
Chris Manchester has kayaked thousands of coastal miles since the 90's. He is a senior field instructor for NOLS and has been teaching for WMI since 2004. He is co-owner of Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. in Half Moon Bay, California and has kayaked the second longest barrier reef in the world–from Cancun, Mexico to the Bay Islands of Honduras–on a private expedition. Besides private expeditions, he has worked for several outdoor companies in local and international waters and is one of the first and only people to have ever surf kayaked the famous Mavericks surf wave.

Charlie Manganiello, WFR, WMI Registrar
Born in Alberta, Canada, but growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampsha’, Charlie has spent most of his life playing in the backcountry. Learning to ski on New England’s “packed powder” and fighting off the NH state bird, the mosquito, as he belayed climbing partners, he moved to Lander, WY. As WMI Student Services Representative he continues to augment the skills learned at the University of New Hampshire where he earned a B.S. in Outdoor Education. The NOLS Patagonia semester course and extended trips out west exploring has made for an easy transition as he settles into life in Lander.

Eric Martin, WEMT
Eric Martin lives in Truckee California and has taught wilderness medicine since the early 00's. Eric also teaches EMT and paramedic students at a community college in Sacramento, California. Eric formerly worked in Alaska, doing search and rescue as well as flight medicine. In 1993, Eric attended and successfully completed paramedic training at Standford University. One of Eric’s greatest joys watching students as they learn how to better care for themselves and others in times of emergency. When Eric is not working, he enjoys rafting, boogie boarding, skiing and hiking.

Marjorie Mazie, WEMT
Since 1991 Marjorie has spent much of time working on and off in experiential education and wilderness therapy programs. Mazie has been happily teaching for WMI since 2005. Her students have described her as an energetic 6ft. personality in a 4ft. 10in. body. She is also an EMT for her local fire department. She lives on Vashon Island, WA with her partner and their yellow dog. When not working she splits lots of wood, pulls lots of weeds, and is currently learning how to weave. Her next creative goal is to learn how to play the mandolin.

Amy McCann, WFR
Amy discovered her passion for Adventure Education while leading backpacking trips at a summer camp in New Hampshire during college. After college she lived and worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guyana, South America, and enjoyed exploring the mountains, rivers, and rainforests of the area. When she returned to the states, she took her first WMI course and has been a WFR since 2007. Amy spent the past five years teaching math, coaching soccer, and directing an Outdoor Education Program at a small boarding school in Ojai, CA. She recently moved to Denver and began working as a field instructor for NOLS this past summer (2011). Currently, she is finishing her Masters in Adventure Education from Prescott College and is enjoying being a teacher on an endless summer vacation right now. Amy is excited to share her passions for the mountains and wilderness medicine by teaching for WMI.

Matt McGee, WFR
Matt has worked professionally as a wildlife biologist in Montana, Wyoming, California, and Alaska, including studies of coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and bats. He has worked in environmental education as a naturalist for the National Park Service at the Grand Teton National Park, the Teton Science School, the National Audubon Society in California, and the Murie Science and Learning Center in Alaska. Matt is an avid outdoor adventurer, having completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and graduated from a wilderness course with NOLS. He enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, and telemark skiing in the mountains of Wyoming. Matt currently works as the Outdoor Adventure Program Manager for Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, WY.

Kristin McInaney, WEMT
Kristin McInaney has taught for WMI since the early 90's. She worked in Jackson Hole Wyoming as a ski patroller for three years. Additionally, she was a commerical river and white water guide for 8 years on the American, Merced, Tuolomne, Middle Fork of the Salmon. She also worked for NOLS as a whitewater kayak guide on the Gates of Ladore and Desolation sections of the Green River. Currently she splits her time between two jobs: The Bush School where she teaches and is the wilderness coordinator/risk manager for Upper School wilderness programming and her Acupuncure/DFA practice where she works with clients at the structural level to resolve pain, illness, and emotional imbalances.

Josh McNary, WEMT
Josh hails from the rolling soybean fields and verdant suburbs around Memphis, TN. It was in this environment that Josh vowed to go West and only return home for Christmas dinners. Josh holds a BA in Public Policy and an MA in International Development. After a short career involving suits and shiny shoes (emphasis on short), Josh became a full time field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School in 2002. In 2008 Josh joined the WMI ranks and currently devotes much of his year to teaching WFRs and WEMTs in the Rocky Mountain region. Josh lives in Lander, WY with his better half and their two dogs. He enjoys long distance hiking, educating in (and being educated by) the outdoors, and the lyrical prose of Ed Abbey. 

Jennifer Miller, WEMT
Jen grew up in the hills of Colorado, is partial to the intermountain snowpack and took her first WFR course when she was 18. After 12 years in the outdoor industry as a mountain guide, ski patroller and educator she can no longer eat oatmeal or bagels. Jen hopes to instill in her students the capacity to make thoughtful decisions in difficult situations. She especially enjoys teaching altitude illness related topics. In her spare time Jen works on an ambulance in the very urban Denver area and is (slowly) learning how to remodel a house. Jen is currently the Safety & Program Manager for Outward Bound and has a BA in International Relations and Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College.

M. Justin Moynihan, WFR

REI Outdoor School Senior Instructor

Musician, writer, artist, rock and ice climber/instructor, full time student

Justin lives in an attic apartment in Orange, NJ and in his truck 'Lil' Sweepea'. Wrestling between the expectations of stability vs. passion and income vs. adventure, he defaults to burning from both ends.

Sara Nelson, MD, WFR
Sara is passionate about the outdoors and about medicine. After working as an outdoor educator in Colorado and Vermont, her path veered sharply when she entered medical school in Boston. During the final year of her emergency medicine residency, Sara reconnected with WMI and NOLS, and met a group of folks who shared her passion for wilderness medicine. Sara is now grateful to spend time both as an attending physician at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME and also as a WMI instructor. When not working or teaching, Sara can often be found in her kayak in Casco Bay.

Lera Nichols, WEMT
Lera Nichols has been an EMT since 2003. She spent the last three years working as an EMT for SOMAC Ambulance in Hamilton, NY, while attending Colgate University. Currently, she is teaching English at Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs, CO, and is a recent addition to the WMI family. Lera is an avid snowboarder, backpacker, and foreign traveler. She is proficient in American Sign Language and Russian. She is a self-proclaimed medicine geek and is proud to report that she has never made a splint out of traditional splinting materials—she prefers sleeping pads, pillows, and the occasional camp chair slat. Lera is also secretly a bandit in her spare time. She has been known to get into mischief.

Fredrik Norrsell, WFR
Fredrik is a photographer, adventure guide and educator from Sweden. He has worked as a field instructor for NOLS since 1994. He has worked backpacking, mountaineering, sea kayaking, winter, climbing and instructor courses, and at most NOLS branches. He has taught courses for WMI since 2004, both in English and Swedish.Fredrik also has an MS in chemistry from Utah State University. He worked for their outdoor program in addition to being a backcountry avalanche observer for the Logan (Utah) Avalanche Forecast Center.His photography has been published in Camera Natura, Utemagasinet, BioFoto, Villmarksliv, Nature Conservancy and in publications by NOLS and Crossing Latitudes. His Fine Art Prints grace the walls of many homes and have been selected for a permanent exhibit at Utah State University. He is represented by Danita Delimont Inc. stock agency. For more info see www.norrsell.com.

Jamie O'Donnell, WEMT
Jamie O’Donnell has worked as an educator in numerous capacities since the early 90's: as an outdoor educator, a high school biology teacher, and university biology lab-instructor. He currently instructs field courses for NOLS. He has a M.S. in Environmental Education and an M.A. in teaching. His passion for teaching, the outdoors, and wilderness medicine fuels his enthusiasm as a WMI instructor.

Nate Ostis, WEMT
Nate began his career in education as a lecturer for the Outdoor Recreation Department and as head men’s lacrosse coach for Plymouth State University. He then taught high school English and Physics for an international whitewater kayaking academy. In addition to working for WMI, Nate is also a senior field staff for NOLS and a Swiftwater Rescue Technician instructor. Nate feels the success of his students is cultivated by an attention to building character through service to others and stewardship for the environments in which we explore.