NOLS - Key Persons

Aaron Divine

Job Titles:

Instructor

Aaron began working in-town for NOLS in 1998 and started field instructing for the school in 2000. He primarily serves as a glacier mountaineering in…

Abby Warner

Job Titles:

Instructor

Abby believes the power of a NOLS course is connecting to wild places and education in ways that open possibilities for people to change the world fo…

Abigail Hunter

Job Titles:

Instructor

A California native, Abigail grew up playing in the Sierras and in cold Pacific waters, falling in love with the scale of the West. Upon graduating w…

Adam Baxter

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Adam Crenshaw

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Ahmad Thomas

Job Titles:

Member of the Board
Member of the NOLS Board of Trustees
CEO of the Silicon Leadership Valley Group

Ahmad Thomas is the CEO of the Silicon Leadership Valley Group, California's most dynamic business association. As a change agent and next generation business leader, Thomas partners with the organization's 400+ member companies to promote entrepreneurial solutions to strengthen Silicon Valley business competitiveness, bolster its innovation ecosystem, and create shared economic value throughout the greater Bay Area. In his first year as CEO, Thomas has catalyzed industry-leading initiatives to operationalize change around diversity, equity, and inclusion from the Boardroom to the C-suites and beyond. A former investment banker and senior Congressional aide, he brings nearly 20 years of experience working both in and on behalf of non-profit social enterprises, governments, and businesses, where he has honed a deep understanding of the essentiality of public-private partnerships and the intersection of equity, policy, and technology. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, Master's degree from the London School of Economics, and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Alan Neilson

Job Titles:

Instructor

Born in Australia, where he grew up sailing off the beaches of Adelaide, Alan is an '85 NOLS Alaska Semester grad who started as an instructor in '86…

Alex DeGolia

Job Titles:

Instructor

Allen B. Macomber

Job Titles:

Advisory Council Emeriti

Allen joined the Advisory Council in 2001 after serving for six years on the NOLS Board of Trustees including the last eighteen months as Chair. He is a four-course NOLS grad, was an active NOLS instructor for ten years, retiring after the 2006 summer season, and a NOLS parent. Allen has been connected with NOLS since volunteering to help raise money for the Next Step Expedition Capital Campaign which started in 1992. Allen also spearheaded the establishment of a scholarship endowment for New Mexicans. Educated at Bucknell University (B.A. '63) and The Fletcher School at Tufts (M.A. '64). He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Santa Fe. He and his wife, Geraldine, are enjoying their semi-retired life in Santa Fe, NM and Pagosa Springs, CO. Their three sons, Gavin, Pete, and Dave are all NOLS grads.

Allen O'Bannon

Job Titles:

Instructor

Allen started working for NOLS in 1987. Since that time he has worked at almost every location and area of instruction. He has administered NOLS prog…

Allie Maloney

Job Titles:

Instructor

Allie started her career as an outdoor educator at age sixteen, as a summer camp counselor in beautiful western Washington. After graduating from the…

Allie Sargent

Job Titles:

Alaska Operations Manager

Allie is originally from the mountains of Western North Carolina but fell in love with Alaska in 2018. Since moving to Alaska, Allie has completed he… Read more

Alyssa Rainbolt

Job Titles:

Instructor

Alyssa first came to NOLS in 2013 on an Outdoor Educator Course out of Lander, Wyoming. It wasn't long before she decided to leave a big-city life in San Francisco to return to the Wind River Range, and she took a job in Admissions and Marketing at NOLS in 2014. Currently, she's nurturing an alumni network 280,000 strong as Alumni Relations Coordinator. In her free time, you can find her teaching yoga, rock climbing, trail running, and skiing. A couple times a year she hits the links to relive her college golf days at the University of Kansas (rock chalk!).

Amanda Cameron

Job Titles:

Medical Technician

Formerly a commercial fisher-lady in Alaska, a fisheries technician in Yellowstone, and ski patroller in Colorado, Amanda began teaching mountaineeri… Read more

Amber Guzzardo

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

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 d… Read more

Amy Dominguez-Arms

Job Titles:

Vice Chair of the Board
Vice Chair of the NOLS Board of Trustees

Amy is a philanthropic consultant who works with foundations on strategic planning, program design, field and nonprofit capacity assessment, and grants portfolio oversight on a range of social issues. Clients include the Barr Foundation, College Futures Foundation, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Packard Foundation, and Philanthropy California. Previously, Amy served as Vice President for Programs for The James Irvine Foundation, overseeing the strategic development and implementation of initiatives in the areas of youth opportunity, democratic participation, the arts, and leadership development. Earlier she served as Director of the foundation's California Democracy program. Previously, Amy was Vice President of Children Now, a children's research and advocacy organization. Amy earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Spanish from Stanford University. Amy also is on the board of the Outdoor Foundation and the National Immigration Forum. She previously served on the Funders' Committee for Civic Participation Steering Committee. Amy lives in Berkeley, California with her husband, son, and daughter. Amy's son, Rafa, is a NOLS graduate. Amy began backpacking with her family at age five and continues to enjoy backpacking, camping, and the outdoors.

Amy McCann

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Amy Shambarger

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Amy Waeschle

Job Titles:

Field Instructor

Amy Waeschle spent 5 years working as a field instructor for NOLS and other outdoor programs before going back to school for a Master's Degree in Tea… Read more

Andrea (Auny) Abegglen

Job Titles:

Co - Chair
Member of the Board
Member of the Executive Team
Member of the NOLS Board of Trustees
Business Strategist and Marketing Executive

Auny is a seasoned business strategist and marketing executive with over 25 years of experience and a proven track record of helping to start and …

Andrew Megas-Russell

Job Titles:

Instructor

Andrew learned the value of living simply, in a small community, on his NOLS Southwest student semester. He believes in the power that outdoor experi…

Andy Blair

Job Titles:

Assistant Director

Andy has been working for NOLS since 1992 as a field instructor and since 2001 as a wilderness medicine instructor. He is known to state repetitively… Read more

Andy Paul

Job Titles:

Instructor and Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Andy started his NOLS journey as a student on an Outdoor Educator sea kayaking and hiking course in Alaska in 2010. He later completed an Alaska Inst…

Anna Haegel

Job Titles:

Instructor

Anna Haegel has supported NOLS in the field and in-town for many years. She got started with NOLS when she did a student semester in the Rockies in 2…

Anna Horn

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Anna ran away from the circus (where she practiced flying trapeze and contortion) for a less sedentary lifestyle as a NOLS Wilderness Medicine and NO… Read more

Anna Talucci

Job Titles:

Instructor

Anna started NOLS work as a horse packer at Three Peaks Ranch. In 2007 she completed her Instructor Course concentrating mostly on wilderness, canyon…

Anne Cannon

Job Titles:

Advisory Council Emeriti

Anne was a field instructor for NOLS from 1969 - 1976 in addition to doing a number of different administrative jobs including being co-director in Baja from 1971-1975. From 1976 - 1985 she worked for the Forest Service in Wyoming mainly for the Shoshone National Forest in the Lander district as a wilderness ranger and as a recreational specialist. Since then she has lived in Lander and assisted in the management of the Double A Ranch from 1985 - 2004. She has been involved in the Lander community serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission, Fremont School District #1, the Fremont County Library, Fremont County Search & Rescue, Lander Unit, and CWC Special Committee. Anne received a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. from Indiana University where her studies focused on Outdoor Education/Recreation and Special Education. Anne has one daughter, Heather Anne Allen.

Anne McGowan

Job Titles:

Communications Coordinator

Anne hails from southcentral Pennsylvania, and spent weeks every summer of her childhood camping and hiking with her family. Always with her were a …

Anne Peick

Job Titles:

Instructor

Anne grew up in Minnesota and began her career in outdoor education in 2004 as an intern for the Voyageur Outward Bound School. In 2009 she began …

Annie Graeter

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Native to the seven hills of Cincinnati, Annie made her way Westward and has never looked back. When asked "mountains or water?" Annie always chose m… Read more

Annie Morita

Annie is an executive with Apple, Inc., and was most recently the lead for Internet Software & Services in Greater China, focusing on the App Stor…

Arianne Zwartjes

Job Titles:

Medical Technician

Ari came to NOLS from a background in search & rescue, as well as outdoor education and guiding, and a little experience as a medical interpreter in … Read more

Asa Pape

Job Titles:

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

Åsa has a teaching degree from Uppsala University in Sweden and taught WFR Physical Education and Swedish at Junior High School in Sweden for eight y… Read more

Ashley Drake

Job Titles:

Instructor & Custom Education Operations Manager

Ashley Drake is a proud Oregonian who moved to the town of Lander, Wyoming to work for NOLS in 2015. Ashley is the Operations Manager for NOLS Custom…

Ashley Wise

Job Titles:

Alaska Campus Director

Audrey Kruse

Job Titles:

Wilderness Medicine Instructor

Audrey currently lives in Albuquerque, NM but loves to travel and explore new places whenever she can. She became hooked on outdoor adventure and exp… Read more

Bernard Van der Lande

Job Titles:

Advisory Council
Member of the Executive Team
General Partner With Cindat Capital Management

Bernard Van der Lande is a General Partner with Cindat Capital Management, an institutional investment manager focused on cross-border alternative asset strategies. He completed his W-EMT training with NOLS in 2002 and subsequently worked as medic and instructor for numerous outdoor education and wilderness therapy programs. A graduate of Davidson College, Bernard enjoys studying the application of leadership skills in different cultural contexts, languages, comparative religion, and sharing his passion for the great outdoors. Bernard is married with two children and splits his residence between Montana and Vermont when not overseas for work or asset management.