Deb Ajango
WEMT
Alaska

Deb Ajango has instructed for Wilderness Medical Associates® for more than a dozen years. She lives in Alaska and has traveled the state extensively. Besides teaching classes for WMA™, she owns and operates a business in outdoor safety. Deb's claim to fame is that she and her husband have actually been attacked (and husband mauled) by a grizzly bear.

Sawyer Alberi
WEMT
Vermont

Sawyer is a graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy, an EMT-P, and served in Iraq as a Vermont National Guard Combat Medic.  Her varied background includes working as a Deck Watch Officer on the USCGC Tahoma; a “house mouse” in Antarctica; a wildland fire fighter; head women’s crew coach; Adjunct Faculty at Johnson State College; medical support for the Mountain Warfare School in Jerico, VT; Operations Manager for Cookson America; and EMT-P in her local ambulance service.  In her spare time, Sawyer tends an organic garden, hikes and climbs.

Rocco Altobelli
WEMT / CCEMT-Paramedic
Montana

Rocco was born in the most avalanche prone part of North Dakota. He has spent his entire adult life in the mountains of the west. Since 1989 he has been a professional ski patroller, an EMT with big city and rural ambulances, a search and rescue coordinator, an avalanche rescue dog handler, a raft guide, a firefighter and an instructor. When he's not teaching, canoeing with his family, or backcountry skiing he can be found circling NW Montana as a Flight Paramedic.

Julie Marie Anderson
MICP, WEMT-P
Alaska

Julie currently works as a flight paramedic in southeast Alaska, where she has to make the difficult decision of whether to go mountaineering, skiing, or kayaking on her days off. Formerly she has worked in the Alaskan Arctic as a flight paramedic and on the coast of South Carolina as a 911 paramedic and volunteer firefighter / rescue team member. Julie also has a diverse background in outdoor education and summer camps. If you spend time with her, play some bluegrass and reminisce about Appalachia – suddenly, her southern accent will re-appear.

Jeff Baierlein
MS, NREMT-B, WEMT
California

Jeff has over 20 years experience in wilderness and outdoor education, most recently as Executive Director of the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education.  Previously, Jeff served as Education Director for two outdoor programs in Washington State and led wilderness semester expeditions with Outward Bound and backcountry courses with other organizations, including sailing, rock climbing, kayaking, and mountaineering.  Jeff has also been a Board member for Prescott College, Northwest Environmental Education Council, and the Idyllwild Community Fund of The Community Foundation, and served in leadership positions with the Association for Experiential Education and Washington State Governor's Council on Environmental Education.

Evan Bartlett
WEMT-P
Colorado

Evan grew up in Colorado and never left.  After spending many years as a raft guide and ski bum, he switched his career focus to medicine.  He enjoys the challenges of working in a rural environment, and has now worked for Western Eagle County Ambulance District since 2001.  Evan joined WMA in 2007 and looks forward to sharing his experiences by instructing wilderness medicine courses.  He currently lives in Buena Vista with his wife and dog.  You can still find him paddling and skiing on his days off.

Mark Bixby
MD, WEMT
Minnesota

Mark is a Family Physician, University of Minnesota faculty member and program director for the University of MN/North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program. Mark teaches aspects of Wilderness Medicine to medical students and residents.

Charles Blankenship
CCEMT-P, WEMT
North Carolina

Charles has many credentials in emergency medicine and search & rescue. He is a member of North Carolina Search & Rescue Dog Association and also on the international SAR team 1st Special Response Group. Charles also teaches courses in survival and search & rescue. He has a number of years experience working in emergency medicine and SAR with his K-9 “Shawnee” in both the northeast and southeast along with six years in the U.S. Army serving on the 82nd Airborne Long Range Surveillance Team. He now manages regional transport services for Mission Hospitals and has a new K-9 named "Bogey".

Tara Bossert
WEMT, NREMT-B
Pennsylvania

Tara is the Associate Program Director of Outward Bound Philadelphia and volunteers in the Philadelphia area as an EMT-B.  She has been a WEMT for over 3 years.  A degree in Forest Science from Penn State led Tara to pursue a career in the outdoors and explore the world.  She has eight years of experience in the adventure/outdoor education field working around the country with at-risk youth, urban youth, and adults in the areas of backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, dog sledding, cross-country skiing and challenge course facilitation.  Tara holds certifications with AMGA and ACA.  In her free time she is often found planning her next travel adventure.

Andy Brainard
WEMT-P, MD, MPH
New Mexico

Andy is a former paramedic, firefighter, and ski patroller who, after graduating from medical school at the University of New Mexico, is currently an Emergency Medicine Resident at St. Luke’s in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In his free time, he occasionally gets to play as a skier, climber, hiker, and sailor.

Barbara Brittell
PA-C
Antarctica

Barbie is a Physician Assistant working in McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In addition to working in the station clinic, she serves as the Medic on the Joint Antarctic Search and Rescue Team, and provides medical training for the Antarctic Fire Department and field camps. Previous work experience includes rural emergency and family medicine on the Maine coast and Maine islands. She would enjoy sea kayaking in Antarctica, if she could figure out how to get through the 13 feet of ice covering the sea outside her back door.

Jamie Butler
RN, CEN, NREMT-P, WEMT
New Mexico

Jamie is an Eagle Scout. He commutes to work in Dallas, Texas, where he is employed as an RN in the Emergency Department at Parkland Hospital. As a Level 1 Trauma Center and the regional burn center they see over 10,000 patients a month.Jamie has been an instructor for WMA™ since 1995. He is also involved in education for Dallas Fire Department, UT Southwestern Medical School & the NDLS (National Disaster Life Support) program. He loves outdoor activities, especially ones that involve cool gear that can be strapped to the top of his truck. He has a BS in Nursing & a BA in PSY. 1990 to 1996 he founded & operated a wilderness based Licensed Residential Treatment Center for adolescents with emotional & psychiatric issues. His future plans involve 3 months in Phoenix this winter learning to skydive, hiking the Zion Narrows next spring & buying another blue water sailboat.

Doug Cameron
EMT-I, WEMT
Tennessee

Grandfather of four, 35 years in fire service (assist chief), 25 years in EMS (TN EMT-IV, WEMT). Retired high school biology teacher and college outing program director. Doug paddles and sails long distance races (won and placed second in the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge — 300 miles — in a sailing canoe). He does some writing for boating magazines and helped edit the Wilderness and Rescue Medicine book (because I’m so picky about grammar!). Doug also builds wooden boats and volunteer in land conservation, education and humanitarian groups. Doug started teaching for WMA™ because he likes the way we teach and approach learning.

LeAnne Carson
RN, WEMT
South Carolina

Leanne is an RN with experience in a trauma center in Atlanta currently working in a neuro trauma icu in Asheville, NC. She completed the first WMA™ WALS course taught. When not in the medical world, she has been leading trips for five years ranging from 14-day to 31-day trips with various adolescent and college age groups. Her hobbies include: backpacking, rock climbing, sea kayaking, and mountaineering.

Roger Coit
WEMT
Colorado

Roger works in Summit County, Colorado as the Training and Quality Improvement Program Supervisor for Summit County Ambulance Service. He is a member of the ambulance service Search and Rescue Paramedic team which works in partnership with the Summit County Rescue Group. Roger has significant SAR experience. He has been teaching for WMA™ since 1995. He was a pro ski patroller for 11 years and continues to volunteer as a paramedic for Monarch Ski Patrol near Salida. He also has 13 years as river guide and river manager on the Arkansas River as well as many other rivers in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and West Virginia. He likes to telemark, run, kayak, climb, yada yada yada, but most importantly do these things with his family! He and his wife, Kate, have two children, Ethan and Evan.

Sherrie Collins
NREMT-P, WEMT, BTLS, FLETC
Arizona

Sherrie is Emergency Medical Services Coordinator for the National Park Service across the United States. She is also EMS Coordinator for the Grand Canyon National Park and has held that position since 1987. She is an expert on heat-related emergencies and has published numerous technical articles on the subject.

Kevin Collopy
BA, CCEMT-P, NREMT-P, WEMT
Wisconsin

After taking several WMA™ courses, Kevin joined WMA™ in 2005 following the completion of his degree in environmental biology. He has been an avid wilderness tripping enthusiast for over 15 years, and has been leading extended canoeing, kayaking, and backing trips throughout the US and Canada for a decade. Since beginning his EMS career in 2000 while in college, he has moved back to the Midwest and currently works as a Flight Paramedic for the Spirit of Marshfield Mobile Transport Service. In addition to teaching for WMA™, Kevin also is an EMS author; he has written several textbook chapters, magazine articles, and develops on-line continuing education courses for EMS providers.

Jocelyn Cooper
WEMT
Washington

Jocelyn has worked for Outward Bound for 7 years, specializing in sea kayaking in Alaska, Mexico and Costa Rica. Currently, she is in a naturopathic medical school in Washington state. Jocelyn values time to bike, hike and ski in the North Cascades.

Lucca Criminale
PA-C, EMT-I
Washington

Lucca is a PA with decades of experience in the field as a ski patroller, EMT, and river guide. Lucca continues to work as a guide on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon and covers shifts on an ALS ambulance for Cascade Medical Center and works as a WMA™ Instructor for Rescue Specialists in Leavenworth, Washington.

Jane Dally
RN, WEMT
Arizona

Jane has worked as an outdoor educator since 1987 for such organizations as Outward Bound, the National Outdoor Leadership School, the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and Prescott College. She is currently an instructor at Prescott College teaching courses in adventure education, social science and holistic health. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and a Master's in Recreation Management. She is also a massage therapist and holistic healer.

David Line Denali
PhD, MSW, EMT

Dave is the Public Health Emergency Preparedness coordinator for Apache County, Arizona. In 1994 he founded a youth oriented search and rescue team which responds in Arizona and New Mexico. Dave is an Incident Commander for New Mexico State Police, and he has been the medical director for mountain bike and adventure races for over ten years. Dave is a member of the National Ski Patrol and is an avid mountain biker, backcountry skier and hiker.

Nancy Doherty
RN, WEMT
Maine

A registered nurse whose experience spans hospital emergency rooms as well as patrol rooms at major ski areas, she has many years experience as a whitewater guide and paddler. She has also worked for Nantahala Outdoor Center. Her current passion is her two young daughters.

Eric Duffy
WEMT-B
Bremen, Maine

Eric Duffy is a WEMT and a Registered Maine Guide, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in theology.  For most of the past decade he has worked as a sea kayaking guide in the summers, and an EMT with a rural ambulance service in the winters. Eric spent four years teaching English at Hebron Academy, where he also developed the outdoor education program into a daily alternative to competitive athletics; three years supervising the paddling and guide training programs at the L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery School; and a few seasons as a deckhand on a lobster boat or in the field of purple-thumbed carpentry.  Eric is now the health care coordinator at the Chewonki Foundation. He also serves on the board of Teens To Trails, an organization that promotes outing clubs in Maine high schools.  Eric lives in a small lobstering village with his wife and daughter, helping raise a big organic garden and even bigger dogs.

Ann M. Dunphy
EMT-I, WEMT
Wisconsin

Ann is a professional EMS instructor who holds a BS degree in education and professional certifications in emergency medicine. She teaches emergency medicine for Nicolet College and wilderness medicine for WMA. Between classes she works for an ambulance service and emergency room in northern Wisconsin where she responds to and treats "northwoods" injuries. Her EMS experience began in 1980, and her education career in 1979.  Ann provides a high-energy and well focused teaching style. She has taught for WMA in settings as diverse as weekend adventure clubs, summer camps, outdoor companies, military bases to an Ivy League university. In her spare time she enjoys kayaking, cross-country skiing, hiking or simply relaxing in her century old Northwood’s  farmhouse. Her favorite place is the northwoods shoreline of Lake Superior.

Peter H. Evans
WEMT,
New York

Pete is a forest ranger for the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and his duties include search and rescue, wildland firefighting, resource protection and law enforcement. When not in uniform he can be found somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains pursuing his hobbies of backpacking, telemarking/snow boarding, hunting, fishing, or marathon canoe racing.

Ken Ferris
WEMT
California

Ken has been involved in outdoor education since 1986, leading backpacking, caving and river trips for teenagers as well as teaching environmental science and biology. Before moving west, he worked 10 seasons as a whitewater guide on the Chattooga and French Broad rivers. Currently, he volunteers as a rural firefighter/EMT with the Shasta County Mountain Rescue Team, and is an outdoor recreation specialist for Nawa Academy. In his “free” time, he assists in caretaking a 2,500 acre working ranch in far northern California.

Daniel Flynn
WEMT
California

Since graduating from Vassar College in 2003, Dan has been trying his hardest to shed his urban upbringing and become a country boy.  Dan began his ski patrol career at Sugarbush Resort in northern Vermont, but the pull of big mountains brought him to Mammoth Lakes, California, where he currently resides. A professional patroller and Wilderness EMT at Mammoth Mountain, he is a member of the backcountry search and rescue, gondola evacuation, and artillery avalanche control teams.  During the summer months, he is an outdoor/experiential educator for Adventure Treks, leading teens backpacking, mountaineering, rock-climbing, river-rafting and kayaking throughout western North America.  Dan believes that WMA's commitment to scientific and educational excellence is what makes it the leader in wilderness medical training.

Erik Forsythe
EMT-P
Colorado

Erik is a paramedic/firefighter with the Crested Butte FPD, and a Colorado EMS instructor. His schedule is as varied as his interests. Erik has 15 years of experience with the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol, most recently as their training supervisor. The rugged and remote terrain that has made Crested Butte famous for extreme skiing also serves Erik as an ideal laboratory for backcountry emergency medicine and rescue techniques. Erik is a member of Crested Butte Search and Rescue, an MRA certified mountain rescue team. He also owns and operates Professional Rescue Training, specializing in technical rope rescue education. Erik has been teaching wilderness medicine programs since 1994, and joined the staff of Wilderness Medical Associates® in 2000. Outside the classroom, Erik is married and a father of two children, and still manages to honor his passions for ice climbing, mountain biking, and alpine mountaineering.

Bill Frederick
WEMT
Massachusetts

Bill Frederick directs Risk Management Services for The School for Field Studies (SFS) conducting international risk management trainings and safety reviews for study abroad, service learning and adventure education programs. He oversees all safety related aspects of SFS programming in Australia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Mexico and Turks & Caicos. Prior to SFS he served for 18 years with Outward Bound and has worked for NOLS and some lesser known risky youth programs. He has taught for WMA™ since 1991.

Hoskuldur S Fridriksson
WEMT CCEMT-P FF SAR-DIVER
Iceland

Nicknamed Hoddi or the Iceman is involved in a variety of outdoor activities. He has been working in prehospital EMS since 1986 and now works for the Icelandic Capital District fire department and is a member of SAR-team Iceland that is Iceland's international rescue response team. He has a degree in EMS and is an EMT, ACLS, BTLS, PEPP and AMLS instructor, but he says teaching for WMA™ is the most fun teaching experience he has ever had.

Greg Friese
MS NREMT-Paramedic
Wisconsin

Greg lives with his family in central Wisconsin. In addition to teaching WMA™ courses, Greg is president of Emergency Preparedness Systems LLC (www.eps411.com), which assists emergency response organizations and educators in developing new or existing training programs for distribution to larger audiences – primarily through online distribution at www.rapidce.com. He finds time to work as a paramedic, speak at conferences, write for EMS publications, and run the trails and paddle the waterways of the north.

Ty Garland
NREMT-B WEMT
Wyoming

Ty has been an EMT for 10 years working with agencies including Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, Teton County Search and Rescue and Wyoming K9 SAR.  In 2006 he left his home in Jackson, Wyoming and is now living in Seattle attending the University of Washington School of Medicine.  In his free time he plays in mountains with his dog Kaya and travels worldwide as a photographer.

Lincoln Garrick
M.Ed. WEMT
Alaska

Linc is Program Manager for the Imaginarium, Alaska's major science center. Lincoln has a Master’s in Education in Adult Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage and over 10 years of experiential education working for universities, field schools, and adventure education organizations. He enjoys unadulterated muscle-powered travel in wild places—rock, snow and ice climbing, whitewater and sea kayaking, snow boarding, telemark and randonee skiing, canoeing, backpacking, and mountaineering. And Ben & Jerry’s.

C. Brian Gee
WEMT
Colorado

Brian lives in Crested Butte, Colorado where he works as a professional ski patroller and with the Crested Butte Fire Protection District's EMS system. Crested Butte's abundant extreme terrain provides a challenging environment in which to practice medicine. Brian's many experiences with patients in adverse conditions along with his love for the outdoors have motivated him to pursue a career with WMA. Included in his repertoire of many outdoor adventures, Brian spent a winter season patrolling in Courchevel, France and has worked as a climbing guide in Canada.

Carl Gilmore
WEMT
New Mexico

Carl is a master instructor for EMT at the University of New Mexico where he has been involved in the development of both curriculum and examinations. He has written and contributed to much of the emergency medical legislation in New Mexico. He is also a client resource for Bound Tree ALS Products which means he knows so much about so many ALS products and issues he has become the expert to whom everyone refers questions.

Bradley Glenn
EMT
Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s representative on the WMA™ instructor team. Glenn says he teaches with WMA™ because of our history and experience in the wilderness medicine industry (we practically started it), the passion and expertise of the company leadership for learning and being excellent, and the fact that he feels like we make the process of becoming an instructor as manageable and supportive as possible for qualified candidates.
                                 

Peter Goth
MD
Maine

Peter is the founder of WMA™. He sold the company in the 1990s and serves as a consultant to WMA™ owner Dr. David Johnson. He is an emergency physician with a hospital on the coast of Maine and he and his wife raise a variety of animals, including cashmere goats, on their farm.

Justin Grohs
NREMT-P
Montana

Although he tells us working for WMA™ is his favorite job (We figure he's looking for a raise!), Justin also works as a paramedic for Great Falls Emergency Services in Great Falls, Montana. He is an NREMT-P as well as an instructor for ACLS. He operates Extreme Medicine, a company that provides paramedic level care for events in unusual environments. The website is www.extrememedicine.com. He spends his summers in Glacier National Park operating a 45-foot launch on Two Medicine Lake.

Vernhard Gudnason
WEMT NREMT-P
Iceland

Venni is president of the Icelandic National firefighters and EMTs- paramedics Union. He has been a professional firefighter and EMT since 1988. EMT-P from 2000. He loves to do little bit of everything - hiking, skiing, soccer, etc. His favorite sport is skydiving and he is willing to travel for interesting places and people to jump with.

Gabriel Gunning
WEMT-B
Maine

Gabe's earliest experiences are from living on an island in Maine until he was five, so he's got the island vibe in him. Currently, he tries to get to the ocean as much as possible while making do with the many rivers, streams and brooks in the mountains of New England along with trips to the rainy Pacific Northwest and its swollen rivers. For work, Gabe rides on an ambulance in northwestern Maine and works in an emergency department at a local hospital. He has also been a professional ski patroller in Maine for the past four seasons, volunteers at a local camp, and is a junior partner in eNRG Kayaking, an adventure travel company and whitewater kayak school based out of the Portland, Oregon.

Maggie Handlan
RN CCRN MSN WEMT
Tennessee

Maggie has more initials, certifications, and degrees after her name than we could ever list, so we've settled for a couple! She is a registered nurse with an MSN, has been on the faculty of the University of Kentucky, publishes widely in professional journals, and has spent the last 10 years as a flight nurse. Maggie has been instrumental in the development of the new Wilderness Advanced Life Support curriculum and is a member of the WMA™ Faculty Committee. She enjoys kayaking, back country skiing, and backpacking.

Jobi Hanson
WEMT NREMT-P
Colorado

Jobi started his career in medicine as a field medic for the US Army, and has been an EMT since 1989. Since then he has worked urban EMS in Boston and rural EMS in Vermont and Oregon, as well as worked on a professional ski patrol, on a critical-care transport service, and as a flight paramedic. During the same time he also been involved in wilderness education and guiding, working throughout most of the 1990’s for Outward Bound and other organizations with groups ranging from juvenile offenders to corporate executives. Currently he works as a flight medic on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona and in his spare time seeks adventure in the mountains, in the desert, and trains for triathlons.

Dael Harrison
PA-C
Connecticut

Originally from Maine, Dael is a Physician Assistant working in the Newborn ICU at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT. She has previous experience in rural EMS and in an urban emergency setting. In her spare time, she teaches for Wildmed and tries to avoid using her wilderness medical skills while hiking, biking, and skiing.

Julie Harjung
AEMT-CC, WEMT
New York

Julie is a NYS Forest Ranger stationed in the Adirondack Mountains. She is a volunteer EMT and firefighter for the local fire department and teaches CPR & EMT classes locally for the NYS Department of Health.

Greg Harkless
WEMT
Pennsylvania

Greg is originally from Cupertino, California (home of Apple Computer!). Until recently, Greg called San Diego home, where he earned a BA in Political Science and an MA in Leadership Studies. After 11 years working in the outdoor education field and three years as a live-in student at an aikido dojo, Greg's latest adventure is as a sixth grade social studies teacher in northeast Philadelphia. His primary outdoor interests are rock climbing & mountain biking.

Tony Hawgood
WEMT
Navy SCUBA Instructor
DAN O2 Administration Instructor
Massachusetts

Although he spent several years as a canoe guide, SCUBA instructor and reef naturalist pretending not to be a teacher, Tony finally resigned himself to the fact that he is a teacher and will never make any money. Tony spent the last 10 years teaching high school science around the world and playing with kids in the outdoors over school breaks (running scuba, sailing, backpacking trips with a variety of companies). His current position with Lawrence Academy allows Tony to combine academic teaching with outdoor education plus teach for WMA™ over the breaks.

Laura Helfman
MD, WFR
Tennessee

Laura was one of those docs who finished medical school and still didn't know what to do when she grew up, so she decided to do lots of things part-time. On any given day, she might be working as an emergency physician, teaching for WMA, or working as a whitewater raft guide. Home is northwest of Chattanooga where there is ample opportunity for all three.

Emily Hinman
WEMT
New Hampshire

Emily began teaching with Wilderness Medical Associates shortly after completing her WEMT Upgrade course in Crested Butte in 2000. She is an avid skier, diver, and kayaker and currently serves as the ski patrol director for Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire. She is well known for her energetic and thorough style of instruction.

Jeffrey Isaac
PA-C
Colorado

Jeff is a physician assistant with a particular interest in backcountry and marine medicine. His 30 years of professional experience includes service as an ambulance and fire/rescue crewman, professional ski patroller, and medical staff in hospital emergency departments and ski area trauma clinics. He has also been a senior instructor and course director with the Hurricane Outward Bound School and has worked as mate and licensed captain aboard sail training vessels from New England to Trinidad.

Jeff currently practices in the Ski Area Clinic in Crested Butte, Colorado, where he also serves as Team Leader and Medical Officer of Crested Butte Search and Rescue. Jeff is the author of The Outward Bound Wilderness First Aid Handbook and co-author of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine. He is the Curriculum Director for WMA™ and member of the Faculty Committee. See his website at medicalofficer.net

Josh Jackson
NR WEMT-B
California

Josh Jackson has fervor for both outdoor recreation and teaching, and he has spent over a decade trying to marry his passions.  Josh has worked as a climbing, river and mountain guide throughout the West and Alaska. He has his Bachelor’s degree in Adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College and a Master’s in Outdoor Experiential Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  Josh is a Wilderness EMT who has been active in Search & Rescue.  In addition to working as an Outward Bound instructor, climbing gym manager, wilderness therapy facilitator, field program manager and a Wilderness Medical Associates®’ instructor, he has served as adjunct faculty at colleges and universities, teaching such courses as expeditionary sea kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, back country skiing, ice climbing, surfing, map & compass, winter camping, wilderness leadership and wilderness first responder.

John Jacobs
WEMT
California

John Jacobs is a Senior Faculty Instructor with WMA™, with over 1,000 instructional days and 250+ courses under his belt. John has an equally extensive history in the outdoor education industry, with 20+ years working as an Instructor and Program Director for Outward Bound, and currently operating Adventure Risk Management, which concentrates in outdoor risk management consultation and specialized training; and Wilderness Outings, providing outdoor skills courses throughout Southern California. John's outdoor experience ranges from long distance hiking of the Pacific Crest Trail to many disciplines of climbing, from big mountains in Alaska, to big walls in Yosemite.

Rob Janik
MICP, WEMT
Alaska

Rob is a MICP who serves as the Regional EMS Training Coordinator for Southeast Region EMS Council in Sitka, AK. He also instructs alphabet courses and flies with the SEARHC Air Medical Service. He participates in many consumptive and non-consumptive outdoor recreational activities. Rob moved to Alaska in 1998 from Cleveland, Ohio where he was a field paramedic, Continuing Education Coordinator for the City of Cleveland Emergency Medical Service, and then EMS Coordinator for MetroHealth Medical Center.

Kimara Jebb
WEMT
Maine

Originally from Gloucester, MA and a 1994 graduate of Bowdoin College, Kimara is currently working towards a Master’s degree at the University of New England’s Physician Assistant program. She has been teaching for WMA™ since 1998. Her experience as a WEMT has come mostly from her 8 years of work as a professional ski patroller at Sunday River, ME, and Bridger Bowl, in Bozeman, MT. She’s a former Colorado Outward Bound Instructor, whitewater raft guide, sea/whitewater kayaking instructor, and operations manager for a Central American ecotour operator in Costa Rica and Belize. When she’s not buried in schoolwork, Kimara thrives upon alpine skiing, surfing, kayaking, scuba diving/snorkeling, world travel - and of course, teaching medicine.

David Johnson
MD, WEMT
President & Medical Director
Wilderness Medical Associates
Georgia & Maine

In addition to his writing, teaching, and business responsibilities with Wilderness Medical Associates, David (DJ) also works as an Emergency Physician at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine

His outdoor pursuits have included wilderness canoeing in Canada, climbing and hiking in North and South America, coastal kayaking in the Georgia and Maine and blue water sailing around and across the Atlantic Ocean.

Fay Johnson
WEMT
Montana

Fay is a senior faculty member of WMA™ and serves on our Faculty Advisory Committee. By winter she is the ski patrol director at Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Fay and her husband, Ron are avalanche experts and were featured in a PBS NOVA documentary on avalanches.

Emily Kane
WEMT
New Mexico

Emily is a paramedic fire fighter with the Albuquerque Fire Department. She is a lieutenant assigned to the AFD Training Academy with 17 years of experience working in the field. She teaches everything from swiftwater rescue, dive rescue and fire fighting to paramedic certification for the fire department members. As the Water Rescue Training Coordinator, she is responsible for the AFD Dive Team and AFD’s Swiftwater Rescue response capability. Emily has been an EMT since 1987 and a paramedic since 1991, with lots of back country experience in rescue and evacuation, summer and winter, balanced with a strong background in urban ALS care and instruction.

Tammy Keller
BS, NREMT-P, WEMT
Georgia

Tammy is a paramedic, EMS and law enforcement instructor, wildland firefighter, and NPS SAR team member. Tammy’s day job is that of physical techniques Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, GA for the National Park Service. In her free time she and her husband Kent have taken up sea kayaking and continue to hike the canyons of the country, bike, and run.

Dennis Kerrigan
NREMT-P, WEMT
Maine

Dennis has been a nationally registered EMT since 1984, and became a national registry paramedic in 1991, the same year he started teaching for WMA™. He currently works as a float paramedic for NorthStar EMS in Maine, and is a member of their Backcountry Medical Response Team, as well as working for Monmouth Rescue. In addition, Dennis teaches swiftwater rescue for Rescue 3 and is a Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer for the American Canoe Association. He is also a Paramedic Instructor/Coordinator for Maine EMS. Dennis lives in Maine with his wife and two daughters.

Gregory LaMay
WEMT
Texas

Greg has been a WMA Instructor since October 2001, and with his current job with TEEX, (Texas Engineering Extension Service) he has traveled the entire US and its territories teaching a variety of classes.  Greg is currently managing a grant for EMS Education in the rural/frontier counties within Texas.  Greg has been a Nationally registered Paramedic since 1995, and is a current BCLS, ACLS, and PALS Instructor.  Greg’s hobbies include: mountain biking, rock and ice climbing, backpacking, and backcountry hiking.  Greg currently resides in Texas with his two children who enjoy the same activities.

Jeannie Lambert
NREMT-P, WEMT
North Carolina

Jeannie is a paramedic who is also in nursing school. She has also worked for NC Outward Bound School and taught for Wilderness Education Association. Her free time has changed drastically with the addition of baby girl Meredith. She hopes that Meredith will soon accompany her canoeing, hiking, and camping.

Tara Levicy
RN, WEMT-B

Tara works as an emergency department nurse and ACLS instructor. She has been a whitewater rafting guide, and has lead outdoor programs for the University of Maine while completing a concentration in outdoor education. Tara has volunteered for search and rescue groups both land and ocean. Her play time is spent cycling, hiking, paddling, and doing yoga.

Rick Lipke
SEI, WEMT
Washington

Rick is founder and president of Conterra Technical Systems, an internationally-recognized supplier of high quality rescue gear. He is technical advisor and an active field operations leader for Washington Mountain Rescue and performs dozens of technical rescuers every year. Besides performing rescues and teaching high-angle rescue courses, he also designs and builds rescue gear. His packs have been used on every continent and in every condition on earth (incuding Mt. Everest and Antartica). As if that isn't enough, he is also an avid climber and mountain biker.

Chad Macheel
WEMT
Minnesota

Chad is a Nursing Student and EMT in northern Minnesota where he lives with his wife, Deb, and daughter, Isabel.  As a former outdoor program director and high school science teacher, he has a passion for teaching and wilderness medicine.  In addition to spending time with his family, Chad enjoys running, cyclocross, camping, and snowboard patrolling.

Paul Marcolini
WEMT-P
Maine

Paul began working for Wilderness Medical Associates in 1981.  He is one of the original instructors, and served as Executive Director for 5 years in the early 90’s.  He is a paramedic and has work for ground, rotor and fixed wing EMS programs. He is the past chair of Maine EMS Education Committee. Paul has over 17 years of experience with Outward Bound, is a member of Mahoosuc Mountain Search and Rescue, and for the past two seasons has worked as a volunteer climbing ranger for the National Park Service in Denali National Park.  He is an avid climber and seasonal climbing guide.  Paul lives in Greenwood, Maine.

Josh Martin
RN, EMT-P I/C, DMT, WEMT, WALS, FF
Michigan

As director of Northern Cairn www.northerncairn.com, Josh coordinates and instructs wilderness medicine and specialized rescue programs for both civilian and governmental agencies. A former Pararescueman for 8 years, he now enjoys spending more time at home in Northern Michigan with his wife Elsa and their three boys, Grady, Ezekiel and Walker.

Lonny McBride
RN, WEMT
Georgia

Lonny is an ICU and ER registered nurse whose love of the outdoors brought him to wilderness medicine. Way back in 1979, before the phrase wilderness medicine was around, Lonny was doing extended patient transport in the wilds of Wyoming before there were any protocols for doing such. He is a swift water rescue instructor, wilderness trip leader and enjoys whitewater and sea kayaking, back packing, rock climbing, and traveling anywhere he can.

Scott McQuilkin
NREMT-P

Scott has a BS in molecular biology, a Masters of Health Professions Education, and has been a NREMT-P in New York, Colorado and throughout Maine for the past 10 years. He has also been employed as a PA-C specializing in cardiology, and is presently completing medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he is a predoctoral teaching fellow in the anatomy and osteopathic manipulation departments. Scott is a former NOLS mountain instructor and pro alpine ski patroller having worked in both the Northeast and Northern Rockies. These, all after having been introduced to the world or wilderness medicine during his 1995 WEMT course with WMA, allowing him to meld many of his life's passions and pursuits. Scott is presently traveling around the country in his alternatively-fueled VW Jetta TDI, in pursuit of mountain biking and telemark skiing Flow… while pursuing clinical rotations, of course, enroute to a career involving some permutation of emergency/internal/critical care medicines (at least for this week… :) and medical education.

David Meade
ALS
New York

Dave has been New York State Forest Ranger since 1990, and has worked part-time as a Paramedic since 1999. He is active with his local fire Department and has held many positions there, including that of Assistant Chief.

Michelle Moore
WEMT
Idaho

Mike Motti
EMT-III, WEMT
Alaska

Mike is an EMT-3 in Sitka, Alaska. He has been an active WMA Instructor for 18 years.  In his role as EMS coordinator for a regional health corporation he teaches EMS, wilderness, and search and rescue courses. Mike is a SAR dog handler and member of Sitka Mountain Rescue, which is an MRA certified SAR team. SMR is certified by the State of Alaska as a ground ambulance service which enables them to provide ALS care in the field using WMA protocols.

Christo Motz
WEMT
The Netherlands

Christo Motz, lives in the Netherlands and has been a WMA™ instructor since 2000. He runs his own company business, named Fylgjur,  throughout Europe, mainly organizing elementary survival and wilderness first aid training for a variety of targeting groups. Currently Christo is a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Rotterdam and on a project basis he works for the Erasmus Medical Center, where he is co-responsible for the medical first aid training for all medical students.

Robin Nesbeda
WEMT
Massachusetts

Robin has been hooked on wilderness and emergency medicine since taking WMA's month-long Wilderness EMT course in 2001.  She has worked on ambulances in Maine, run a rescue squad for her college, and continues to work as a ski patroller.  When not skiing, white water kayaking, back packing, learning to rock-climb, or just chilling with her dog, she works as a geologist and studies for her graduate degree in the field of Disaster Science.  She splits her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts and the mountains of western Maine.

Jim Nicholson
NREMT-P, WEMT
Vermont

Jim lives with his wife and daughter in southeast VT. He has been involved in Emergency Medical Services since 1991 and currently works as a Paramedic with two local ambulance services. With over a decade of experience in the field of adventure-based outdoor education as an instructor and program manager, Jim has a broad background of backcountry experience. He enjoys boating and climbing and has a broad base of personal experience with both.

Bill O'Brien
EMTIII, WEMT
Alaska

Bill is an instructor and a volunteer EMT with the Bethel Fire Department. In his spare time he takes his family hunting, fishing, and berry picking.

Hilary Penny
WEMT, PA
Colorado

Hilary has been an EMT/WEMT since 1987, and has taught for WMA™ since 2000. Having grown up in Colorado, she loves the outdoors and is an avid skier, backpacker, mountain biker, hiker and athlete. She also taught wilderness survival skills for several years for Tom Brown’s Tracking Nature and Wilderness Survival School in New Jersey. Currently she is in school earning a Master’s degree as a Physician Assistant and plans to work in emergency medicine after she graduates in August 2008.

Haley Pepper
BA, MS, WEMT, NREMT,
Licensed USCG Captain
Missouri

Haley Pepper is a student at Barnes Jewish College of Nursing and will be an RN by this summer. She has degrees in Sports Medicine and Experiential Education. Haley worked for several Outward Bound Schools in sailing and backpacking in the US and Costa Rica. Her passions are working on tall ships (square riggers are her favorite), photography and ice hockey. She is the president of Rainforest Adventure Center Expeditions; an adventure education company brings groups to Costa Rica and Peru. Haley is also an active member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Chris Perry
RN, EMT-P, WEMT
New Mexico

Chris has been with WMA™ since 1996. In that time his full time work has included professional ski patrol, whitewater guiding, paramedic, firefighter, and most recently critical care nurse. Presently he is a "travel nurse" and is working in various hospitals throughout the Southwestern US. His rule is this: "any hospital I work at must be within a very short distance to a major mountain range." This allows for an on-going clinical challenge as well as access to the incredible wilderness of the Southwest where he enjoys telemark skiing, mountain biking and back-packing.

Kristin Peterson
PA-C, WEMT
Colorado

Kristin is a physician assistant as well as a WEMT. She works as a PA-C in Colorado Springs in urgent care and orthopedics and also volunteers for her local fire dept on the medical and rock rescue teams. She is a climber, skiier, backpacker and biker and has most recently taken up surfing. Her primary love is working for the US Antarctic program, providing medical care in remote field camps during the "summer" season of October to February.

Paul Plumer
NREMT-P, WEMT, PA-C
Maine

Paul Plumer has been a fan of WMA since 1989 when he met Jim Morrissey. He became an assistant instructor in the mid 90's. Paul began his career in EMS as an EMT in Boston in 1978 and then worked as a paramedic in the Bronx in the early 80's. In 1985 he became the director of The Maine Paramedic Program at Kennebec Valley Community College where he stayed until returning to graduate school at the University of New England in 2004 in the Physician Assistant Program. He is currently working in the Emergency Department at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine as a PA.

Since 1970 he has been wilderness canoe tripping throughout Canada, from Labrador to the Yukon Territory, and he has been white-water open boating the waters of Maine and Quebec for the past 20 years. He lives in Topsham, Maine.

Susan Purvis
WEMT
Montana

In 2007, Susan’s love for adventure and medicine takes her to the ‘hottest’ and to the ‘highest’ place on earth; Ethiopia and Nepal. Her work as Presenter and wilderness medicine expert in Ethiopia will be aired on the Discovery and the BBC Channels in 2008. In 2002, Susan started a non-profit high altitude medicine program for local Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Everest Guides and continues teaching every year.

An explorer by passion, Susan combines wilderness medicine, desert survival, exploration geology, K9 search and rescue and writing to land jobs on seven continents. Susan has served as a medic on an ice breaker bound for Antarctica, explored for gold in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and produced a documentary in the Amazon jungle. Susan spent a decade working at an urgent care/orthopedic ski clinic in Crested Butte. She has worked as a professional ski patroller, guide, K9 avalanche expert and SAR member.

Susan has been teaching for Wildmed since 1997 and owns Crested Butte Outdoors www.cboutdoors.com.  Susan is a sponsored athlete for Marmot.

Jim Radke
PA-C
Wisconsin

Jim is a Physician Assistant who works in orthopedics full time. He spends half his time in surgery and the rest of his time in the office. Prior to his PA career he taught school for three years. He is a former college hockey player and still enjoys playing a couple of times a week. He rides bicycles both road and mountain, skis, kayaks and gets to climb once in a while.

David Ramsey
NREMT-P, WALS
Kentucky

DDavid is from Appalachia...plain and simple. No matter how hard he tries to leave on various occasions, he can't seem to leave the region, culture, and camaraderie that defines the area that he loves so much. He has finally come to rest in eastern Kentucky where the climbing is abundant and they have found a way to fry carbonated beverages (that's right, deep-fried Coke!). He has enjoyed his career in emergency medicine for the past 10 years working both as a Paramedic and Firefighter in the Midwest and Southeast. David has been privileged to work with Wildmed for the past 6 years and thoroughly enjoys giving to the students the joy which he has gotten from helping others. David is also co-owner of Backcountry Rescue Institute, Inc. also located in Kentucky.

Amelia Randolph
MD, WEMT
Maine

Amelia is a Family Practice physician in Portland, Maine. Prior to medical school she worked as an instructor for Outward Bound.  She completed a WFR course back in 1987, ouch, and became an EMT afterwards.  During medical training, she spent a couple of months in Nepal, including time at Everest Basecamp with a climbing team.  Presently, Amelia is busy with a new job, new husband and new house in Portland. She is looking forward to some new four-legged critters who will get her outside more.

Craig Rees
M.S., NREMT-P
Minnesota

Craig is currently working as a Flight Paramedic and EMS Educator. He has been working in EMS since he was a freshman in college (he won't do the math for you) and a volunteer ski patrol since his junior year. He spends some of his free time working as a tactical medic (S.W.A.T.) for the Minnesota State Patrol, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI. Lately he has been enjoying training with the Minnesota Airwing Rescue Team where they let him jump out of and get dragged under helicopters. In his spare time he likes to hike, canoe, backpack, climb, mountain bike (just an expression in MN) etc., etc.

John Romspert
WEMT
Alaska

John spent 13 years as a Pararescueman in the USAF, and Alaska Air National Guard.  He is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys ice climbing, mountaineering, and skiing.  John has conducted rescues in almost every type of environment from the deserts of Afghanistan to Denali.  His greatest love is his wife and two daughters whom he lives with in Anchorage, Alaska.

Ben Rosner
MD, PhD
California

Ben finished his medical residency in 2003 and has since involved himself heavily in wilderness medicine instruction. He founded the Student Interest Group program of the Wilderness Medical Society in 1996, and served as its first International Student Representative. He co-founded the society’s medical student elective in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, and has participated in editing the society’s Practice Guidelines for Wilderness Emergency Care. Ben has trained with the San Diego Mountain Rescue team, and has worked in Emergency departments from Alaska to California. In his free time, he privately guides, and continues to travel extensively in developing countries around the world where he aspires, as an amateur ethnobotanist, to learn of medical remedies from isolated, indigenous cultures. An avid backpacker, canoer, and SCUBA diver, if Ben is your course instructor, he will expect you to join him in a game of ultimate frisbee.

Tara Rothwell
MPAS, PA-C, WALS
Idaho

Tara became interested in wilderness medicine while working as a smokejumper with EMT certification. She became a PA in 1997 and since has worked at a rural hospital, level 2 emergency department, and as faculty of University of Nevada School of Medicine. She is currently doing Internal Medicine at the VA Hospital in Boise, ID.

Phil Royce
EMT-B, WFR
New York

Phil is the Director of the Outdoor Program at St. Lawrence University, a wilderness skills program. He teaches courses in outdoor leadership, outdoor recreation, backcountry skiing, avalanche courses, whitewater canoeing, and canoe tripping. he has a B.S. and M.S. in geology and a EMT-Basic and WFR. His summers are spent in nothern Ontario-Quebec paddling remote rivers and winters are spent backcountry skiing in the Tetons, northeastern Quebec, and the Adirondack Mountains in NY.

Nick Runions
WEMT-P
Washington

Since 1995, Nick has worked in the outdoor industry as a sea kayaking guide and instructor, professional ski patroller, mountaineering guide, and whitewater instructor. Nick has taught extensively for WMA™, both domestically and abroad. He now works full-time as a paramedic, volunteers with his county mountain rescue team, and maintains part-time status as an outdoor professional. Nick continues his pursuit of the "epic saga" on the oceans, rivers, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest with occasional ventures afar. Nick's biggest passion is to grow as a husband to Diana and as a father to Chase and Paige.

Bradford Sablosky
WEMT
Colorado

At a young age Brad was sent under protest with a canoe down a big river in northern Canada. The resulting addiction consumed 15 summers and led him down rivers throughout the north. In the winter Brad has been a patroller at Purgatory Mountain in Durango, Colorado for 10 years. Currently he is working on two new hobbies that go hand-in-hand. Trying to fly his little plane like a bush pilot, and trying to fix the damage he causes like an airplane mechanic.

Robert Schumacker
MA, EMT-B, WFR
Michigan

Robert is currently an instructor at Central Michigan University where he teaches outdoor leadership and adventure courses.  He oversees a student-run adventure center with a high ropes course and climbing wall at the university.  Robert also “moonlights” as an EMT for the local EMS service. He spends many weekends during the semester leading college students on backpacking and rock climbing adventures. He became a WMA™ instructor so he could provide opportunities for his students to get medically trained for their careers as outdoor leaders. Robert chose WMA™ because of the outstanding instructors and the great experience he had taking the WFR in Canada back in 1997.

Tony Simpson
PA-C, WEMT
Maine

Tony is a physician's assistant and practices in western Maine. Tony has worked all over the world including a stint in Antarctica. He has led sea kayaking trips there as well as off the coast of Alaska. His penchant for northern zones carries over to the winter with mushing. He and his wife have nearly two dozen mushing dogs and are out running dog sleds much of the winter.

Will Smith
MD, NREMT-P
Wyoming

Will has settled in Jackson, Wyoming after a long road of training, first as a paramedic and then as a emergency medicine physician. He not only serves as the medical director for Teton County Search and Rescue, as well as Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, but you will find him in the back of the ambulance on calls as well as in the helicopter or cliff edges on many searches. Another role he fills is the Medical Advisor for Grand Teton National Park and is on the National Park Service EMS advisory council. Will does a considerable amount of teaching and traveling for EMS and Wilderness Medicine. See his website for further information: www.wildmedconsulting.com

Swis Stockton
NREMT-P
Virginia

Swis discovered the true path to wilderness wisdom during a WMA™ WALS® course, where he was smitten with the quality of the curriculum and instructors. Swis summarily joined the WMA™ ranks, and is by far the best looking hook-nosed, redhead instructor with a baluga knee working for WMA™. In other news, Swis owns granitearches.com, a rock and ice guiding outfit climbing in NC and TN and he has climbed/guided all over the US, Canada, Ecuador and Peru. Relevant and irrelevant certs include AMGA Rock Instructor, NREMT-P, a UIAGM high altitude guide's rescue course, ATLS, PALS, PhD (anthropology), and three semesters of medical school. He also enjoys winemaking, breathing, hairdressing/cosmetology, Meshell, Joni (music).

Darren Stokes
WEMT
Colorado

Darren has been an EMT since 1990 and holds a Masters Degree in Outdoor Recreation. He has been a professional Outdoor Guide and Instructor since 1989 and is the Operations Manager at Four Corners Expeditions, based near Buena Vista, Colorado. He is also a volunteer member of Chaffee County Search and Rescue. Darren shares his love for the outdoors with wife Tina, son Jesse, and daughter Bailey. The kids have been skiing since they were two and rafting since they were three, keeping up with them is Darren’s foremost outdoor challenge.

Cabot Stone
WEMT
New York

Cabot has been teaching for Wildmed since 1997 and has worked as a paramedic and firefighter for 26 years. Cabot likes water in all forms and has been a fishing guide and white water rafting guide. Known for his sense of humor and high energy, he brings engaging stories from a lifetime of experience in the field to his teaching.

Lucy Tate
WEMT
Alaska

Lucy has been an EMT for 30 years now.  First working in Barstow, California for an ambulance company for 7 year, and then going to the California Highway Patrol and work with them for 8 years.  She worked as an officer at both El Centro and Lake Arrowhead.  Lucy has retired from the CHP and is Captain of an EMS squad in Haines, Alaska.  They respond with all types of equipment such as snowmobile, rescue boat, small plane or helicopter. Due to the weather conditions, they can have a patient for over 24 hours.  There are no roads to the nearest hospital in Juneau and there is a pass that closes for days between the Yukon hospital and us.  Lucy’s interests include outdoor activities especially hiking, camping and traveling with her dogs. 

Jon Tierney
CCWEMTP, IFMGA Guide
Maine

Jon lives in Orono, ME and is an internationally licensed IFMGA mountain guide. He has been an active outdoor educator and paramedic for 25 years. He teaches courses in avalanche science, wilderness travel, mountaineering, and technical rescue. He has been teaching for WMA since the eighties. Jon co-founded and directed the University of Maine outdoor program for seventeen years. He now owns Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, is active in Maine search and rescue and continues to work as a critical care paramedic in Maine.

Jon began exploring outdoors and climbing in the mid 70s. His first expedition was hiking the Long Trail with a fellow 8th grader. With a passion for rock, snow, and ice, Jon's accomplishments as a climber and guide include over 70 high altitude peaks as well as many first ascents worldwide. Within the AMGA he serves on the technical committee as an instructor/examiner and was the primary author of the nationally recognized Top Rope Site Manager course curriculum. Most recently he co-founded the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. Formerly he worked as a climbing and backcountry ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park where he helped to institute wilderness medical and ALS practices and he has served as a search and rescue volunteer on Denali.

Jon strives to synthesize good concepts, challenge usual paradigms, and develop new ideas to raise guiding and wilderness education standards.

Kaare Tingelstad
DO, WALS
Wisconsin

Kaare Tingelstad is an Emergency Department Physician, National Ski Patrol member, prior member of Joshua Tree's High Angle SAR Team, and a former paramedic with a passion for pre-hospital care. During winter, you will find him telemark skiing in Oregon or Montana. When there isn't snow on the ground, Kaare will be kayaking or hiking wherever there is a trail or water. In between seasons, he will be found hunting in Wisconsin.

Rodney Tucknott
WEMT
California

Rod began his outdoor and medical career as an undergrad at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He worked on the university ambulance service while leading trips and teaching classes for the UCSB Adventure Programs. Since graduation, Rod has had the opportunity to work as a raft guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center and spend a few seasons as a ski/ snowboard patroller. Since 2000, he moved back to Santa Barbara to direct the Adventure Programs full time. If not in the office, you might catch up with Rod teaching sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, ropes courses, Leave No Trace, or bouncing his baby girl on his knee.

Eric T. Van Cise
WEMT
Alaska

Eric has been a WEMT for 8 years thanks to WMA™ Instructor Mike Motti. HE works with Mike as an EMS Instructor and Flight Medic for SEARHC Hospital In Sitka. Currently HE volunteerS with the Sitka Volunteer Fire Department in the Search and Rescue Division and also assists with EMS operations.

Courtney Vanderwall
EMT-B / WEMT BLS assist
Montana

Cori is new to the WMA™ family and enjoys being able to teach wilderness medical classes in her spare time. Her spare time is limited as she is raising three boys and keeping Zach in line! Cori helps on the Training and Support Team at Camp Bighorn as well as volunteers with Bighorn QRU and Plains Ambulance as an EMT.

Zach Vanderwall
EMT-B / WEMT BLS assist
Montana

Zach is new to the WMA™ family, but quickly being sucked into the love of teaching and hob nobbing with students and other instructors. Zach has spent his whole life in the Northwest and has had the joy of playing in the mountains from the Bugaboo's, Cascades to Peru. Zach is the Training and Support director for Camp Bighorn allowing him to spend his days training on the river in the snow and on the rock. Zach volunteers his time as an EMT with Bighorn QRU, Plains Ambulance and the Sanders County Sheriff. He lives in rural Plains Montana with his wife and kids.

Anna Vernhardsdottir
RN
Iceland

Anna has been a volunteered member of the rescue team in Kopavogur, Iceland from 1991. Since she graduated as a nurse from the University of Iceland in 1996 she has gained experience as an emergency nurse in the ED of The National University Hospital in Iceland. Anna has been a first-aid instructor since 1995 and has been the chief instructor in first-aid for ICE-SAR Rescue School from 1998.

Gunnar Vilhjalmsson
WEMT
Iceland

Gunnar is from Iceland, the land of snow and ice. He lives in Akureyri in the northern part of the island where he works as a full time firefighter/W-EMT-I. Gunnar has been a member in a volunteer rescue teams since 1995 and since 2003 he has been a lead instructor in the ICE-SAR school in mountaineering and mountain rescue. In the summer time he enjoys climbing and hiking and in the winter time mountaineering and skiing. Gunnar did his WFR class in 2001 in Iceland and followed up with a full W-EMT in 2002. Being a 2007 graduate of the WMAÔ instructor class and teaching for WMAÔ is extremely high on the fun scale. The photo is taken at Skeidararjokull, a part of Europe’s biggest glacier. In a four-day hiking trip during the summer of 2004.

Georgia Villaflor
WEMT
Kansas

Georgia began adult life as an economist. However, the lure of the outdoors and medicine took her away. She has many years experience in mountain rescue, works for ambulance services on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico and is responsible for WMA's Spanish language course offerings. For fun, she heads out backpacking and mountaineering.

Vicki Wharton-Goodman
WEMT-B
Maine

Vicki, a WEMT-B and ski patroller, has been with WMA™ since 1997. A native of greater Boston and Cape Cod, she has an extensive background with swimming and teaches lifeguarding at the local YMCA in Auburn, Maine. She lives with her husband Steve in west-central Maine where they enjoy skiing, winter and summer mountaineering and living a country lifestyle. Vicki has spent 23 seasons ski patrolling in Maine and New Hampshire and is not quite ready to quit that yet.

Larry Woodard
WEMT

Larry is a Board certified Emergency Medicine physician with a diploma in Tropical Medicine and directs the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force in Washington State. He is a private pilot, scuba diver, avid alpine skier and former member of the US Ski patrol. Larry has been a part of many search and rescue missions ranging from building a field hospital in Sri Lanka to the World Trade Center disaster of 9-11. He divides his time between Tacoma, Washington and a busy ER practice and Big Sky, Montana exploring Yellowstone National Park and fishing the Gallatin River.

C. Ben Woodard
WEMT
Maine

Ben has over two decades experience as a backcountry ranger in the Adirondack Park in upstate NY and has been a ski patroller for nearly as long. He is also a musher and is often out on the trails with his sled dogs during the winter.

IN MEMORIAM:

Tom Clausing
EMT-P, WEMT
Washington

On June 29th, WMA lost a dear friend and gifted educator, Tom Clausing.

It is difficult to put into words what Tom meant to our company and to each of us personally.  We are all in a state of disbelief and paralyzed by grief.  We extend our most heartfelt sympathy and compassion to Lucca, the rest of his family and those touched by this horrible tragedy.