Kelly Kimple (she/her)

CEO

Kelly’s love for outdoor adventure developed early growing up in New Hampshire where she took her first backpacking, biking, and skiing trips. She ventured west for college and spent years as a field biologist exploring the mountains and canyons of the Western US studying rare plants, endangered squirrels, various birds, and even bumblebees. After graduate school, her career led her to Fort Collins, Colorado where she’s found her professional passion in the adventure travel industry. She’s honored to be at the helm of AGC and to be providing amazing experiences for adventurous women! She is committed to helping women experience the transformative power of nature through the support and encouragement of the AGC community.

Anne Preston (she/her)

Program Manager

Originally from the plains of central Illinois, Anne first found her love for the great outdoors through regular family adventure trips to Michigan, Florida, and Alabama. Her love for the outdoors grew into a lifetime passion after working for YMCA summer camps, as a camp counselor, across the country in places like Colorado, South Carolina, and Hawaii. After getting a degree in Business Marketing and specializing in Outdoor Recreation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Anne found her way to Colorado and called it her new home base. During this time in Colorado, Anne finds herself regularly teaching yoga, snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, practicing her WFR skills, and camping as much as possible. With an affinity to get all types of people gaining knowledge about the world’s environment and the beautiful outdoors, Anne is proud to be a part of AGC’s program team.

Dori Nix (she/her)

Marketing & Communications Director

Having grown up along the east coast, Dori started young as an outdoor enthusiast, spending weekends and summers camping and hiking. Early into her adulthood, she discovered how fortunate she was to have access to outdoor amenities, which ignited a spark to get more women connected to the outdoors. She's since fallen head over heels for backpacking, rock climbing, and fly fishing. You’ll usually find her with her husband and dogs in tow, no matter her outdoor adventure. Dori’s background in marketing includes time in the non-profit industry, with outdoor adventure companies, and with the federal government supporting Soldiers and their families. Dori is fueled by her passion for making outdoor opportunities more accessible to women and sharing the stories of the outdoor adventures that shape us. She is thrilled to be bringing her love for people, outdoor recreation, and personal growth to the AGC community.

Emily Tanner (she/her)

Field Director

Emily developed her love of the outdoors at a young age, spending summers camping, fishing and hiking in Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Midway through college she found herself in a class that combined backcountry-skiing and mountain goat research in the Sawtooth Mountains - the learning curve was as steep as the mountains and after the trip she shifted her studies to outdoor recreation. Post college she worked for Leave No Trace as a traveling trainer, an opportunity that allowed her to visit 48 states in just 3 years while providing environmental education to many outdoor users. Most recently she was a faculty member at Southern Illinois University, where she taught classes and led trips that focused on outdoor leadership. In her free time she loves hiking, backpacking and general outdoor adventuring with her family and friends. Emily is excited to create dynamic outdoor experiences for the AGC community.

Janie Welsh (she/her)

Program Manager & Guide

Hailing from the Hoosier state, Janie first discovered the big 'W' Wilderness on a 7 day canoe trip in Quetico Provincial park, Ontario, thus changing her career trajectory into outdoor recreation. Her love of international travel began after studying abroad in Rome, Italy, working on an archaeological site in the city. After graduating college, Janie spent time teaching outdoor recreation to teenagers, eventually landing in Australia to teach outdoor education down under. Janie then pursued a master’s in outdoor recreation and education at Ohio University, focusing her research on women’s empowerment through outdoor recreation. In her free time, Janie loves mountain biking, cooking foods from her international travels, and is learning to play the ukulele!

Julie Fast (she/her)

Adventure Specialist & Guide

Julie is addicted to fresh air and sunshine and is grateful to call northern Colorado home. She studied physiology in school and did two stints with the Peace Corps working in public health in South America. From there it was a fun transition to work full time in ‘meaningful travel’. Ever since reading Bill Bryson''s A Walk in the Woods as a teenager, she dreamed of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and in 2014, pressed pause on life to take that long walk in the "green tunnel". Julie is also happy to jump into the role as AGC Guide when she can find the opportunity to sneak away from her toddler. When not carrying a backpack on long solo trips or bouncing around in the backs of chicken trucks in other countries, Julie spends her time playing with her family and trying to convince her vegetable patch and fruit trees to stay alive.

Laurel Todesca (she/her)

Program Director

Originally from New England, Laurel now explores the outdoors from her homebase in Washington. She loves getting up close and personal with the volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest, on foot and on skis, and considers it a bonus if she can sleep out under the stars. She comes to AGC with over a decade of experience in travel operations and program management. When she’s not helping others travel, she loves adventuring with her husband, with favorite trips including trekking in Nepal, sailing in Croatia and skiing in the Canadian Rockies.

Mary Leavines (she/her)

Marketing Assistant

Mary was born and raised in south Louisiana, and spent most of her childhood exploring the woods behind her parents’ home, or burying her nose in every copy of National Geographic she could get her hands on. After college, she made travel a priority: from camping in Maine’s backcountry, to driving up the foggy NORCAL coastline, and everywhere in between. On one of these trips, she visited and fell in love with North Carolina, hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail, and decided to thru-hike one day. In 2022, she walked the AT from Georgia to Maine, and moved to Western North Carolina, where she calls Asheville home. After completing her thru-hike, she found her way to AGC and proudly works as a Marketing Assistant. During her free time, you can find her on solo backpacking trips in Western North Carolina’s backcountry, editing photos from her many adventures, bouncing down dirt roads in her trusty Subaru, and trying once again to re-organize her overflowing gear closet.

Melanie Leggett (she/her)

Program Manager & Guide

Mel grew up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where a chance opportunity to guide a sailing and kayaking trip as a teen sparked a life-long love for the outdoors. After obtaining an outdoor recreation degree from Penn State, she headed to Boulder, CO where she spent years guiding and teaching environmental education for a variety of organizations, including the Colorado Mountain Club, Women’s Wilderness Institute, and Outdoor Divas. Most recently she has honed her skills in program administration as an admissions director for an independent preschool-middle school. Her personal passions and travel itineraries include climbing, reading, cooking, spending as much time on the water as possible, and raising an adventurous daughter.

Trisha Bartels (she/her)

Program Manager & Guide

Trisha fostered her love for the outdoors spending summers at her family's cabin in Wisconsin. She pursued her first degree in Communication Design at MIAD, but a few years later, this didn't feel like her calling. She went back to school where she graduated with her Master’s in Environmental Education at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Since then, after living in the midwest and west coast, she has developed her passions with outdoor/adventure education and nature connection for several years. She has guided, directed, and developed outdoor programs in various sectors. She holds passion for women's empowerment and loves being your catalyst to the outdoors. Trisha enjoys hiking, backpacking, yoga, mountain biking, XC skiing, and having a craft beer to celebrate. You can find her scheming her next adventure, at the peak, lying in the sun, or admiring the wildflowers. Nearby will always be her german shepherd pup and husband.

Marian Marbury

Marian Marbury founded Adventures in Good Company in 1999 to share her passion for travel and spending time outdoors with other women. She loves learning about different cultures, challenging her own assumptions, laughing (especially at herself), and sleeping under the stars. After growing AGC from a tiny company that offered 10 trips to its current size, she was delighted to hand over the reins to Kelly Kimple in January 2020. And after 30 years of guiding, she realized that it was time to focus on her own adventures and became Guide Emeritus that same year.

Jan Latham

Jan lives in Western Michigan and is originally from North Carolina where her original love for the outdoors began. Her first career was as a registered nurse, then mother to 5 children. In 2001 she found AGC and has never looked back. Having the opportunity to develop and guide trips for AGC and travel with adventurous women is a ‘dream come true’. Her favorite activity is backpacking the AT and introducing other women to backpacking. If the opportunity to hike anywhere is offered, she’ll be there in a flash! Jan also works in the AGC office as a program manager. Outside of work Jan enjoys cooking, quilting and spending time with family, especially grandchildren.

Adele Hart

Adele is a travel nurse who inconsistently lives in Denver, Colorado. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Adele has a soft spot for east coast mountains and a healthy admiration for all the west coast has to offer. Adele loves to backpack, cook, climb outside, and do anything in the water. Adele has always had a sense of adventure but it really bloomed in the mid 2000s when they moved to Southern California where most outdoor sports were available within a two hour drive.

Alexa Stickel

Alexa is a professional Naturalist Guide and Field Instructor/Course Designer focused on tropical ecology. She is proud to be skilled at sharing about natural history and ecology in a way that is academically accurate and also entertaining. When she is not working, she is birding—in Costa Rica—or chasing species around the globe—or dancing. Alexa dances salsa, merengue, cumbia, and bachata, and she is a certified Zumba instructor. She LOVES food, is a great cook/baker, and will eat anything once. She is fluent in Spanish and speaks some French. Alexa was born in Switzerland, raised in Miami (USA), and has been living in Monteverde, Costa Rica for the past 12 years. She discovered the magic of the tropics as a student on an ecology field course in 2008 and has been sharing her passion for the natural world through her work ever since!

Alicia Weaver

Alicia resides in Colorado, where she relishes the opportunity to ride her bike every day! She also enjoys hiking, backpacking, trail running, and snowshoeing, often accompanied by her family and dog (who famously proved that she is truly part border collie when she spontaneously herded 100+ head of cattle in Boulder open space). Alicia has a well-rounded adventure background and a great appreciation for the friendships that can be forged among adventurous women, across different backgrounds and different generations. When she is not guiding, Alicia works in academia as a SAS programmer and data analyst.

Andre Mallinger

Andre’s love of the outdoors began as a young girl hiking, canoeing, and camping in the Appalachian Mountains, then was deepened on backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains and became an intrinsic part of her during adventures in the Himalayas. Andre’s love of world travel has taken her to southeast Asia to teach English, paddling her 17’ long sea kayak 650 miles down the length of Baja California, and guiding cultural arts trips to Cuba. Her love of hiking has taken her to Europe, Central America and all over the US. Most recently she has become a recumbent trike rider and completed three tours including an extensive cycle in Portugal! Andre’s career has included a combination of archaeology, anthropology, and 25 years as a professional musician, teaching and directing several Afro-pop bands, including the longest running all-women’s African marimba ensemble in the U.S. Andre lives in a small, Colorado town at 8,600 feet and enjoys exploring the nearby mountains—preferably with a good dog by her side.

Anne Brewer

Anne lives in beautiful Lake Placid, NY located in the Adirondack Park and has been a guide for Adventures in Good Company since 2012. She has guided extensively in the Caribbean but loves the cold north country as well. When not guiding she is busy running her own businesses- she owns and publishes a print and digital magazine that promotes many facets of the Adirondack and also owns Placid Waters, a small kayak guiding business. Her husband, step-daughter and two dogs spend thir free time skiing, hiking, paddling and spending time at their family cottage.

Anne Flueckiger

Anne lives in Duluth, Minnesota and has guided for AGC since 1999. She was introduced to her favorite outdoor activity, cross-country skiing, while living in Russia after graduate school. Anne enjoys trail running, paddling, biking, and orienteering and is also quite happy to sit around reading a book. In addition to guiding, Anne works as a program evaluation consultant and freelance writer/editor and volunteers with non-profit organizations.

Annika Nygren

Adventurous, spunky and restless - Annika lives for deep human connection through time outside and travel. Annika was born in Sweden, raised in Massachusetts, and a Colorado resident for many years. In 2021, she left the Rocky Mountains and became an international student trip leader and yoga teacher. When not immersed with student groups, Annika can be found bikepacking, hiking in the high alpine, practicing Spanish, drinking cacao, and facilitating 200 hour yoga teacher trainings overseas. She has a deep love for languages, plant-based cuisine, and all things fresh air! Should we need them on AGC trips, her radio name is Hummingbird.

Brenda Porter

Brenda is a passionate world traveler. Just out of high school she traveled to India on a Girl Scout exchange and fell in love with experiencing other cultures. She worked with women’s groups and lived in rural Honduras as a Peace Corps Volunteer where she learned Spanish. She is one of AGC’s most experienced guides and has led trips across the world from Everest Base Camp, to Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. She is an avid backpacker, yoga instructor, and watercolor artist. Her secret goal is catching moments to sketch on trips (and encouraging others to do the same) forging connections with nature. Brenda lives with her wife and Kali, the golden retriever, in a co-housing community in Colorado.

Carrie White

Carrie has lived in Saranac Lake, NY in the Adirondack Mountains for 34 years. Her first guiding experience was when she was 20, a job that entailed taking US students to the USSR and Siberia. Her love of the outdoors comes from her parents. They taught her many outdoors skills and showed her how to hike, ski, row, sail and fish from an early age; in fact,the first peak she climbed was Camels Hump in Vermont at the age of 6! These days she is an avid downhill, cross-country and backcountry skier and is a licensed guide for whitewater rafting, hiking, camping and paddling.

Chloë Rowse

As a Maine native, Chloë has spent thousands of hours outside - hiking, camping, trail running, XC skiing, ice climbing, playing ultimate frisbee, you name it! Chloë first began her “guiding” career at age 12 when she started a summer camp for young(er) girls. After graduating from college and thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, she decided to take her guiding career to the next level and studied to become a 'Registered Maine Guide'. Outside of guiding, Chloë still runs her summer camp and in 2019, founded the first professional women’s sports team in Maine - ultimate frisbee! Chloë teaches yoga and movement classes as well as coaches Nordic skiing in the winter. She loves adventure and swims in the ocean every day in Maine (yes, even the winter!).

Chris Ghizas

After retiring from higher education and raising a family, Chris found her next adventure hiking the Camino de Santiago with AGC in 2016. Sharing her love of the outdoors with others has always been a passion of hers throughout her life. Chris has hiked in all 50 states and traveled all over Canada, Mexico and Europe. When she is not guiding, Chris works in the hospitality industry with Marriott hotels. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and loves biking, hiking, reading, and discovering new vistas.

Claire Lukas

Claire is a long-time lover of nature, fitness and all things outdoors. She first attended an AGC backpacking trip as a participant in 2014, and later joined as a guide! Guiding came as a second career for Claire after she retired from her role as a public school art teacher. Having always drawn inspiration from nature in her personal artwork, Claire’s creativity shines through in her guiding. Claire lives with her husband Emil in Stockertown, PA where they raised their three children. When not guiding, she spends the winter months as a visiting Artist in Residence, sharing the connection of art and nature with local students. She also instructs kayak and stand-up paddle board. Claire enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, gardening, biking, hiking, camping and travel

Deb Malmon

Deb has been guiding with Adventures in Good Company since it opened in 1999. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband, son, 2 dogs and a cat. When she isn''t out guiding a trip or busy with her family, she can be found baking and cooking (sometimes as her paid job and sometimes just for her own enjoyment), swimming, bicycling, playing Ultimate Frisbee and broomball, cross country skiing and hiking/running. She also loves a challenging crossword puzzle and a competitive game of Scrabble.

Danya Saadawi

Danya is an outdoors aficionado who has a love for long distance backpacking and exploring nature. She has been guiding with AGC since 2021 and has a great deal of knowledge she is excited to share. She currently spends most of the year in Maine running a hiker hostel near the northern terminus of the AT. Her drive to help hikers meet their goal, motivated her and her partner to create a workshop that educates aspiring hikers on proper backpacking practices. Danya has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Arizona Trail, as well as hiked long sections of the Pinhoti Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. When she is not hiking or working, Danya travels in her converted van with her partner and two cats. She loves reading, kayaking, crocheting, bagging peaks, and international travel. Being very much a people person makes guiding for AGC something she really enjoys because she always leaves with new friends

Debra Huntington

Debra is a native New Englander and is currently living in Rhode Island. As part of a military family she has lived in a number of places around the world, including Italy and Cuba. When she is not guiding she is helping out in the office and teaching fitness and spin classes at the local gym. She loves to hike, kayak, bike, snowshoe and sail on the waters off Rhode Island. She especially loves sharing these experiences with others.

Elysee Stansbury

Elysee loves backpacking, rock climbing, paddling, and exploring. She has called many places home (such as, currently, her camper van), but the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota is her favorite of them all. Elysee has spent the past 11 years working in the outdoors as a backpacking guide, trail crew leader, canoe guide, and outdoor school teacher. Elysee loves helping others experience the connection and confidence found in the outdoors. When not guiding trips Elysee enjoys cooking, cross-country skiing, teaching, listening to music, and dreaming up her next big adventure. She hopes to backpack the John Muir Trail and paddle the Northern Forest Canoe Trail next!

Emily Stardust

Emily currently lives in Michigan and works part time as a handywoman. She has spent much of her adult life traveling and adventuring, and has a diverse set of skills that don't always fit nicely into a resume. Some past adventures include: performing as a mime in a circus, milking goats and growing food on an electricity free farm, hustling Christmas trees in NYC, teaching English in India, and bicycling down the west coast of the US and into Mexico. Emily's guiding experience includes four years in Alaska, and a summer in the western/southwest United States. She speaks Spanish and is a certified yoga instructor.

Haley Brickner

Haley’s home is the beautiful North Shore of Minnesota, where she grew up spending lots of time in nature. A nomad at heart, she spent years traveling the world absorbing experiences, cultures, and food. She enjoys trying new adventures - whether it be rock climbing, scuba diving, or whitewater rafting - but her favorite activities are hiking and kayaking. Some of her best travel experiences include riding a bicycle across Southeast Asia, hiking in the Himalayas, and spending a week in the Amazon jungle. With graduate degrees in Education and Health Promotion, Haley works for a nonprofit where she is passionate about empowering underserved communities. She is a certified yoga instructor, dog sled musher-in-training, budding photographer, and wellness enthusiast. She is thrilled to share her love of travel and the outdoors as a guide for AGC!

Heather Jo Cutting

Heather has been guiding with AGC since 2017, but spent decades working in the outdoor field helping women and girls experience the best that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. She is passionate about supporting women to try new things and loves kayaking, sailing, paddleboarding, hiking and backpacking. She lives near Seattle and spends her volunteer free time working with K9 search and rescue, helping outdoor adventurers recover from accidents in the mountains near her home.

Ikse Mennen

Ikse is a nomad and travels for seasonal work, but the places they call home are California and Minnesota. They are currently back in school getting a master's in history to teach high school history and government. They have been guiding since 2014, mainly canoe trips in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota (at a French immersion camp!), and doing environmental education in the high desert of Southern California. Ikse joined AGC in 2020 and is stoked to continue sharing their love of the outdoors. Ikse loves hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and, above all else, rock climbing! When not climbing, they can often be found reading a good book. Ikse is a Wilderness EMT and loves safety even more than they love danger.

Inger Norman

As someone who cooks better when the music is turned up, Inger loves open-water swimming, stand-up paddling, mountain biking, snowboarding, urban street art, crafted IPA's, European football and evenings with good friends and family. She’s lived abroad in Munich and Rome, although Lake Tahoe is where she calls home. Forever a student of the world, Inger’s been working with women in the outdoors for over 15 years hosting women’s retreats, summits, camps, clinics and workshops. She’s a firm believer that staying curious and venturesome keeps us young at heart and that traveling is the most rewarding action we can take for a deep, enriched connection to ourselves, the planet and the people we share this world with. Inger’s been married for over 20 years and together they have 2 kids.

Jaime Renaud

Jaime is originally from Florida and now lives the summers in Maine, and travels the rest of the year. She proclaims she has a Gypsy soul. A life-long learner that loves exploring, trying different things and a passion for meeting new people. Along with her husband she has explored all corners of the U.S., traveled throughout Mexico, Central and South America and Europe, and has hiked in many National Parks, on the Appalachian Trail, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the Santa Cruz trek in the Sierra Blanca range in Peru, Torres del Paine National Park Patagonia, Chile and the West Highland Way in Scotland. She and her husband own and operate the Appalachian Trail Lodge, a hiker service near Katahdin, the northern terminus of the AT, and the especially enjoy helping hikers by sharing their knowledge and love of hiking.

Jennifer Engers

Fueled by coffee and tacos. Really wants to see a moose. Jengers has a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation, has completed over 5,000 self-supported bikepacking miles, and has a healthy dose of wanderlust for international travel. Her favorite trip so far? Swimming with whale sharks off the coast of Tanzania. Growing up in Baltimore City, her passion for the outdoors began with trips to her grandfather's cabin where they would hike and explore the mountains of Western Maryland. When not guiding, Jen is the Program and Operations Manager for a year-round camp, sports, and recreation company. Her favorite outdoor activities are hiking, mountain biking, skating, and paddleboarding. She is passionate about growing a strong outdoor female community and is the regional coordinator for a non-profit doing just that. She has found that experiences are everything and sharing them with friends, family, and her dogs, Patsy and Redding, is what she loves most.

Jenny O’Connell

Jenny O'Connell lives in Portland, Maine, where she's hard at work on Finding Petronella, her debut book about her 2014 solo trek across Finland following the footsteps of a female legend into the Arctic Circle. Her eleven years as an outdoor guide have brought her all over the globe leading backpacking, sea kayaking, cultural exchange, and river trips from the Peruvian Andes to the wild waters of her home state of Maine. When Jenny's not guiding or freelance writing, she enjoys making music, playing ultimate frisbee, salsa dancing, and exploring hidden local outdoor gems. She never leaves home without a trusty pair of neon adventure pants and a waterproof ukulele.

Jody Rioboli

Jody came to love hiking and the outdoors after spending a few summers exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She has traveled and hiked extensively in the US and internationally. Favorite places include the Appalachian Trail, Southeast Asia, Patagonia, Mont Blanc, India and the John Muir Trail. She came to know AGC as a participant on several Appalachian Trail slack packing trips and is very excited to now be guiding trips and helping to share those experiences with other adventurous women. When not out traveling or hiking she works as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department. Jody lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, 3 children and Wheaten Terrier. Favorite pastimes include planning future adventures, running, biking, spending time with family and friends and making homemade lasagna and potstickers!

Kaitlyn Shinney

Kaitlyn lives just south of Boston along the ocean with her husband and sons. She first became part of the AGC family in 2007 with backpacking the Grand Canyon, Northern Cascades, Kilimanjaro and Greece. She was hired in 2017 and led trips to Acadia, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket, Adirondacks, Utah, Montana, Virginia, Georgia, Vermont, Minnesota, U.S.V.I. & Ireland to name a few. Her friends and family love when she returns from a trip and talks about all the inspirational women she met. Kaitlyn is a 16 year Professional Firefighter Paramedic with a Masters in Public Administration and Emergency Management as well as a certificate in Labor Studies. Love of the ocean, spending time camping, skiing, cooking and attending the theater, making lifelong memories with her family is her true joy. She hopes to check Everest and Patagonia off her bucket list sooner than later.

Karen Nelson

Karen came to love the outdoors growing up in the Pacific Northwest. For the past 20+ years she has happily called Michigan home, but “The mountains are calling….”. Karen has been guiding and working in the office at Adventures in Good Company since 2016. She especially loves backpacking and hiking in mountains and canyons - and sharing that love with others. She feels honored to be working and traveling with women in a field that she loves. Karen has also guided for AGC since 2016, primarily trips in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and hiking and backpacking along the Appalachian Trail, all of which she loves. Outside of work Karen enjoys backpacking (surprise!), light carpentry, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Khadijah Tividad

Khadijah was born in the Philippines and came to the US when she was 6 years old. Growing up in Kitsap County, she had Western Washington at her backdoor. She attended Pacific Lutheran University where she studied Geosciences and Religion which opened her eyes to the world of travel and culture. Her studies took her abroad to Greece, Italy, Peru, Bolivia, and to the Black Hills of South Dakota for Geology Field Camp. Khadijah’s diverse background includes working as a Wilderness Guide, Ski Patroller, Ski Instructor, Environmental Educator, and as a teacher for local school districts in Tacoma, Washington. During her free time she likes to ski, hike with her dog, and go boating with her partner.

Lainie Reisman

Lainie currently lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, two teenagers, and two adopted street dogs. She has lived most of her adult life overseas and is a seasoned traveler and adventurer. In addition to guiding, Lainie also works international aid programs, specializing in youth violence prevention. Lainie loves meeting new people and exploring new places and is an avid hiker. She started working with founder Marian Marbury close to 20 years ago, and after living overseas, has recently come back to the region and returned to guiding.

Laura Sander

Laura lives in San Francisco where she balances her love of guiding and working with children by substitute teaching and tutoring when she is home from trips. Her first career was in education as both a teacher and administrator, always taking the students on outdoor adventures or holding class outside whenever possible. She has been to 50 countries, and is eager to explore more, especially in the US. One of her life highlights was trekking to Annapurna Base Camp. Her favorite activities are biking, hiking, snowboarding, and paddleboarding, but rarely says no to any ‘safe’ adventure. Laura loves to spend time with her 19 year old cat, as well as work on ways to get more women and BIPOC in the outdoors.

Laurie Pavlik

Laurie was filled with wanderlust from an early age and has always had a sense of adventure. From backpacking Europe to leading corporate incentive trips she has explored 15 countries on 5 continents, hosted 3 exchange students, lived in the US Virgin Islands and spent 3 months in Spain. She is a lover of all activities: hiking, paddling, yoga, pickleball – you name it, she’s game! When not adventuring, the Kansas City area is home where she and her husband keep busy keep with their 2 very active boys, dog ‘Charlie’ and cat ‘Mango’. She loves traveling with her family and her favorite saying is ‘Do more things that make you forget to check your phone’. Laurie enjoys the opportunity to meet new people and challenge women to get outside of their comfort zone. She can think of nothing better than sharing adventure, exploration, and breathtaking views with a group of like-minded women.

Laurie Priest

Laurie is a former college administrator who lives in Amherst, MA with Anne, her long-time partner and Honey, the Mexican street dog she rescued while kayaking in Mexico. Two of the most popular courses she developed while teaching was hiking and dog sledding which fueled her love of sharing outdoor adventures with others. Her favorite activities include hiking, sea kayaking, snow shoeing, biking, swimming and yoga. She joined AGC in 2013 and loves adventure travel and meeting new people.

Linda Kogan

Originally an Ohio midwesterner, Linda has called Colorado Springs home for over 30 years. Currently she is a “vanabonder” exploring life on the backroads and in the backcountry with her partner and an older smushy-faced dog named Charlotte. In previous guiding with Outward Bound and Women’s Wilderness, Linda especially enjoyed sharing adventures with women from all walks of life. Linda recently retired from a rewarding university career in sustainability. Her favorite activities are telemark skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, international travel, and plenty of hammock time with a good book near the ocean.

Lindsay Cross

Lindsay works to conserve water and land in Florida and is always seeking out new places to explore - whether it’s tromping through swamps, paddling rivers, hiking through pine forests, or surfing or diving in our beautiful oceans. A big part of her heart is also in the mountains and she loves skiing moguls, climbing mountains, and jumping into icy alpine lakes! Lindsay is a certified yoga instructor and SCUBA dive master. As a newer guide to AGC, she draws on her facilitation, teaching, and coalition-building skills to ensure that participants have a wonderful and safe experience. She has traveled extensively, especially in Central and South America, where she uses her Spanish-speaking skills to immerse herself in the culture and savor the local cuisine.

Scout Mecklenburg

Scout lives in the greater Seattle area where a lifelong love of the outdoors began on camping trips with her dad with a bright orange pup tent for shelter. The camping trips eventually led to summers at Girl Scout camp where, in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the hiking and backpacking spark was lit. While honing her backcountry skills with the Seattle Mountaineers Scout discovered a passion for sharing the outdoors with others as a volunteer leader for the scrambling and basic mountaineering courses and separately as a ski instructor at Crystal Mountain. Following a career in tech, Scout now spends as much time as possible in the mountains and sometimes in/on the water. Scout finds joy guiding trips for Adventures in Good Company and being a part of the growth, confidence and teamwork which the trips facilitate.

Sharon King Donohue

Sharon is a life-long outdoor sports enthusiast who loves helping people find beauty in nature and take on challenges in the outdoors. She has hiked and climbed throughout the United States, Europe, the Himalayas and Peru. She started guiding for AGC in 2017. Sharon is also a certified Alpine and Telemark ski instructor and has been teaching women to ski for over 25 years. Horseback riding is another passion of Sharon’s and she can often be found atop a four-legged friend. When she isn’t hiking, skiing, or riding, Sharon is a healthcare lawyer for a nonprofit health care accrediting body located in Washington, DC.

Tali Hunt

Tali lives near Lexington, Kentucky and has been with AGC since 2014. She loves meeting women from around the globe who enjoy hiking and exploring. In addition to hiking and backpacking, Tali enjoys kayaking, and cycling. She has hiked the Sheltowee Trace, Kentucky''s long trail, and took a break from her job as a physician assistant to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2019. She is originally from Utah and loves the desert Southwest as well as the Eastern forests. When not guiding or hiking, she loves to visit her grown children and be with her husband and dogs.