Marc Heisterkamp

Executive Director

A Washington native and now Oregon resident, Marc’s life and career has a foundation in outdoor and experiential leadership education. A strategist and growth leader at heart, Marc is always mission driven, choosing to focus his attention on creating positive impact in people, communities and our environment. He is honored to be able to do this in his home communities in the Pacific Northwest. Marc believes strongly that future success of individuals and communities is based on emotional intelligence, people-centric leadership and other skills best developed and honed through experiential education. A lifelong learner, Marc works every day on these same skills, knowing that the best teachers are always learners first.

Marc holds a bachelor’s degree in biology & Natural Resources and a master’s in business administration. In addition to a stint in the financial sector, he spent many years building the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED program, one of the world’s most successful and impactful industry-led environmental movements.

While not working to make amazing Outward Bound experiences available to people of all backgrounds, Marc spends his time with his family, making sure his young son grows through outdoor experiences, whether in the backyard sandbox or splashing in an alpine lake. In his house “a dirty day is a good day”. For more, please visit Marc's Linkedin account.

Susanne Orton

Chief Development and Engagement Officer

Susanne Orton's passion and focus on "making a difference" both personally and professionally, is the driver that spans over 20 years of strategic fundraising, digital communications, media and community engagement to diverse groups, companies and organizations. As a leader in launching multiple fundraising and brand momentum-building campaigns, Susanne connects technology and develops strategies to increase efficiency and effectiveness using the tools that are relevant to our dynamic world.  She has worked with multiple city entities, nonprofits, public and private organizations, and is passionate about helping organizations exceed their goals and affect change. In her role as Chief Development and Engagement Officer for Northwest Outward Bound (NWOBS) and as a member of the Word is Bond Board of Directors, she continues her focus on "impact" through the NWOBS program-partnership with Word is Bond.  Susanne served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Harsch Investment Properties and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation's national art lending program, and as Publisher of the digital content creation agency Roll 35.  Susanne also serves on the Board of Regents for the Museum at Warm Springs, and continues to leadership committees with both local and national marketing and technology organizations. More information, please visit Susanne's Linkedin account.

Carla Riestenberg

Director of Business Operations

Carla grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati to study architecture, but she itched to get out and explore more of the country. She jumped at the chance to travel west for a month with some friends and never really left Portland. She spent the following summers leading trail crews with the NW Youth Corps and Pacific Crest Trail Association. And it was there, in the backwoods of the Pacific NW, she realized her passion to help individuals and communities discover their potential. This led her to get a Master’s degree in non-profit management and what drew her to the work of the Northwest Outward Bound School. When she’s not in the office, you might find Carla out hiking or just riding her bike around town. Every now and then you can catch her mixing up a new recipe in the kitchen or trying to figure out how to grow vegetables in her backyard.

Anne Morrison

Oregon Program Director

Anne started her Outward Bound career in 2006 with the Southwest Program of the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) as an Assistant Instructor.  During the eight years she worked with COBS, she worked in a variety of roles including Associate Program Director in 2011 and 2012.  As an instructor, course director and trainer, Anne was fortunate to experience diverse course areas throughout Utah - rafting the Colorado, Green, Yampa and San Juan rivers, backpacking the LaSal Mountains and canyoneering through the canyons of the Robbers Roost and Dark Canyon plateau.

In addition to her years with Outward Bound, Anne also brings varied experience working in education with youth and teens.  She has worked with both a wilderness therapy organization and an alternative education program with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps in her native Vermont.  This past April, Anne completed her Master’s in Education with a School Counseling license from Lewis and Clark College.

After leaving COBS in winter of 2012, Anne began her work with the Northwest Outward Bound School.  Starting as an instructor with the Portland Programs, she has also worked with Student Services and as an instructor and trainer with both the Odin Falls and Mazama bases.  Witnessing the personal growth that happens for students on course and within school settings, continues to fuel Anne’s passion for the work Outward Bound does.

When not sharing her passion for Outward Bound with others, Anne can be found exploring wild places by raft, foot, ski, bike or rope with her partner, Rob, and her dog, Freya.

Joel Reid

Washington Program Director

In 2008, 12 years after taking a 22 day Outward Bound course, Joel started working for Northwest Outward Bound School in Mazama, WA as a sea kayak and mountaineering instructor. Joel's current positions include Staff Trainer, Course Director, and Instructor. He spends his off season shooting photos and traveling around the country, teaching wilderness medicine classes.

Morgan Oyster-Sands

Student Services Director, EID Chairperson

Throughout high school and college, Morgan, had many opportunities to experience the outdoors combined with service in the states and abroad. After completing her degree in Intercultural Studies and Urban Studies she worked in both education and the Outdoor Industry. Wanting to combine her passions, she moved to the Pacific Northwest and began working for NWOBS first as a Logistical Coordinator, then as a Portland Programs Instructor and now Student Services Director. New to the Pacific Northwest, you can find Morgan and her family discovering the rich landscapes by foot, bike and kayak any chance they get!

Robyn Gelfand

Portland Program Director

Robyn’s Outward Bound experience began with a Leadership Mountaineering course in the Colorado Rockies during college. That experience had a huge impact on Robyn, and inspired her to move to Steamboat Springs, Colorado to teach skiing after graduating from the University of Virginia. From there, she began a career in marketing that took her to Denver, Chicago, and Portland, working on brands including Adidas and Coors Light. After earning an MBA from Portland State University, she co-founded a peer-to-peer outdoor adventure business. Robyn is thrilled to be part of the Outward Bound community again and to provide students and professionals in the Portland area with personal growth and leadership development opportunities. Robyn is a volunteer alpine patroller on Mt. Hood Ski Patrol and enjoys hiking and camping with her family.

Megan Fraser

Hiring and Staffing Manager

Megan’s first connection with Outward Bound occurred when she enrolled in a 14 day backpacking/ rock climbing course in Joshua Tree National Park just out of college. She has now been a part of Outward Bound for nine years, having worked with Outward Bound Baltimore and Outward Bound California, and currently as Associate Program Director at the Mazama Basecamp. A lover of snow, Megan works in ski patrol and instruction in the off season.

Cam Alford

Washington Associate Program Director

Abby Taylor

Oregon Logistics Manager

Emily Nelson

Washington Logistics Manager

Emily comes to the position of Logistics Manager with a sincere desire to change the lives of staff and students the way that Outward Bound changed hers. She was born and raised in San Francisco, where she largely focused on music as a pianist and trumpet player. She graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Music, and went on to pursue arts management with the Kennedy Center and then the San Francisco Symphony, working in Education, Special Events, Artist Management and Community Engagement.

When she completed the Washington Outdoor Educator Course in 2015, she knew she had discovered an organization with a mission she believed in and a community she wanted to join. She started the next summer as an intern and subsequent summers as an LC and HLC, where she found a sense of place within the logistics department and a bizarre affinity for fiberglass repair. Whether trailer training, climbing at Washington Pass, kayaking the Methow or working on spreadsheets, Emily is thrilled to be part of the NWOBS family.

Paula Shilton

Senior Course Advisor & Medical Screener

After many years of work in nonprofit organizations in Athens, Georgia, Paula and her husband recently relocated to Portland to take advantage of its outdoor and cultural opportunities. Her background in psychology (AB – Oberlin College; MA – Western Michigan University) led to a career focused on positive youth development, primarily at Prevent Child Abuse Athens and the Clarke County (GA) Mentor Program.

Paula grew up hiking California trails with her family, and as a camper and camp counselor. Her three children continued the tradition in the mountains of western North Carolina. Since arriving in Oregon, she and her husband have hiked in the Gorge and the Mt. Hood area, participated as Wilderness Volunteers doing habitat restoration in the Mt. Hood Wilderness, and backpacked across the Grand Canyon and in the Superstition Mountains (AZ.) Paula has also served as a volunteer trail guide in the Athens area, introducing public school children to the outdoors. She is delighted that part of her work with NWOBS involves supporting outdoor experiences for groups who haven’t had that opportunity.

David Jacobson-Fried

Course Advisor

David grew up in the Pacific Northwest and from an early age loved outdoor pursuits. On weekends he could be found mountain biking, skiing, or kayaking depending on the season. He learned to SCUBA dive in High School and eventually became a trip leader for high school groups, teaching Marine Biology and SCUBA diving on abroad trips. Since then he has led a variety of programs from service trips in Costa Rica to backpacking trips on the Pacific Crest Trail. He joined Northwest Outward Bound School in 2018 as a Course Advisor, assisting students through the enrollment process and helping them prepare for course. He loves Northwest Outward Bound School because of the mission, the people, and students.

Monica Hescheles

Course Advisor

Monica brings to Northwest Outward Bound School the knowledge from degrees in Outdoor Education and Environmental Education, and eight years of experience working in customer service! Monica also has experience as a student in the back country and recently took a WFR through our Mazama, WA Outdoor Educator course.

Kristin Kanan

Administrative Assistant

Kristin grew up on the SoCal beaches in Santa Monica and Venice. She discovered her passion for photography at an early age and spent her days exploring every corner of her world, seeking to capture images of the beautiful and interesting things around her. That has never changed. Kristin has held marketing and project management jobs in industries including film, video games and social media. In 2015, it was time for a new adventure. Her love of nature and community drew her to Portland. Her wish was to find job working for a non-profit, one that helped people and had something to do with nature. That dream came true for her in June 2018. When Kristin isn't working, she is still out there exploring and capturing the world around her, from the forests to the quirky neighborhoods. She also loves cooking and DIY crafting. And you may even see her in the Timbers Army supporting her beloved Portland Timbers. 

Zoë Bonnichsen

Development Assistant