Curriculum. Materials. Staff.
They make a difference.

Licensed Providers are licensed and authorized by WMTC to sponsor their own courses and contract directly with sponsors.
Affiliate Providers are colleges and universities that offer credit for WMTC courses.

Santiago Atuesta
Instructor
BA, WFR

​A hiker and mountaineer, Santiago manages the outdoor program at Colegio Los Nogales where he leads students in hiking trips throughout Colombia. He also works as an instructor trainer and guide for FullSky Colombia and  teaches WMTC courses for local guides and outdoor instructors.
Aaron Ball
Instructor
MA, WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, skier, rafter, and mountain biker, Aaron owns Southwest Rescue where he sponsors and teaches WMTC wilderness medicine courses and Rescue 3 International swiftwater rescue courses. Aaron also works year round for San Juan Mountain Guides where he guides rock climbing, alpine mountaineering, and backcountry skiing trips and teaches Level 1 and Level 2 avalanche courses. Aaron is an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education instructor trainer, a faculty member for Fort Lewis College, and a member of the La Plata County Search and Rescue team.
Emily Dempsey
​Instructor
BS, WFR
Emily hails from Michigan and spends her work and free time cycling and paddling throughout the upper midwestern US and Canada. She also enjoys skiing and quilting. Emily's has a B.S. in Biology from the University in Michigan and a growing passion for teaching wilderness medicine. 
Bix Firer
Instructor
MS, WEMT

​Bix Firer has over a decade of experience in outdoor experiential education. Bix is an avid backpacker, backcountry skier, mountain biker, and packrafter and whenever possible attempts to incorporate his passion for foraging and hunting wild foods into these pursuits. Bix lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife, Emma, and two trusty mutts. Bix Is the co-owner of Headwall Group, LLC and Director of Outdoor Programs at the College of Idaho.
Garrett Genereux
Instructor
BS, WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, paddler, and backpacker, Garrett teaches WMTC courses for Cascade Wilderness Medicine.
Larry Goldstein
Physician Adviser
MD, WFR

​A paddler, canyoneer, and world explorer, Larry spends his time doing locums work at Emergency Departments throughout the country, instructing NOLS and Outward Bound courses, and taking personal wilderness trips. Every now and again you can find Larry playing his guitar and singing around a remote campfire with friends.
Tedra Hamel
Instructor
BS, WEMT

​A paddler, climber and skier, Teddi works for the Northwest Outward Bound School and the Athenian School.  When not working or playing in the backcountry, she enjoys drinking coffee and watching the birds.
Cameron Johnson
Instructor
BS, WEMT

Cam is the owner of Flathead Wilderness Medicine.  Over the past 15 years Cam has worked in many different facets of the outdoor industry.  Alongside teaching wilderness medicine courses, he has guided mountaineering, sea kayaking, and backpacking throughout Alaska, Utah, and California. While working for Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, he received the Stone Award for his excellence and dedication in mountain rescue.  He currently spends his winters working as an Avalanche Forecaster for the Flathead Avalanche Center.  When Cam is not working in the mountains or teaching wilderness medicine, he spends his time with his wife working on their small farm or taking his archery equipment for long walks in the fall season.  
Leah Hillbrand
Instructor
BA, WEMT
A rafter, caver, and mountain biker, Leah is the Program Coordinator for EPIC Adventures at Eastern Washington University. She has worked as a professional rafting, caving, and mountain biking guide and as a field instructor for youth programs. Eastern Washington University is a WMTC Affiliate Provider.
Curt Howell
Instructor
MA, WEMT
When not guiding or teaching, Curt enjoys being with his family, mountain biking, climbing and paddling, building furniture from locally sourced beetle kill spruce or just relaxing at home. Curt holds a B.A. in Theology and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology. Curt teaches courses in outdoor recreation, recreation ecology, experiential learning and facilitation, risk management, leadership, and a variety of adventure recreation courses at Adams State University and he owns and operates Narrow Ridge. a WMTC Licensed Provider.
Scott Jordan
Instructor
PhD, WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, paddler, and canyoneer, Scott is a Wilderness Education Association instructor trainer and academic faculty for the Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management Program at Northern Michigan University; NMU is an WMTC Affiliate Provider. He is also an accomplished storyteller and musician.
Aaron Kent
Instructor
MA, Advanced WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, mountain biker, and whitewater kayakar, Aaron teaches swiftwater rescue courses when not working for WMTC. In a past life, Aaron taught technical rescue, pre-hospital medicine, and outdoor education at Union College, in Lincoln NE where he was the coordinator for the college's Disaster Response Team (DiRT). DiRT has provided aid during hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Ike, the tornados in Lady Lake, FL and Birmingham, AL, and the earthquake in Haiti. Aaron has also worked in remote clinics in Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti. Aaron owns Four Corners Specialty Rescue, a WMTC Licensed Provider.
Alison Lay Cranston
Instructor
BS, MA, WEMT
An avid climber, skier, mountaineer, boater and mountain biker, Alison currently teaches in the Natural Resources Program at Oregon State University - Cascades. In a previous life she was a Course Director and senior instructor for the Northwest Outward Bound School, as well as an Instructor for several other expedition-based outdoor education programs. She has also worked as a Biological Science Technician and Wildland Firefighter at Glacier National Park, where she was involved with several large-scale Search and Rescue missions.  Alison owns and operates Cascade Wilderness Medicine, a licensed business of WMTC.
Katherine Miller
Instructor
MS, WEMT
Katherine enjoys backpacking, climbing, paddling, and riding her gravel bike. She currently works as the coordinator for UREC Outdoors at the University of Arkansas. When she isn't working she prefers to spend her free time reading a good book, perfecting her backcountry recipes, learning a new outdoor skill, or exploring the gravel roads around her.
Paul Nicolazzo
President, Director, Instructor
BA, WEMT

​A climber, skier, canyoneer, and paddler with numerous first ascents and descents in his resume, Paul now spends too much of his time in the WMTC office in front of a computer. In addition to managing WMTC's office, curriculum, and publications, Paul works part-time as an outdoor program risk management consultant and is a member of the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative (WMEC), the ad hoc group responsible for writing the WFA, WAFA, and WFR Scope of Practice documents.
Taito Okamura
Instructor
PhD, WFR

​A backpacker, skier, climber and paddler, Taito owns Backcountry Classroom Inc. where he provides outdoor leadership program to companies, professional sports teams and communities. Backcountry Classroom is a Licensed WMTC Provider. Taito holds Wilderness Education Association Certifying Examiner and Leave No Trace Master Educator, established Wilderness Education Association Japan and directs Camp Hanayama sponsored by Yoshonen Camp Society.
Derek Prill
Instructor
MS, WEMT

​A climber, skier, paddler, and backpacker. In a past life, he was an Army medic in the Middle East, a boy scout, and ex-director of the New England YMCA outdoor programs. Derek owns Feral Medicine, a WMTC Licensed Provider.
Levi Pendleton
Instructor
MS, WFR, OEC

​A paddler, skier, climber, mountain biker, paraglider and all things motorsports, Levi works as the coordinator for the outdoor program at Southern Utah University, a WMTC Affiliate Provider. Prior to working in higher education, he spent various seasons river guiding and ski patrolling. When he is not working, he enjoys learning new outdoor activities and continuing to pursue time in the mountains.
Paul Przybylowicz
Instructor
PHD, WFR
Owner of Sound Wilderness Medicine, a licensed WMTC provider. Paul has been faculty at The Evergreen State College for over 30 years. In addition to wilderness medicine, Paul teaches mycology, human biology, ecology and outdoor leadership. Paul brings decades of expertise in experiential teaching and learning into every course.
Joel Reid
Instructor
BA, WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, and sea kayaker.  Joel owns Cascade Outdoor Education, a Licensed WMTC Provider and has been an both a field educator and outdoor education administrator for many years.
Drew Ross
Physician Adviser
MD, MS, WEMT

​A climber, skier, and paddler, Drew is an ex-WMTC and -Outward Bound instructor; he now spends his time working in the hospital and outside playing with his family.
Andrew Saunders
Instructor
MS, WEMT

​A climber, rafter, and hiker, Andrew teaches for Union College's unique International Rescue and Relief degree program; Union College is a WMTC Affiliate Provider. Andrew also owns and teaches for Viking Response and Recreation Consulting.
Josh Stratman
Instructor
MS, WEMT

​A climber, mountaineer, skier, canyoneer, and paddler, Josh is the director of the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education associate degree program at Mt Hood Community College; Mt Hood CC is an WMTC Affiliate Provider.
AJ Verkouw
Instructor
MS, WEMT

​A skier, climber, mountaineer, mountain biker, and mediocre paddler, AJ had been working in the field of outdoor education in the mountain west for the better part of a decade. During that tenure AJ has worked as an instructor and staff trainer for the Colorado Outward Bound School, climbing wall manager, professional ski patroller, avalanche educator, river guide, and climbing instructor. He has had the privilege of working and traveling in amazing places like Alaska, Nepal, Mexico, and Ecuador. He currently is the Director of the Outdoor Program and adjunct faculty at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT.
Tiana White
Instructor, Operations, Special Projects
MS, WEMT

A backpacker, paddler, climber, canyoneer-er, and former NOLS instructor, Tiana prefers to spend her spare time exploring little known and remote waterways in her packraft. Her personal and professional adventures have taken her all over the US from Maine to Washington and internationally to India, Canada, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Singapore and China. From 2011-2022 Tiana was the Outdoor Program Director at Westminster College and taught WMTC courses as an Affiliate Instructor there.  She currently works full-time for WMTC with Operations and Special Projects.
Ian Zatarain
Instructor
BA, WFR

​Ian Zatarain enjoys international travel, rock climbing, backcountry split boarding, trail running, and motorcycle riding. He feels the most inspired when he connects and spends time with some of the last indigenous populations on the planet. When he is not traveling, working for WMTC or rock climbing, Ian works as an outdoor educator in California and South Korea. Ian owns and teaches for Guardian Medicine.
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