OLT Workshop | Trainers

Allison Chin has been a Sierra Club volunteer since 1982 and an activist for the Outings program since 1988. ICO has been an ideal vehicle to plant a seed of love and appreciation for the wilderness and outdoor activities. She supports San Jose Inner City Outings (ICO) as a certified leader and member of the Steering Committee. She has served as a regional representative, vice chair and chair of the national ICO steering committee and Outdoor Activities Governance Committee. Allison has been a volunteer instructor for the OATP since 2001 and an advocate for outings and training on the Outings Activities and Training Governance Committees since 2002. She currently serves on the Sierra Club Board of Directors. Allison is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and annual Outings Chair Training.

Ann Daigle is an avid hiker, backpacker, and llama-packer with a passion for sharing and protecting the environment. Ann has lived in the Pacific Northwest on a small ranch with her family and animals for over 20 years. She has led base camp, lodge, and backpack trips for adults and children in both the Northwest and in Canyon de Chelly for National Outings. She has used her teaching skills to train people, llamas and horses to adventure out into the backcountry. Ann is currently the chair of the National Outings Northwest Subcommittee and member of the National Outings Training Subcommittee.  Ann is a trainer for the annual National Outings Training Trip.

Kern Hildebrand has been a Sierra Club member since he was a teenager and active as a National Outings leader for over 20 years. A wilderness traveler since childhood, he has led, assisted, or cooked on many Sierra Club National Outings. These have included river rafting, sea kayak, backpack, and international outings. Some of his wilderness trip leading experience has been in Alaska, California’s Sierra Nevada, Switzerland, Nepal, Tibet, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Turkey, Kenya, Mongolia and Tanzania. Recently retired, Kern lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and serves as chair of the International Outings Subcommittee. Kern believes that training is key. “No matter what our experience or expertise there is always more to learn about leadership and more skill practice to be experienced. It’s a wonderful bonus that we can learn from and with each other. The OLT 201 Workshop is a powerful vehicle for growth and skill development.” Kern enjoys using his leadership and training experience to help other Sierra Club volunteer leaders. “Besides, every time I train, I learn.” Kern is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops.

Tom Libby Tom Libby led his first outing as a Sierra Club leader in 1989. Since then Tom has led hundreds of participants on backpacks, day hikes and trail maintenance outings. Tom has served as a group outing chair and as chapter outing chair for Oklahoma. He was selected by the American Hiking Society as Oklahoma Volunteer of the Year in 2003 and has served on the Oklahoma Trails Advisory Board. Tom is the chair of the Outdoor Activities Governance Committee. Tom is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual Outings Chair Training.

Melanie Mac Innis first was introduced to the Sierra Club as a participant on an Inner City Outings rafting trip in 1993. Since then Mel trained as an ICO leader and has led hundreds of participants on ICO day hikes, backpacks and river rafting trips. She is the West Regional Representative on the national ICO steering committee. Mel continues to support the local backpacking and rafting groups as a leader previously served as chair of the rafting group. She's a whitewater guide instructor as well as a first aid and CPR instructor. When Mel is not outdoors, she teaches computer technology to high school students in San Francisco. Mel is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual Outings Chair Training.

Myla Marks, the ICO Field Organizer, joined ICO in 2008 from a trip leading background, most recently directing an outdoor adventure and education program for youth based in California. She has worked with young people in public schools, private schools, and non-profit organizations across state and country lines, always with the intent of teaching a respect for the environment and prompting a changed environmental ethic. As the Field Organizer, Myla works with ICO groups to help them grow and develop, as well as creating fundraising, recruitment, training, and publicity tools and resources for ICO. Whether pointing out Mars during a summertime meteor shower or leading a group in a skiing excursion, the volunteers and staff of Sierra Club Outings are invaluable, and Myla enjoys supporting their wide-reaching roots. Whenever she can, Myla heads to her refuges in the outdoors, a few select swimming holes and hot springs high in the Sierra. Her favorite workshop to facilitative for adults is on leadership styles, and a handful of wilderness first aid scenarios are always fun.  Myla is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual Outings Chair Training.

Paula Mitchell has been involved with Inner City Outings (ICO) since 2000. Paula had been taking children on wilderness experiences for years at a local community agency and after leaving her position, was at a loss of how to continue to share her passion for the wilderness with children. Luckily she discovered ICO, which offered her the opportunity to continue sharing the wilderness with children. Since joining ICO, she has been the chairperson for her local group, the Midwest Representative on the ICO National Steering Committee and is currently the Vice Chairperson of the National Steering Committee. Professionally, Paula is a social worker at a local social service agency and specializes in child welfare issues. She recently graduated with her Masters of Science in Social Work degree from the University of Louisville. Paula is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual Outings Chair Training.

Bill Shecket joined the Sierra Club as a teenager and got involved with National Outings in the early 1990's. He has been a leader and assistant on backpacks, float trips, family base camp, international tours and lodge-based adventures. Bill is active in the Northwest, Alaska and Foreign subcommittees. Bill taught a college Outdoor Leadership class for several years in Seattle and has been a challenge course facilitator for the Washington State University Cooperative Extension program. He is currently a trainer for the Outdoor Activities Training Program weekend workshop being hosted in various parts of the country. Bill lives in Seattle, where he teaches in a bachelors level human services training program. "I'm excited to be working with the Outings Subcommittee chairs and the National Outings Office staff to share resources and help bring new ideas into our leader training programs. I hope to share my passion for Sierra Club outdoor activities with other leaders, both novice and experienced!" Bill is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual National Outings Training Trip.

Debbie Smith has been an avid outdoors enthusiast most of her life and has been a member of the Sierra Club since 1994. She has been hiking, backpacking and rock climbing for the past 15 years in the western regions of the United States. Before moving to California in 1994, she spent 20 years in the New England area enjoying many of her outdoor activities in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and in the Shawangunks in New York State. She was also a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club of Boston where she learned to climb and teach climbing to new participants each spring for the Mountaineering Committee of the AMC. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Engineering and works as a Sales Engineer in South Carolina. In her spare time she captains a women's USTA tennis team and this summer.  Debbie is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops and the annual National Outings Training Trip.

Sascha Paris first became involved with the Sierra Club as teenager on a National Outing in King’s Canyon National Park. Sascha serves as the Sierra Club’s Outdoor Activities Training Manager (staff person) and is very excited to provide trainings that will help trip leaders grow and lead fun, safe and inspiring outings.  Sascha’s experience includes being a sea kayaking and mountaineering instructor, staff trainer and safety reviewer for the Outward Bound School; a Wilderness First Aid instructor; a program director and backpacking instructor for the freshman wilderness orientation program at the University of California, San Diego. When not taking his new daughter on day hikes to the hills and the beach, Sascha looks forward to getting back to sea kayaking, ultra-light backpacking, and rock climbing. Sascha is a trainer for the weekend OLT workshops, the annual National Outings Training Trip and Outings Chair Training.

Tony Rango has been a staff person for the Sierra Club since 1992 and currently serves as the National Outings Director. He initially got involved in the Sierra Club because of his job, but soon began volunteering in the Outings program. He has been leading national Sierra Club trips since 1994, including backpacking, rafting, biking, kayaking, and mountaineering trips. When he's not at work, he can be found with his new baby, and when time permits, Tony's off in the mountains skiing, biking, or hiking. He also volunteers as a Wilderness First Aid instructor for the outdoor program at UCSF. He is extremely excited about the OATP and looks forward to helping people become Sierra Club leaders, learn new skills, or meet new people.