Our Faculty

Sarah has worked in outdoor education since 2010, entering the field as a climbing instructor, and picking up whitewater canoeing and backpacking along the way. She’s passionate about teaching wilderness medicine within the context of broader decision-making frameworks and as a skillset that empowers any lover of outdoor adventure in whatever environment they may find themselves in. You’ll find her revisiting the AT, crafting the perfect trip for the southeast forests, or dreaming of snow and rocks out west.

Josh has been involved in search and rescue, technical rope rescue, and wilderness EMS in the backcountry of the Southern Appalachian Mountains since 2014. He took his first NOLS WFR course with Landmark Learning in 2010, which ultimately was a springboard for his career. Teaching wilderness medicine and outdoor leadership skills, spending time with his family, trail running, yoga, and good coffee are among his passions.

Already an avid mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast, Eleanor took her first WFR course in 2018 and has been hooked on medicine/emergency response ever since. She lives in Chapel Hill, NC and has worked as a full-time Firefighter/EMT for the past 6 years. She has been teaching WFA’s for Landmark since 2023. Eleanor loves how this job lets her bring her love for the outdoors and emergency medical experience together to help others feel confident in their ability to provide care during a wilderness emergency. Eleanor will be starting Duke’s PA program in fall of 2026. In her limited free time, she still loves mountain biking, hiking up steep hills, eating plenty of snacks, and occasionally surfing very small waves at the NC coast. 

Brett Friedman is a Pennsylvania based WEMT with over 20 years of outdoor education experience, teaching for NOLS expeditions, Landmark Learning, NOLS Wilderness Medicine and REI Outdoor School. He also has an addiction to kayaking in cold wet places and when not teaching can usually be found kayaking an overcast, rainy coast with anyone he can convince that it is actually fun.

Kendall is a marine corps veteran and outdoor educator. Kendall has thru hiked the Appalachian Trail and spent the past summer guiding rafting and backpacking trips in Alaska.

When not helping build tomorrow’s crop of outdoor professionals for Landmark Learning, Andy has been a faculty member at North Greenville University where he taught in their Outdoor Education and Leadership department. Andy loves getting deep into the forest of Western North Carolina where you will likely find him climbing, biking or paddling with his favorite two and four legged friends.

Having been a backcountry instructor since 1993, Seth is one of the most experienced members of the Landmark Learning team. He also happens to be the medical director and says that the reason he joined Landmark was because he believes in the mission and for the wickedly good-looking hats.

Paul spent over 30 years as a school counselor and administrator, both in elementary and high schools, with a specialty in crisis recovery. Over the years, Paul has also guided teams through ROPES Challenge Courses as an outdoor educator. He spent nearly ten years working for REI Co-op, first as a sales specialist in the retail division and later as a guide in the experiences division. Paul currently calls Greenville, SC, home, where he volunteers for the Make-A-Wish foundation and its Trailblaze Challenge as a medical volunteer. He spends as much time as possible on the trail and with his grandkids.

Having worked previously as a trip leader and program coordinator for University of Virginia Outdoor Adventure, Carson carries on their passion for working in the outdoor recreation industry as Landmark’s Program Assistant. Carson loves backpacking, trail running, and caving, and they have thru hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails.

Priscilla loves long backpacking trips and during the summer and fall, she instructs backpacking and mountaineering courses in Colorado and Alaska. She plays the fiddle and enjoys playing the music of the Appalachians, the British Isles, and from the contra dance tradition.

Felipe has been a mountain guide since 2000 and a wilderness medicine instructor since 2006. After spending a lot of time in the outdoors, he decided to start sharing his knowledge and experience. He is also the founder of Mingai, providing training and care in remote settings of Ecuador.

Suzie currently works as an RN in the neuro-trauma ICU in Asheville, NC. She loves multi-day river trips and backcountry hot springs. She believes in intentional education and considers herself a lifetime learner—she looks forward to teaching, as well as learning from, her wilderness medicine students.

Originally from the rolling mountains outside Pittsburgh, PA Steven now considers himself a Floridian, and calls Tampa Bay home. After starting to lead adventure trips at the University of South Florida, Steven took his first Landmark Learning course in 2013, becoming an instructor in 2020. Steven is an avid sea kayaker and paddle boarder, enjoys getting his hands greasy repairing his many road bikes, and would spend too much time playing board games if you let him.

Jaki has a background in horsepacking, wildland firefighting, SAR, and instructing multi-day expeditionary courses. Jaki has always had an immense amount of respect for wilderness medicine instructors, and she finds the community to be impactful and challenging. Jaki’s favorite adventures are anything with her dogs, Bayou and Ford Ranger!

Brenda has spent 6 years as a guide and outdoor ed instructor for REI. As a WFA instructor, she loves to help students think outside the box, improvise, and feel more comfortable recreating outdoors. She grew up in West Virginia, but now you can find her walking her dogs in Raleigh, NC and escaping to the mountains to snowboard during the winter.

D’vorah has worked in wilderness therapy and volunteer firefighting before becoming an EMT and then Paramedic. She began teaching Wilderness Medicine to combine her medical knowledge with her passion for being outdoors. Along with Wilderness Medicine, she is also passionate about mental health and worked for multiple years with at-risk youth. She enjoys empowering others to build confidence in their decision-making process and patient assessment knowledge to respond to needs as they arise. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking and learning how to whitewater kayak.

Graham keeps out of trouble by working as a Respiratory Therapist and a Paramedic. He fully blames his interest in the medical field on Landmark Learning, starting when he took his EMT course with us in 2012. Graham knows more about Star Wars than the rest of the Landmark staff combined. Aside from binge watching Star Wars, Graham also likes to go hiking and climbing, and recently got into mountaineering.

I love teaching! I really enjoy the interaction with students and helping them grow and develop as individuals. Teaching with Landmark Learning allows me to teach swiftwater rescue, then wilderness medicine, then EMT, then wilderness lifeguard….I grow in the presence of students!

Ron has been leading trips and teaching in the backcountry since 1999 and volunteering with search and rescue since 2001. He joined Landmark Learning in 2014. As a high school teacher, he has a passion for helping his students develop a sense of place while exploring Southern Appalachia. When he is not teaching he loves spending time with his family and seeing the world through his daughter’s eyes.

Jackie Rubino feels lucky enough to have figured out how to work in the outdoor industry year-round. She is a whitewater guide and instructor, a backcountry camp cook, and a wilderness medicine instructor. When not paddling or baking pies, she enjoys making block prints of her three pets. She splits her time between northwest Montana and Hot Springs, NC.

Ryan loves the outdoors and has a passion for program design. As a whitewater canoeist, he has experience with outdoor medicine and the unpredictability of the wilderness. Ryan also remodels houses while managing his growing family.

Deb works full time as Director of Wilderness Operations for North Carolina Outward Bound School. An outdoor educator and guide since 1996. Deb spends her time racing bicycles, hunting with her two weimaraners and home renovation projects.

Thomas worked for Outward Bound for 15 years, leading canoe expeditions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, backpacking trips in Big Bend National Park in Texas, and sea kayaking expeditions in the Bahamas. He received a degree in Outdoor Experiential Education from Prescott College in Prescott, AZ. “Wags” currently lives in Asheville, NC and when he’s not teaching classes in wilderness medicine or outdoor leadership, he spends his summers as a commercial whitewater guide on the French Broad River.

Bart has a long career in EMS and Search and Rescue, including working as a firefighter, flight medic, K9 handler, and Medical Unit Leader for wildfire and natural disaster Incident Mangement. He has witnessed many situations where a first responder made significant contribution to successful patient outcomes, and he hopes to teach people to become that “significant contribution” in someone’s life. He enjoys getting outside to hike and whitewater raft with his three kids.