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Josh Jackson

Josh Jackson has fervor for both outdoor recreation and teaching, and he has spent over a decade trying to marry his passions. Josh has worked as a climbing, river and mountain guide throughout the West and Alaska. He has his Bachelor’s degree in Adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College and a Master’s in Outdoor Experiential Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Josh is a Wilderness EMT who has been active in Search & Rescue. In addition to working as an Outward Bound instructor, climbing gym manager, wilderness therapy facilitator, field program manager and a Wilderness Medical Associates®’ instructor, he has served as adjunct faculty at colleges and universities, teaching such courses as expeditionary sea kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, back country skiing, ice climbing, surfing, map & compass, winter camping, wilderness leadership and wilderness first responder.

Darren Stokes

Darren has been a professional Outdoor Guide and Instructor for over 30 years and holds a Masters Degree in Outdoor Recreation. He lives in Buena Vista, Colorado at the base of the Collegiate Peaks and on the banks of the Arkansas River.  He owns Colorado Outside, a local provider for Wilderness Medical Training.  Darren is a WEMT and volunteers for Chaffee County Search and Rescue where he has served as Training Officer, Board Member and member of the Swiftwater Rescue Team.  Darren teaches throughout the US, Alaska, and Internationally for WMA. Darren shares his love for the outdoors with his wife Tina, son Jesse, and daughter Bailey. The kids have been skiing since they were two and rafting since they were three, keeping up with them is Darren's foremost outdoor challenge.

David Ramsey

David has taught for WMA since 2002 and has had the pleasure of teaching all over the US and many other countries including considerable time in Japan—where he met his wonderful wife! He works as the Special Operations Captain for Bonner County EMS in northern Idaho and operates as both a field practitioner working out of a chase car and a community paramedic trying to lessen the burden on the healthcare system. David also works with the local Search and Rescue team as a SAR K9 handler and is assigned with the Sheriff’s department as a tactical medic. David enjoys riding his ATV and snowmobile (in their respective season), hunting, backpacking, and enjoying the three mountain ranges that surround his home. His two daughters have also caused him to become an amateur paleontologist as they have a growing interest in dinosaurs.

Megan Lapierre

Megan is a Wilderness EMT and a New York State Forest Ranger. As such she is a Police Officer, Wildland Firefighter and heavily involved in Search and Rescue. She has background in Environmental Education as a counselor and director, and has a Masters Degree from SUNY ESF in Water and Wetland Management and Policy. Her hobbies include competitive swimming, teaching swimming, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, music, hunting and of course, as a wife and mother raising a family and running a household!

Mike Burkholder

Mike has been a NYS Forest Ranger for 12 years, involved in various search and rescue missions, wildfires and disaster incident response.  He has been teaching for WMA since 2008. 

Fay Johnson

Fay is a senior instructor for WMA. She is the Quality Assurance Director and serves on the faculty advisory board. She has extensive experience working in the outdoor industry with years teaching for Outward Bound and as a professional ski patroller in Montana. Fay and her husband stay busy teaching avalanche awareness courses and training avalanche search dogs.

COVID-19

Jen Buttery

Jen Buttery is a WMA Assistant Instructor. Her first WMA WFR class back in 2009 started her on her emergency medical path from expedition medic in Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan to offshore medical officer and now AEMT and EMT instructor in Maine. She is also now pursuing a masters in public health. After living abroad …

Stephen Leavins

Stephen has worked in the outdoor industry in both guiding and retail since 1990. Past endeavors have included guiding backpacking, canoeing, climbing, and sea kayaking. Formally, Stephen has held certifications as an ACA Coastal Kayak (Level 5) Advanced Open Water Instructor Trainer, ACA Open Canoe Instructor, PCIA Single Pitch Instructor, BCU Five Star (Sea), PADI Rescue Diver and is a Registered Maine Recreation and Master Sea Kayak Guide. His mountaineering and paddling experience includes sites in the US, South America, Canada, Scotland, and Nepal. Stephen enjoys cycling, skiing, and whitewater paddling whenever an opportunity presents. In 2007 he began volunteering as an EMT with a local ambulance service. While there, he helped develop and train the service’s high angle rescue team. Stephen currently works as a full time Paramedic in Maine. He enjoys any opportunity to get outside, especially if it involves his two kids. 

Bridge: WAFA para WFR