Board of Directors

Richard C. Balaban
Director, Oliver Wyman
London, England

Robert Creamer
Professional Photographer, Artist in Residence- Smithsonian Institution
Baltimore, Maryland

Matthew Garfield
Owner, Garfield Refining
Philadelphia, PA

Michael F. Hertz
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Rockville, Maryland

Leslie Morgenthal
Community Volunteer
New York, New York

Mel S. Rapelyea, MD
Contract Radiologist
Cookeville, Tennessee

Peter P. Rice, Jr.
Executive Director, Echo Hill Outdoor School
Worton, Maryland

Terry V. Rice
Partner, Birks and Rice
Rockville, Maryland

Directors

Echo Hill Outdoor School Directors are the core of our administrative staff. They are responsible for the planning, scheduling, and hiring as well as teaching classes. Their commitment to education and the environment sets the standard for the Echo Hill community.

	Peter Paul Rice Jr., Director
	Peter Rice spent his childhood at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC where his father was Head of the Lower School. During their summers, Mr. and Mrs. Rice, Sr., operated Echo Hill Camp on the Chesapeake Bay, a highly regarded recreational summer camp. Peter began directing the successful Quaker based summer camp in the 1970’s and continues to lead the camp with passion today. Peter’s graduate work in outdoor education at Indiana and Northern Illinois University gave him the background and desire to start a non-profit educational organization. He did so in 1972, when he founded Echo Hill Outdoor School. Peter’s original vision of children learning in the outdoors remains at the core of the School’s existence. Peter is the president of the Board and is the School’s Executive Director. He lives on Still Pond Neck with his wife, Libby, and their three children, Katie, Julie, and Peter III. Peter serves on the Board of Directors for the Sultana Project and the Arts at Still Pond Station. At the heart of Peter’s passion lies his commitment to provide positive experiences in the out of doors to the child within each of us.
	Andrew R. McCown, Associate Director
	Andrew R. McCown has worked with Echo Hill Outdoor School since 1977. He founded the School’s Summer Explore Trips program in 1979, and became an Associate Director in 1981. Andrew’s contributions to the school’s mission and methodology are instrumental to the programs’ effectiveness and success. As a senior trainer and educator, he consistently mentors the full program staff in Echo Hill’s teaching standards and quality of programming. Andrew is one of the School’s USCG licensed captains. He regularly teaches Bay Studies, aquatic ecology and the heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. Andrew is a current and founding board member of the Chester River Association and he served on the board of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy for twelve years. Captain Andy worked as an oysterman for eight winters as he captained the Skipjack Elsworth, one of the last of the great dredge boats of the Chesapeake. In 2008 the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) awarded Andrew with the Robert Finton Outdoor Educator of the Year Award. Andrew also performs with the critically acclaimed folk group, Chesapeake Scenes. Andrew and his wife, Betsy, live at the school with their two sons, John Andrew and Parker.
	Elizabeth Zelter McCown, Associate Director
	Betsy McCown joined Echo Hill Outdoor School in 1979 after earning a B.S. in Community Leadership and Development from Springfield College, Springfield, MA. Diverse involvement in outdoor adventure pursuits during college coupled with many years at a recreational summer camp built her foundation for individual and group development. She became an Associate Director in 1981 and has continued to work full time ever since. Betsy oversees all daily operations, the professional training and development of personnel, coordinates the yearly calendar of attending schools and groups, and helps to maintain a high standard of quality programming. In September 2011, Betsy joined the Board of Trustees for Gunston School in Centreville, Maryland. At the heart of Betsy’s direction is her ability to facilitate personal growth and development and build a sense of community. Betsy is an involved and devoted educator, counselor, and parent. Growing up in rural western New York State instilled in her a keen appreciation for creative play in the natural environment. Betsy, her husband, Captain Andy and their sons John Andrew and Parker enjoy living on the Outdoor School’s nature preserve and appreciate the unique setting and community they call home.
	Deborah Grigsby, Assistant Director
	Debbie Grigsby began teaching at Echo Hill Outdoor School in 1991 and became an Assistant Director in 1994. She attended the University of Virginia and has a B.A. in Environmental Science. Her love of the outdoors began as a young child spending cherished times with family in the countryside surrounding her Front Royal, Virginia, home. Debbie worked as a hydrologist in southern Florida for six years before deciding to direct her interest in the environment toward education. She actively directs Echo Hill’s challenge course, is one of the school’s USCG licensed captains, and teaches an array of classes. Debbie coordinates the weekly program schedule, assists with personnel and risk management, and is instrumental in helping to maintain our program standard in all areas. Deb and her charismatic son Benjamin are often seen maximizing activities in the great outdoors…. like puddle jumping !
	James A. Stone, Assistant Director of Facility Care and Daily Operations Senior Educator, USCG Captain
	Jim graduated from Springfield College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Leisure Services. He joined the Outdoor School's full time teaching staff in 1997. As a senior educator and licensed USCG Captain, Jim frequently teaches Chesapeake Bay Studies aboard our lab vessels along with a variety of aquatic, history, and ecology classes. Jim oversees facility care and maintenance. His fair and consistent leadership style sparks a strong work ethic in fellow staff. Along with his wife, Tracy, and children Zach and Tory, Jim owns and operates the award-winning bed and breakfast “The Inn at Mitchell House” in Tolchester, Maryland.

Administrative Support

	Pat Bjorke, School Secretary/Receptionist
	Pat's love of children has woven itself throughout her lifetime, whether through volunteer work with Girl Scouts and other youth organizations, or in a professional capacity in public school systems and now as the school secretary and lead receptionist at Echo Hill Outdoor School. Pat grew up in eastern Pennsylvania in a family that enjoyed spending a great deal of time fishing, hunting, camping and skiing. But her favorite moments outdoors are walking in the woods during the changing seasons, messing around quiet backwaters in her kayak, or just being out late at night in the muffled stillness of a snowstorm. Curiosity about the human mind and psyche led her to a degree in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. On a whim, she and her husband Clark wound up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland nearly 30 years ago and they have called it "home" ever since. Pat enjoys sharing her interests in gardening, crafts and cooking with her three daughters and granddaughter.
	Kim Righi, Business Manager
	Kim has been the Business Manager at Echo Hill Outdoor School since October 2008. Her career in nonprofit management has spanned more than twenty-five years. Kim’s involvement has provided membership, event, and organizational management services to various educational associations in the field of clothing and textile studies, as well as the chamber of commerce and public library system in Cecil County, MD. Her work ethic exudes honest communication and always exhibits a high level of job performance. Kim’s spirit for discovery, inquiry and teamwork make her an integral member of any administrative group she belongs to. Kim currently lives in southern Cecil County with her husband (and high school sweetheart), Brad, and they have three grown children. Her loves include hiking, camping, reading, music and the performing arts.
	Timothy A. Smedick, Director of Philanthropy
	Tim joined the staff of Echo Hill Outdoor School in the fall of 2011 as Director of Philanthropy. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Tim followed friends and family into the insurance business after graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a degree in business, ultimately rising to Director of Banking Services. His volunteer stint with a Gettysburg, PA nonprofit led to a career opportunity in fundraising consulting where he managed successful capital campaigns for churches, hospitals, libraries and other nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. He parlayed his business management and fundraising experience with a lifelong love of history to become Director of Development and then Executive Director of a Pennsylvania based, historic preservation advocacy organization. While there, he helped raise funds for and preserved a number of important historic structures. He will manage a variety of fundraising efforts for Echo Hill including the 40th Anniversary campaign in 2012. A National History Day Judge, Tim also enjoys sports, the ocean, visiting historic sites, and is an American Civil War enthusiast. When at Echo Hill, Tim stays with close relatives in Worton. He calls Lancaster, PA home where he resides with wife Linda and college student son, Matt.
	Ronnie Edelman, Grants Administrator
	Ronnie is a grant administrator and writer for EHOS, who splits her time between Rockville and Galena, MD. Ronnie is retired from a 30-plus year career as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where she held senior positions in the Criminal and National Security Divisions. Ronnie and her husband, Michael Hertz, and her children, Rachel and Jonathan, have had a close connection to EHOS throughout its 40-year history.

Program Staff

Echo Hill Outdoor School teachers and interns are highly qualified professionals and dedicated naturalists who communicate appreciation and respect for nature and people. Since 1972, hundreds of individuals have committed a part of their lives to teaching, counseling, and nurturing students at Echo Hill Outdoor School. Our instructors thrive on the flexibility and freedom of the School’s learning and teaching environment. They take initiative to design unique classes and they skillfully adapt their classes to incorporate teachable moments. Their energy and creativity engage students and make learning fun.

Qualifications
All teachers have experience working with children or working in the environmental field. These experienced outdoor leaders come from a variety of educational backgrounds including environmental studies, education, history, sociology, biology, and English. Our staff diversity adds variety and imagination to our classes and lesson planning. The School also employs interns each season to assist teachers and students. Echo Hill Outdoor School staff hold American Red Cross certification in First Aid and CPR. Additionally, a team of teachers with more advanced medical training oversees the health and safety of participants.

CORE TEACHERS

	Tricia Biles, Education Coordinator
	Tricia has been teaching and counseling in the field of outdoor education for over twelve years. Her B.S. in Education from Westfield State College coupled with extensive recreational summer camp experience make Trish a vital member of our professional team. Tricia’s role as teacher and educational coordinator is mission driven .She provides her coworkers and the program with a depth of leadership in professional training and development, program design and teaching methodology. The local Kent County community is close to Tricia’s heart and work focus. She is the current chair of Kent County Public School’s Advisory Board, member of Worton Elementary School’s PTA and a community representative on the Kent County Local Management Board. As a certified American Red Cross CPR instructor, Tricia contributes to the local EMS services through annually training the Echo Hill Outdoor School staff and other local educators. Along with her husband, Nick and adventurous children Finneas Jack and Madeleine Connor Biles, Trish lives in Still Pond Maryland. The Biles family thrives on being outdoor enthusiasts, whether they are kayaking, swimming, cycling or simply collecting toads!
	George Braun, Teacher
	George first attended Echo Hill on a summer Skipjack Explore trip, and returned seven years later as a Junior Intern on two Explore trips. Eleven years from his first experience with Echo Hill, George officially joined the staff as a Teacher/Naturalist with a major in Zoology, minor in Psychology, and a powerful drive to share his love of nature, and especially animals, with others. George tends to spend his free time much as he spends his time on-duty at Echo Hill: climbing, balancing, playing, catching, laughing, exploring, and learning.
	Christopher Ebner, Teacher
	When Christopher was a teenager he was an Echo Hill 5-day summer canoe trip participant. After graduating from Saint Vincent College with a B.A. in English, Christopher spent 2 years working as a classroom teacher and 2 years working in the business world. Christopher has also enjoyed a number of other positions including an internship at the National Aquarium and work with WWII veterans. While working as a teacher/naturalist at Echo Hill, Christopher will be pursuing a Masters Degree in English.
	Nathan Ferster, Teacher
	Through a summer internship at Echo Hill Outdoor School Nathan completed a B.S. in Recreation Management from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. After graduation he decided to continue his work with the Outdoor School as a teacher and core staff member. He exudes a true connection and passion to this region. Nathan loves to spend his free time hunting and fishing.
	Erin Fuchs, Teacher
	Erin graduated from Paul Smith's College with a B.A. in Biology. She spent her college summers working at Camp Fowler in the Adirondack Mountains as a nature educator and wilderness guide. Her past year was spent in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps traveling around the southwestern United States working for non- profit organizations. Erin enjoys spending her free time camping, reading and traveling to new places.
	Nina Gross, Teacher
	Nina graduated from the University of Vermont in 2009 and holds a B.A. in Anthropology. While in Vermont Nina's passion for the outdoors led her to participate in many excursions ranging from snowboarding to backpacking. Prior to Echo Hill Outdoor School, Nina worked as a baker and also as a teacher at the Audubon Naturalist Society’s summer camp. She is also a certified Wilderness First Responder.
	Bradley Hirsh, Teacher
	Bradley is a native of Kent County, MD, who has returned after 15 years of experiencing the world beyond the Chester, the Sassafras, and the Chesapeake Bay. He lived in upstate New York, Delaware, New York City, Los Angeles, Reno, and the Berkshires in Western MA. He spent five years in public and independent school classrooms teaching English, ESL, remedial reading, and Honors English to middle and high school students. However, his passion for the outdoors drew him to Echo Hill Outdoor School where he could combine his love for teaching and the outdoors. In his travels, he discovered a passion for two ecosystems, the high desert and the Chesapeake Bay. When he is not teaching he enjoys reading, playing video games, watching movies and playing chess.
	Alyssa Mongelli, Teacher
	Having lived most of her life in Northern Jersey near the Appalachian Trail, Alyssa came to the Eastern Shore to continue her schooling. Alyssa graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Elementary Education, and was able to participate in a teaching internship in New Zealand. Her artistic talents led her to a minor in arts, focusing on pottery. Alyssa enjoys experiencing nature's surprises, and is passionate about sharing those experiences with young learners. She spends her free time tending to the school garden and traveling as often as possible.
	Tim Pilesky, Teacher
	Tim has worked as a naturalist for the last five years in parks, museums, classrooms, and back country settings. When he isn’t busy cultivating curiosity and awe, he can often be found in local wetlands monitoring amphibian populations. He is an accomplished amateur astronomer and enjoys studying fungus, napping and flying kites. When he is not in Kent County, Tim resides in California, Maryland with his cat Chunk.
	Kaitlin Pope, Teacher
	Kaitlin has been exploring the outdoors since she was little; it was in college at Penn State when she figured out that it was not only a hobby but also her passion. Through the Penn State Outing Club and Shavers Creek Environmental Center Kaitlin has been sharing her passion with people all over the US. In her spare time, Kaitlin enjoys photography, backpacking, snowboarding and playing the ukelele. Kaitlin is certified as a Wilderness First Responder.
	William Rudek, Senior Educator
	Billy comes to Echo Hill with a wealth of experiences. Raised and educated in New York, he comes from a family of seagoing mariners. A USCG licensed Captain, Billy has spent the last decade living and working aboard many historic wooden sailing ships. From Maine, to the Great lakes, and as far South as the Caribbean, Billy has sailed schooners and square-riggers up and down the East coast. With a passion for the environment since childhood, Billy has chosen organizations that blend his love of boats with that of care for the environment. The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater in NY, River Quest in PA, and Living Classrooms foundation in Baltimore all gave him the chance to hone both his teaching and boat handling skills. Billy also spent a year with AmeriCorps cape Cod, performing whale and dolphin rescue, trail maintenance, disaster preparedness and response, Red Cross shelter operations, wild land burns, shellfish propagation and environmental education. He loves having become a part of the long history of our six historic wooden workboats as well as the opportunity to impart the magic of the great body of water they were built for.
	Sara Vogel, Teacher
	Having spent her youth on the basketball court and soccer field, Sara loves working with a team and can often be found leading groups on the adventure course. She recognizes the importance of challenging oneself, and hopes to provide these growth opportunities to students of all ages. She was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the outdoors were a constant part of her life, from the family cabin on the lake to summers spent paddling any water she could find. Along with spending time in the outdoors, Sara loves to write, run, and take road trips.

FIELD TEACHERS/STAFF NATURALISTS

	Molly Daley, Teacher
	Molly is a native of Upstate New York and a graduate of the University of Vermont, where she received her B.S. in Public Communication with a minor concentration in Community and International Development. After graduation, Molly spent a year volunteering and working in the business world prior to finding her way to Echo Hill Outdoor School. Since joining the Echo Hill staff, she enjoys spending her days flying down zip-lines, avenging jewel thieves, constructing driftwood shelters, and exploring the mysteries and wonders of the Chesapeake Bay. Outside of teaching you might find Molly hiking, rock climbing, traveling, digging in the garden, or strumming a tune on her guitar. Molly brings with her a life-long passion for being in the outdoors, experience exploring diverse wilderness areas across the U.S. and overseas, as well as a love for working with children.
	Lucas Kelly, Teacher
	Lucas graduated from University of Maryland in 2010 with a focus in Environmental Studies and Education. His education has given him a unique and valuable perspective on teaching at Echo Hill Outdoor School. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Education from University of Maryland University College. Outdoor education and a love of nature may be the first thing that people hear when they talk to Lucas, but he takes his commitment to the environment to another level. He devours all possible knowledge about the source of his food and is extremely aware of the effects of each of his choices about food. This consciousness has led him to become one of our more active gardeners at Echo Hill.
	Jesse Markowitz, Teacher
	Jesse graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Writing. Since then, he has lived as far from civilization as possible. Jesse spent a year with the Student Conservation Association building trails in the granite wilderness near Yosemite, teaching in the chilly hills of western Massachusetts, and doing conservation work across Massachusetts, from the Harbor Islands to the slopes of Mt. Greylock. A native of the D.C. metropolitan area, Jesse is thrilled to be closer to home on the beautiful Eastern Shore. When he's not hanging out with kids, he can be found biking around Kent County, playing the violin, hunting for mushrooms, and generally spending as much time as possible outside.
	Kate E. Matthews, Teacher
	Kate grew up playing in the cornfields and ponds of Gettysburg, PA, and is now excited to share her passion for the outdoors with students at Echo Hill. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from American University and has since worked as deckhand/mess mate aboard historical "windjammer" schooners in Maine, as a volunteer English and physical therapy teacher at a school in Tanzania, and at an after-school program for under-privileged children in Gettysburg. She enjoys reading, road-tripping and yoga.
	Julie Pacholik, Teacher
	Raised in northern California, Julie graduated from University of California at Santa Cruz with a BA in environmental studies. She loves to play tetherball, drink multi-colored juice and jump in puddles while wearing her rain boots. During the winter season, Julie will be working on a Cashmere goat farm in northern California.
	Andrew Prats, Teacher
	Andrew Prats has a degree in Adventure Education from Messiah College. He loves working outdoors and helping children experience nature. Andrew’s hobbies are rock climbing, backpacking, camping, hang gliding, slack-lining and running. He joined the Outdoor School staff in March 2011. Andrew loves Echo Hill!

INTERNS

	Brooke Ebling, Graduate Intern
	When Brooke is not exploring the Bay in her kayak or planning weekend getaways to the mountains, you can find her enlightening young minds at Echo Hill. Brooke spent her childhood on a farm in north-central Iowa, where she devoted long summer days to traipsing through the nearby woods with her younger sister. Brooke’s love of nature grew with her, and she loves to share her passion for the outdoors with others, which is evident in her teaching. Brooke earned her bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Park and Leisure studies with an emphasis in Outdoor Education from the University of Minnesota in 2010. Looking to further her educational experience, she immediately applied for and was accepted to graduate school at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN. She will graduate in December of 2011 with a Masters of Science in Experiential Education.
	Joe Johnson, Intern
	Joe returns to Echo Hill Outdoor School after attending college for the past three years. While at college, he studied Biology and Music. He applies both of these talents to his everyday work at Echo Hill. You can always hear the sounds of his guitar wafting over the tent area. After Echo Hill, he intends to pursue a degree in Biology with a focus in etymology. In his free time, he plays guitar, practices the martial arts, and researches.
	Jack Klim, Intern
	Jack graduated from Escanaba High School on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He is completing a gap year to transform his varied interests into a vision for a career before starting college. Jack came to Echo Hill Outdoor School because of NOLS’ Wild River Wilderness course in Wyoming. While there, he led an independent student group expedition in the wilderness. Jack developed an interest in teaching while traveling through China and Tibet as he participated in a service prospect for orphans with Adventures Rolling Cross Country. In his free time, he loves walking a slack line in the park or rock climbing or playing his instruments on the front porch. If you find yourself at Echo Hill, and you hear a jazzy saxophone far off in the distance, it will be Jack filling the campus with his music.
	Ryan McElroy, Intern
	Ryan’s sixth grade trip to Echo Hill Outdoor School made a lasting impression. Six and a half years later, as a recent high school graduate, Ryan fondly remembers boating on the Bay, riding the Giant Swing, and reflecting during the last night’s campfire. Since that week of living learning and sharing lots of fun with a small community in the outdoors, he has pursued many experiences that involve challenging himself in nature. Ryan loves science and is eager to share his enthusiasm with school groups visiting Echo Hill. He is glad to be back working, living, and playing at a place that means so much to him. Ryan plans to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail this spring and summer, and then he will begin undergraduate studies at Middlebury College in the Fall of 2012.

Listed below is a sampling of college affiliations of Echo Hill Outdoor School teachers and interns over the past five years.

Support Staff

	Catherine "Honey" Murray - Head Cook Emeritus
	For the better part of four decades, Catherine Ann Murray has prepared meals for a dining hall full of hungry children and adults at Echo Hill Outdoor School and Echo Hill Camp. Better known as “Miss Honey,” she has mastered the art of cooking comfort food for up to 200 people at each meal. Over the years, she’s introduced thousands to her famous fried chicken and cornbread. Her friendship and camaraderie has counseled thousands of staff, visiting teachers, parents and children. Much of the spirit and heart of Echo Hill radiates from her gentle strength and joyous love for children experiencing the wonders of nature while on the campus. While Honey has retired from her everyday schedule cooking eleven to 21 meals each week, she is still present in the kitchen weekly. After all this time, Echo Hill is very much her home and the Echo Hill community continues to be her extended family.
	Cindy Jackson - Head Cook/Food Service Manager
	In 2003, Cindy Jackson left the west coast of California with her three children, Eli, Moriah and Carter and relocated to Kent County, Maryland. During her job search, Cindy found her way to a kitchen position with Echo Hill Outdoor School in March 2004. Cindy rapidly became a valued member of our dynamic kitchen staff and is currently the Head Cook and Food Service Manager for Echo Hill Outdoor School and Echo Hill Camp. Her strong work ethic, passion for the arts and her pets coupled with a charisma for fun and friendship make Cindy a pivotal member of the Echo Hill community. Cindy’s spirit for life and love is best exemplified in her devotion as a mother to her three amazing children.
	Cheryl Torres - Kitchen Assistant
	Cheryl has been involved with Echo Hill since she was eight years old when Miss Honey, her mother, began bringing her to Echo Hill Camp as a camper. She played and helped out in the kitchen from ages eight to sixteen. She left Echo Hill for a while to teach Spanish in Galena, MD, but returned to the Echo Hill family a few years ago. She enjoys cooking and helping students feel more comfortable at Echo Hill by making sure that they have full and satisfied tummies.
	Bobby Pyfer - Kitchen Assistant
	Bobby is a born jack-of-all-trades and tinkerer. Before coming to Echo Hill, he worked as an electrician, carpenter, plumber and architect. If there is a trade or profession that involves making things work, Bobby has probably done it. He enjoys working in the kitchen at Echo Hill and being an all around handyman. Odds are that if you see Bobby around campus he is tinkering with a car or a light fixture and making it work properly.
	Matthew Gaster - Kitchen Assistant
	Matt comes to the Echo Hill Outdoor School after spending time in Elkton, Wilmington, Newark and Los Angeles. He joined the kitchen staff in 2010 and has been making the kitchen tasty and efficient ever since. When he is not working at Echo Hill, he can be found enjoying music. He loves playing the electric, bass and acoustic guitars along with the drums and anything else that has to do with the treble or bass clef. His friendly manner and generous smile help to greet our many visitors each day.

Personnel photos courtesy of Kaitlin Pope.