It’s been nearly 30 years, but Brian can still see the incredulous look on District Court Judge Sommerville’s face when he told him that he was planning to give up a respected and coveted position as his law clerk and exchange it for a backpack to work in wilderness programs. As their conversation progressed, he came to understand Brian’s passion for the power of these types of educational experiences and the transformative opportunities they can provide individuals; the Judge’s look of skepticism shifted to one of support. Brian remains fully dedicated to that choice today.
Brian’s nonprofit career began at the North Carolina Outward Bound School, followed by Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge) and the Yosemite Fund (now the Yosemite Conservancy). During his tenure at these organizations, he served in a wide range of positions – Instructor, Program Director, Special Projects Manager and Interim Executive Director. He has also worked in the for-profit sector as Director of Operations for a publishing company in San Jose, CA. All of these organizations share a common thread – they provide transformative opportunities for individuals. And that passionate thread continues for Brian as he becomes a member of the Community Foundation of Teton Valley team. He is thrilled to live in Teton Valley and support the Foundation’s philanthropic efforts to effectively invest in ideas and people.
Brian graduated from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis with B.A. in Political Science and later earned a J.D. degree at the William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law) in St. Paul, Minnesota. In his spare time, Brian is an avid mountain biker and telemark skier.
