Faculty and Staff

Name Credentials

Fred Amyot
Assistant Teaching Professor
Program Lead for Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, Wilderness Travel

BTM (Thompson Rivers University); Mountain Guide, ACMG/IFMGA
Craig Campbell
Associate Teaching Professor
BA (Laurentian University); Adventure Guide Diploma (University College of the Cariboo); MTM (Royal Roads University)

Jon Heshka
Co-Chair, Associate Professor
Program Lead for Rope Rescue

BSc, BA, BEd, MEd, LLM

Jerry Isaak
Associate Teaching Professor
Program Lead for Ski Touring

Fitness and Exercise Management Certificate (University of the Fraser Valley); BA Sports Management (Moody Institute); Adventure Studies Diploma (Thompson Rivers University); MSc Outdoor Education (University of Edinburgh)

Sharman Learie
Co-Chair, Associate Teaching Professor, Coordinator
Program Lead for Surfing

Adventure Guide Diploma (University College of the Cariboo); BTM (University College of the Cariboo); MA Environmental Education and Communication (Royal Roads University)

Bridget Orsetti
Assistant Teaching Professor
Program Lead for Sea Kayaking, Canoeing

Adventure Guide Diploma (University College of the Caribou)
Masters of Tourism Management (Royal Roads University)

Terry Palechuk
Associate Teaching Professor, Coordinator
Program Lead for Avalanche

BPE (University of Alberta); MBA (Cape Breton University); Ski Guide, ACMG

James Rodger
Adventure Guide Certificate Coordinator, Assistant Teaching Professor
Program Lead for Rafting, Swiftwater Rescue

Adventure Guide Diploma (University College of the Cariboo); BTM (University College of the Cariboo); MA in Leadership (Royal Roads University)

Simon Ward-Able 
Assistant Teaching Professor

Program Lead for Whitewater Kayaking

Adventure Management Diploma (Thompson Rivers University) ; BA Interdisciplinary Studies (Thompson Rivers University) ; currently working on MA Leadership Studies (Royal Roads University)
Professor Emeritus/Adjunct Faculty
Iain Stewart-Patterson
Professor Emeritus
     
Administrative Staff
Alexis Dyck
Assistant
Adventure Guide Diploma, BTM (Thompson Rivers University)
Tina Ryan
Assistant
BBA (Thompson Rivers University)

Sessional (part-time)

Mountain

  Kevin Rohn, IFMGA/ACMG mountain guide

Kevin Rohn is a second generation IFMGA/ACMG Mountain Guide. Born and raised in Canmore, Alberta – he has been immersed in mountain culture his whole life. A graduate of the ADVG Diploma, he currently works year round as a mountain guide, with primary focus on heli-skiing in the winters and alpine climbing in the summers.

  Steve Ludwig, ACMG ski guide (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides)

Steve has 20 years experience in expedition mountaineering in Canada, the Yukon, Europe and South America. Steve brought formalized Telemark skiing skills instruction to Canada in 1978. He is currently employed by Yamnuska School, Pacific Granite Mountaineering and the Canmore Nordic Centre. ACMG (Association. of Canadian Mountain Guides) Ski Guide, Master Instructor with the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors, and a former program director with Outward Bound Western Canada

  Todd Anthony Malone, IFMGA/ACMG mountain guide

Todd is an IFMGA/ACMG Mountain Guide. When Todd was five, he decided that when he grew up, his dream was to “be free to play and to play for free.” Todd took that idea to the next level and has been getting paid to “play” in the mountains for over 30 years. Todd had a long history of outdoor instruction before becoming involved in guiding. Todd began working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in 2002, where he taught mountaineering, sea kayaking and rock climbing. This work brought him to Washington, Baja, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska. Since 2005, Todd has been guiding both ski touring and mechanized skiing and summer rock and alpine trips in BC. Todd was the assistant manager at Monashee Powder snowcat skiing for five years and is currently guiding for Canadian Mountain Holidays in Revelstoke. Todd owns and operates Aspect Guiding and keeps busy taking folks both rock and alpine climbing during the summer months. Todd also works for CMH in their summer Via Ferrata program at the Bobbie Burns Lodge. Todd has enjoyed his work with TRU immensely because he can combine his love for instruction with his skills in guiding.


Water

  Jim Coffey, swiftwater rope rescue instructor

jim

Jim Coffey is a well known name in the Swiftwater Rescue Community. He is known as an innovator that has challenged, modified, and adapted many "tried and tested" techniques. He is the Director of R3-Rescue for River Runners Video Series and creator of the R3 App for rescue instruction. Jim has an extensive background in paddling (kayaking, canoeing and rafting) and has led expeditions world wide. Jim brings an extensive whitewater career to the ACA and acts as an L5 Instructor Trainer. Jim put his "money where his mouth is" as his experience, ability and teaching methodology all align in dynamic fashion. Jim can be found in the summers in his native Canada and teaching throughout the winters in Latin America, primarily in Jalcomulco, Veracruz, and Mexico.

 
  Adam Laurie, swiftwater rescue instructor

Adam began developing his swiftwater skills over 20 years ago on the Chilliwack River and still calls the river home. He was a member of Chilliwack Search and Rescue for 23 years and has since joined Princeton SAR and has been a practicing paramedic since 2002. Chilliwack Search and Rescue was a driving force for the continued development of his river training and risk management.  Adam started teaching with Rescue Canada in 2009 and quickly became the Director of Operations and Instructor Trainer.  This included teaching swiftwater rescue courses to SAR teams, police officers and special unit groups in the RCMP, firefighters, adventure guides, and recreational river enthusiasts. This included being the lead instructor and course developer for all of Rescue Canada’s Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Courses.  Adam has since challenge himself by trying to slow down a little and now is the Assistant Parks Manager and Ski Patrol Director at Manning Park Resort while still being a sessional faculty member in the Adventure Studies Program at Thompson Rivers University, and a paramedic instructor with the Justice Institute of British Columbia.  In his spare time, he can still be found on the river, riding through the trail in Manning, traveling as much as possible or simply making time to lounge in a hammock.

  Tyler Williamson, BTM, white water rafting instructor

Tyler has been guiding in the Robson Valley since 2006, is a co-owner of Stellar Descents Backcountry Adventures and has been a contract employee for the TRU Adventure Program since 2009. His love for whitewater was seeded at a young age through countless canoeing and rafting expeditions that have taken him around the world. Tyler is a university graduate from Thompson Rivers and holds his International Rafting Federation Class 4/5 Instructor and the BC Rafting Outfitters Association Examiner certificate.

  Ursula Kilbridge, TRU Adventure Guide Diploma, white water rafting instructor, swiftwater rescue instructor, kayak instructor

bio picture

Ursula was raised canoe tripping in the Temagami region of Ontario. When she moved to Kamloops and began the Adventure Guide Diploma, she fell in love with rivers. She spends her summers leading rafting expeditions in the Canadian north and can often be found chasing rivers in warmer parts of the world during the winter months. Ursula teaches rafting, swiftwater rescue and kayaking at TRU.