Meet Our Staff

Jonathan Mueller

Jonathan Mueller, Co- Founder, Executive Director
Jonathan has been an enthusiastic outdoorsman since he first attended science camp as a 6th grader in Virginia. He transitioned from the management consulting and corporate strategy world a number of years ago into an experiential education career in which he could pursue his passions: the outdoors and educating youth. He’s worked at schools and camps in New England, California, and Nevada. A part-time NOLS instructor, he is also an avid climber, mountaineer, backpacker, skier and yoga practitioner.

Johnny McLaughlin

Johnny McLaughlin, Vice President Grizzly Creek Ranch Campus. Johnny comes to Sierra Nevada Journeys with over twenty years experience in the residential camping industry, which includes time with the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs as well as putting together his own summer camp program for children of military parents deployed to oversea warzones. Educated with a Bachelors from Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, Scotland, were he also served a term as Student Association President.  Even though he originally hails from Scotland, he has traveled and lived in different parts of the U.S., including New Jersey, Colorado and California. He is a dedicated outdoor person, has ridden his motorcycle cross country, hikes, camps, ski’s and has recently picked up snowboarding.  Also whenever possible he makes any effort to follow the soccer team which he supports passionately the ‘Glorious’ Glasgow Celtic Football Club. He is committed his life to providing opportunies for youth to explore their own inner potential through experiencing all the wonders that the outdoors has to offer and is tremendously excited to be part of the Sierra Nevada Journeys team in leading the Grizzly Creek Ranch Campus into the future.

Lianna Glodt

Lianna Glodt, Vice President of Development and Marketing

Lianna returns to Reno after spending the last six years in San Francisco raising money to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer, to award college scholarships to Latinos, and to support future teachers. Having grown up in Reno, she realizes the importance of Sierra Nevada Journey’s programs to encourage our youth to learn about, appreciate, and protect the incredible treasures in our own backyard. She is excited to raise awareness and funds for SNJ so that more young people will be able to experience their education from knowledgeable instructors and fun programs. When she’s not writing a grant proposal or press release, you can find her laughing loudly with family or friends, walk-jogging, stuttering in Spanish, or attempting to create the perfect F chord on her guitar.

Nitin Kohli

Nitin Kohli, Vice President of Finance & Administration
Nitin brings a strong operational and financial background to the position and holds a MS (Electrical Engineering) and an MBA from the University of Nevada Reno. He has worked in a variety of start-up organizations and programs over the past nine years. Most recently he was the Manager of Business Development at Applied Photonics Worldwide. In his free time, he likes riding his motorcycle, cooking, hanging out with friends, laughing and having fun.

Nick Pretasky

Nick Pretasky, Vice President of Education
Nick Pretasky resigned from the land of cheese, bratwurst, and the Green Bay Packers. Over the past ten years, Nick has had the grand opportunities to paddle and hike with inner-city youth on the coast of Maine, work as a wilderness therapy guide in Oregon, and to teach at a 6-8 middle school in Wisconsin. Nick holds two teaching certificates and brings a passion to helping bridge the gap between our schools and the natural world. He comes to Sierra Nevada Journeys to serve as our Vice President of Education, in charge of our school programs and professional development. You can find him hanging off large rocks, kayaking through ocean waves, or watching his favorite Wisconsin sports team.

Laurie Gray

Laurie Gray, Director of Professional Development

Laurie joins the Sierra Nevada Journeys staff after a long career spanning elementary, middle school, and high school levels, and her most recent position was that of middle school principal with the Washoe County School District.  As a life-long Nevada resident, Laurie values the resources in our state, especially our children.  She looks forward to continuing to ensure Nevada’s children have the best possible educational experiences and that teachers have access to convenient, affordable and purposeful professional development opportunities.  Laurie, along with her husband Paul (also an educator), enjoy time with family and friends, including trips to Arizona to visit their sons, outings with their huskies, biking, kayaking, sporting events in the Bay area and now in Reno with the Aces.  Laurie is excited about her role with Sierra Nevada Journey and looks forward to working with you to make a difference together!

Sean Hill, Director of Outreach (Sacramento)

Sean Hill

Originally from the Rocky Mountains, Sean is thrilled be a member of the Sierra Nevada Journeys family. Always a student, he is honored to consider himself an educator as well. He got hooked on teaching science in Houston, and afterward developed a passion for place-based education while teaching on the trail in the Eagle River Watershed. He is probably most at peace when on the trail with a backpack, or riding through deep powder, but he also loves to telemark ski, throw Frisbees, ride bikes, cook, read, and dance with his wife, though he finds it challenging to do all at the same time. His goal is to get kids outside.

Bethany Steiner

Bethany Steiner, Director of Community Partnerships
Bethany has more than 10 years of experience working with many diverse groups of students. Her work in – and passion for -the outdoors and education has taken her from Maine to Washington. She spearheaded Sierra Nevada Journey’s hosting of this year’s Residential Outdoor Environmental Educator’s (ROEE) International Conference at Camp Galilee on Lake Tahoe. Her other passions include playing with her dog Elbee, playing disc-golf, reading, and being outside doing almost anything!

Adam Yarnes

Adam Yarnes, Journeys Outdoor School Program Director
Adam has had a love for the natural world for as long as he can remember.  He accredits this to playing outside as a child on his family’s land.  Originally from Western New York, Adam’s passion for educating youth about the natural world has taken him to Arizona, Washington, Wyoming and now Nevada.  Adam graduated from Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona, with a BA in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Environmental Education.  Adam is an avid climber of all things, fisherman, and New York Giants fan.  He is excited to be part of the Sierra Nevada Journeys’ family and to call the Sierras his classroom and playground!

Joanna Furgiuele

Joanna Furgiuele, Outreach Manager
Joanna moved to Reno in spring of 2008 to join Sierra Nevada Journeys as a Summer AmeriCorps VISTA and was so inspired she decided to serve a full VISTA year!  At the conclusion of her VISTA year in August of 2009, Joanna signed on to become the Outreach Manager.  Originally from Yonkers, NY, Joanna is a graduate of the University of Montana with a BA in Biology/Ecology. Her passion for the environment stems from trips to the Bronx Zoo, volunteering for water monitoring organizations in NY and MT, and being an active member of MontPIRG. She loves her family, all forms of dance, Wildlife Conservation Society, soccer, Italy, soy products, Star Wars, and skiing…so let it snow, snow, snow!

John Chiatovich, Facility Maintenance Manager

John Chiatovitch

John is a 28-year resident of Portola CA.  He is a licensed contractor with an extensive and diverse background in construction and maintenance. His former maintenance roles include a lead maintenance millwright at Sierra Pacific Industries and a maintenance manager for an HOA in Graeagle, CA. John was also employed by Plumas Unified School District as a special education classroom aide. John is an avid outdoorsman and loves to share what he’s learned about our unique area with others, especially young ones! It gives him great satisfaction to have raised three children who now, in adulthood, share his love, enthusiasm and respect for the outdoors! It’s clear that his role at Grizzly Creek Ranch Campus lines up perfectly with his passions and skills. He looks forward to what he can bring to the Sierra Nevada Journeys team as we endeavor to enthuse and educate today’s youth of the beauty and worth of our natural surroundings.

Marilynn Cebe

Marilynn Cebe, Administration Manager
Marilynn is very excited to be a part of the Sierra Nevada Journeys Organization.  She has worked in the accounting field for over 30 years spending 17 years in public accounting and 15 years as the Controller for Stewart Title of Northern Nevada.  She is a strong advocate of educating youth in all aspects of the outdoors.  Marilynn was a long time supporter of the University of Nevada Equestrian program prior to its closure.  She now enjoys spending time with her horse and dog on the many trails in the Nevada / California area.

Shelley Trapp

Shelley Trapp, Assistant Facilities Maintenance Manager Shelley started at the Grizzly Creek Ranch campus in the kitchen over five years ago and quickly expanded her role to a year-round maintenance position.  Shelley’s “whatever needs to be done” attitude and her history with the campus is just what Sierra Nevada Journeys needs as they take over management of the campus.  She is a native Californian and has always used the outdoors as an excuse to get out of housework, which is ironic given that housekeeping is a large part of her job now. She returned to Portola after 15 years fighting fires in the U.S. Forest Service and 7 years of working in the oil fields of Wyoming. She has always loved working and playing outdoors.  Shelley spends her time hiking with her three German Shepherds, doing beadwork and reading historical fiction.  She is looking forward to Sierra Nevada Journeys making new improvements to the campus with an environmental education focus while also utilizing the campus in a broader way.

Kristen Ashbaugh

Kristen Ashbaugh, Classrooms Unleashed Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA
Kristen was raised in beautiful Southern Oregon and grew up hiking in the wild Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains.  She moved to Reno in 1999 to pursue a BA in History from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and was happy to find that Nevada has beautiful mountains too.  This is her second AmeriCorps VISTA year with Sierra Nevada Journeys, and she is very excited to be building the Classrooms Unleashed Program. What she loves most about working at Sierra Nevada Journeys is the absolute passion for educating and empowering youth that each of her colleagues exude on a daily basis.  In her spare time, she likes to knit, garden, and hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her doggie Wallace, who is of the unique “Schnerrier” (half Schnauzer, half Terrier) breed.

Becky Burns

Becky Burns, Environmental Literacy Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA. Though Becky was born in Orange County, California her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was young. Her youth was spent playing soccer and softball, reading books, and camping with her family. Becky’s formative experiences helped lead her into a passion for outdoor education.   After graduating from Loyola Marymount University in 2001 with a degree in Biology, Becky spent three months backpacking in Europe before beginning seasonal work in outdoor education, and ski instruction. After a knee injury, Becky entered the real estate finance and investment banking industry in Reno.  Despite many successful years in the corporate world, Becky recently decided to reenter the field of outdoor education, and is marking her return to the field as the Environmental Literacy Coordinator and AmeriCorps VISTA at Sierra Nevada Journeys.

Kari Goin

Kari Goin, Journeys Outdoor School Administrative Projects Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA
Kari grew up in Reno, and recently graduated from UNR with a double major in Spanish and International Affairs.  Her spare time is almost always spent outdoors, as she loves to ski and swim. A hard core skier, Kari can be seen regularly in the winter getting “freshies” in the chutes at Mt. Rose. Traveling, especially abroad, would be the ideal vacation for Kari as she loves to immerse herself in the world’s different cultures.  Her employment history has included everything from teaching swim lessons to tutoring Spanish, making Sierra Nevada Journeys a comfortable fit due to her love of teaching and working with kids. She is very excited to be “stepping out of her comfort zone” and challenging herself in her new position by working closely with the VP of Finance and Operations, Nitin Kohli, in learning the nuts and bolts of what it takes to run a business. Kari is inspired by all the unique people at Sierra Nevada Journeys, and feels blessed to be a part of the great Sierra Nevada Journeys family!

Louisa Hall

Louisa Hall, Development and Marketing Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA
Louisa graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA with a BA in English. Upon graduating, she worked in communications in Washington, DC for a non-profit fighting against Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking, and loved it. Having made her mark on the cause, she moved to Reno, NV to join the Sierra Nevada Journeys family. Louisa brings with her a passion for learning, marketing, coffee, chocolate, and creativity. She also enjoys knitting socks and hats, playing with dogs, reading Harry Potter, and feigning disdain towards Twilight, the guiltiest of all pleasures.

Cynthia Hoffman

Cynthia Hoffman, Development and Marketing Coordinator & AmeriCorpsVISTA
Passionate people and the opportunity to grow are what attracted Cynthia to Sierra Nevada Journeys. Cynthia grew up on a small family farm in Kansas where she enjoyed the open outdoors and connection with the land. She attended Kansas State University and majored in Agriculture Communications and Journalism. One of her most exciting life experiences was studying ecotourism and environmental sustainability in Costa Rica. She loves writing, cooking, being outdoors, eating chocolate, and spending time with family and friends.

Tiffany Hoffman

Tiffany Hoffman, Residential Schools Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA
Tiffany graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a BA in English Literature in 2008. She has been working with Sierra Nevada Journeys since spring of 2009 and loving every minute of it! Growing up in California and all of its natural beauty helped awaken her love for the environment while her love for science was inspired by a few excellent teachers. Tiffany’s interests include drawing, writing, hiking, swimming, great music, aha-moments and being outside as much as possible.

Darcey Lewis

Darcey Lewis, Community Outreach Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA
Darcey is a recent graduate of UC Davis, and her intense passion for all things literary understandably led her to obtain her degree in English. Her favorite book is Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy. She has lived in Davis, CA, for most of her life and is very excited to now be living closer to the Sierra Nevada’s as she loves spending time outdoors, especially swimming in the local lakes and rivers.  If forced to be indoors Darcey would prefer it to be entertaining her friends and family by cooking delectable meals, and watching science fiction shows/movies like the X-files and, a personal favorite, Gattaca. She is energized to be joining the incredible Sierra Nevada Journeys family, and eager to share her passion for experiential education with students here in Northern Nevada.

Kylie Rowe

Kylie Rowe, School Projects Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA. Kylie is a recent college graduate from UNR, and is one of Sierra Nevada Journey’s newest AmeriCorps VISTA’s.  Having majored in Economics and minored in Sociology, Kylie is a unique addition to the Sierra Nevada Journeys family as she is also our in-house Registered Yoga Teacher.  This year, as School Projects Coordinator, Kylie will be introducing yoga for kids as part of the Wellness Education program she is creating in order to increase student self-esteem, integrity and self-awareness. Thoughtfully, she also provides weekly morning yoga classes for her grateful coworkers, helping to guide them toward a better mind/body connection. On top of learning, teaching, and researching, Kylie enjoys running on Reno’s extensive network of trails, and traveling whenever opportunity arises. A practicing pescetarian, Kylie loves planning, cooking and especially eating gourmet cuisine!