Steve Leal
Director of Operations
Director of Operations
Steve has been a Portola, California resident for 30+ years and enjoys living, working and raising his family there.
Steve has more than 20 years in the construction field. As a Navy veteran, Steve returned home in 1993 and spent the next 15 years in the healthcare industry as an engineer and four years as the lead engineer at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa before coming to Sierra Nevada Journeys in 2012.
Steve enjoys family time with his wife Shawna and their three children; Jason, Tiffany, Evan and a granddaughter, Maia. Steve is an active supporter of local high school sports, enjoys playing music in an “old guys” rock band, as well as camping, boating and fishing.
Adam Yarnes
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer
LinkedIn
Adam has been involved with outdoor education and camping programs for the past two decades. His passion for the natural world and science runs deep and his dedication to environmental education is endless. His devotion can be accredited to his childhood of playing outside for endless hours each day family’s land. Originally from Western New York, Adam’s passion for educating about the natural world has taken him across the country to Arizona, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, and now making his home in California at our Outdoor Education Camp as Chief Operating Officer of Sierra Nevada Journeys.
Adam graduated from Prescott College with a Bachelors of Art in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Environmental Adventure-based Education. His passion is connecting youth and communities to themselves, others and the natural world.
Prior to returning to Sierra Nevada Journeys, Adam was with The University of Arizona as the Director for Arizona 4-H’s outdoor education and camping programs at The James 4-H and Pine Combs 4-H Camps.
In his free time, Adam is an avid rock climber, mountaineer and outdoorsman. His wife, Julie, and son Emory are excited to be back in Northern California with their two dogs.
Krissy McGill
Senior Program Director
Senior Program Director
Krissy’s youth consisted of many days with her nose in a very good book. The remainder of her time was spent singing, camping, clamming, fishing and running the trails of Whidbey Island in Washington State. The love of running transitioned into collegiate cross-country racing for Everett Community College and later Central Washington University. It was at CWU where she also completed her Bachelor in Science in Secondary Biology Education with an accompanying teaching credential.
Looking for a variety of educational experiences, Krissy traveled abroad where she taught English as a Second Language classes (ESL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certifications. Once returning home, more alternatives to classroom teaching were sought and that is how Krissy came to be a team member at Sierra Nevada Journeys. She has held multiple roles, including instructor, program coordinator, curriculum developer, and her current role as Residential Director of Education.
The pages of a good book no longer occupy as much of her time, and racing trails have given way to backpacking. Krissy can also be found playing ukulele to the forest where she lives, lilting a beautiful tune, hiking with her dog and partner, or wire wrapping jewelry. ,
Kyle Burke
Kitchen and Housekeeping Manager
Kitchen and Housekeeping Manager
Kyle the kitchen and housekeeping manager and is here to keep your stomachs full and your beds made while you’re visiting our Outdoor Education Camp. Kyle found his passion for cooking while being raised by his southern grandma and spending many hours together in the kitchen.
He’s originally from Port Arthur, Texas and has lived in seven different states. Kyle enjoys traveling throughout the United States and has now visited 13 states and visited more than 100 cities. He has another 37 states to go but for now, he’s busy running the lodge and feeding hundreds of kids each week at camp.
Kyle has lived through multiple natural disasters including tornados, earthquakes, catastrophic floods, southern hail storms and forest fires. I am a Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita survivor and that is what brought him to Northern Nevada about 15 years ago – the high desert climate and inland location makes living through a third hurricane unlikely.
While not cooking for 200+ people at a time, you’ll find Kyle enjoying outdoor adventures or doing anything that allows him to be creative. He also enjoys playing sports, traveling, watching a good movie, walking his dog, and learning new and challenging tasks.
He love animals and Kyle’s two favorite types is dogs and black jaguars. Did you know that black jaguars are sometimes misidentified as black panthers, which are not actually a species but a term popularly used for melanistic leopards and jaguars which have dark pigmentation? Both black big cats are part of the genus Panthera but leopards are found in Africa and Asia while jaguars are found in the Americas.
Kyle stands at 6 foot 8 inches tall and is friends with Bigfoot!
Shannon Robeski
Program Manager
Program Manager
Howdy everybody! My name is Shannon and I grew up all over the world but have spent the most time in Colorado exploring the mountains. My favorite activities include skiing, backpacking, hiking and rock climbing. While I spend most of my time outside, in my free time, I am learning how to play the ukulele, perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe or reading.
Corrie Calderon
Science Educator
Senior Program Director
LinkedIn
Corrie is a passionate environmentalist striving to create a more equitable world through accessible science education and environmental justice. She was born in Hawaii then moved to Reno, Nevada, and lived there for 20 years before embarking on a new journey in Sacramento, California. She has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, and graduated with her master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University in 2022.
During her undergraduate career, Corrie worked for Sierra Nevada Journeys as an intern, field educator, and later as a classroom educator where she solidified her love of outdoor science education and nonprofit work. From there, she worked for other nonprofit organizations in the realm of environmental advocacy and was fortunate enough to travel to Washington D.C. to lobby for environmental initiatives at the federal level. She also spent some time working in public health by facilitating COVID-19 testing and vaccine deployment at her local health district. This work gave her the skills and propensity to tackle the position of Program Director at Sierra Nevada Journeys’ Sacramento office and circle back to what she is most passionate about. In 2024, Corrie was promoted to Senior Program Director leading education programming across the region.
Outside of work, Corrie loves spending time tending to her 30+ plants, hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and hanging out at the beach.
Olivia Vanier
Lead Educator
Lead Educator
Olivia grew up in the Bay Area of California and is a passionate advocate for increasing the accessibility of natural sciences. Her love for nature began as a child when she attended Girl Scout camp and gardened in her backyard. Her love for the environment led her to earn degrees in Environmental Science and Policy and Earth System Science from the University of California, Irvine.
In college, Olivia's environmental pursuits expanded outside of the classroom where she worked on policy initiatives and campaigns for progressive causes. Her primary goal is to increase the accessibility of natural sciences, making them more inclusive and understandable for all. Outside of work, Olivia enjoys hiking, swimming, and biking.
Shay Thompson
Science Educator
Science Educator
Shay grew up in Davis, California, and spent a lot of their childhood outside and camping with family. After high school, Shay went to UC Irvine and studied Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. At UCI, they enjoyed teaching intro Earth science classes, day trips to explore Joshua Tree, and tide pooling at nearby beaches. Shay is extremely passionate about conservation and environmental justice.
In their free time, they love to do any crafts they can get their hands on, like cross-stitching, embroidery, crocheting, and digital art. Shay also enjoys spending time with their dog, Loki (pictured), and their leopard gecko, Shay Jr.
Sarah Smith
Science Educator
Science Educator
“I have never gone camping before. I have never been outside of Reno,” said a fifth-grade student attending Classrooms Unleashed. Growing up in Reno, Nevada, surrounded by mountains and nature was not exactly what she expected to hear from a fifth grader. In high school, Sarah volunteered at Grace Warner Elementary School, to encourage students to go camping and experience the outdoors. Teachers have been some of her greatest inspirations in encouraging all youth to experience nature. That experience of volunteering made a significant impact. The public lands are open to all, yet it can be difficult for people to access, and this is one of the reasons why Sierra Nevada Journeys is a great company to work for. With a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, Sierra Nevada Journeys is a way for Sarah to empower youth to go out and experience the world through nature. Whether it be in the greatest adventure of their lives, to just enjoying a simple afternoon at a park, the gift to give this exposure to the youth is unlike any other. She has found her love for the outdoors by living in Nevada, and it only expanded when Sarah started to do humanitarian work overseas. Moving back to Reno, Sierra Nevada Journeys has been the greatest opportunity for her to continue working in outdoor education.
Stuart Golder
Director of Advancement
Director of Advancement
Growing up in Northern Nevada, Stuart pursued a professional career dedicated to non-profit program development and fundraising. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno and managed the Family Counseling Program at The Children’s Cabinet before leading the organization’s grants and development programs. Following that, Stuart served as director of development within the University of Nevada, Reno’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, raising significant funds for scholarships, department programs and capital expansion at the College of Liberal Arts. He’s also served as a fund development professional at Renown Health Foundation and Truckee Meadows Community College Foundation.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning major gifts, donor engagement, grant writing, planned giving, endowments, and capital campaigns, Stuart is eager to support the students and staff at Sierra Nevada Journeys to expand the region’s STEM and environmental education programs.
Stuart earned his Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and served as president of the board for both the Sierra Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Planned Giving Round Table of Northern Nevada. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, pickleball, hiking, visiting art and science museums, and spending time with friends and family.
Carly Lubansky
Sales and Community Liaison Manager
Sales and Community Liaison Manager
Carly is passionate about connecting people with life-changing experiences. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. During her college years, she worked with the Minneapolis Parks Board and coached various youth sports teams, including soccer, basketball, and Track and Field. After graduation, she worked for a network of Pre-K through 8th-grade schools in the Twin Cities, where she contributed to creating accessible processes and robust family partnership strategies for the schools.
In March 2021, Carly relocated from Minnesota to Reno, NV. She has loved integrating herself into the Reno community and strives to be well-connected to it. She is eager to use her expertise to help connect more youth and adults to the unique experiences that Sierra Nevada Journeys programs offer.
Apart from work, Carly is committed to learning and experiencing the natural world. She loves hiking, skiing, camping, exploring with her dog, and rereading her favorite book, Braiding Sweetgrass.
Amaya Rodriguez Keir
Science Educator
Science Educator
Amaya is a Science Educator at Sierra Nevada Journeys. She was born and raised primarily in Reno, Nevada, aside from a small portion of her childhood spent in Jalisco, Mexico. Amaya graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor's degree in Art, and has been working as an artist ever since. Having attended outdoor summer camps as a child and volunteered with outdoor education programs as a college student, this form of work has remained a lasting passion of hers
Aside from the educational aspect of it all, Amaya absolutely loves playing outside. She is a huge fan of swimming in cold bodies of water, from alpine lakes to the Pacific Ocean. During the summers, Amaya will most likely be caught slowly hiking mountains or hanging by a lake, drawing and painting the curious plants she comes across along the way. Some of her other passions include camping, hot spring hunting, printmaking, clothes making, and pretty much anything else that allows her to exercise creativity or spend time enjoying the outdoors.
Audrey Bergmann
Advancement Managerr
Advancement Manager
Audrey holds a Bachelors of Arts from Pomona College and a masters in Elementary Education from the University of Nevada, Reno. She formerly taught middle school students at the Honors Academy of Literature in Reno, Nevada, and in 2011 she was Sierra Nevada Journeys’ first graduate student intern. During her classroom teaching career, she served as the science curriculum lead for the Honors Academy, pioneered a Sex Education/Health program, and was named “Teacher of the Year” for the 2014-2015 school year. She transitioned to the development team at Sierra Nevada Journeys in 2022, where she uses her broad educational expertise and familiarity with Sierra Nevada Journeys programming to expand the reach of the organization while broadening its impact.
Audrey grew up in Livermore, California. Her parents both worked as career scientists, and she and her two sisters grew up talking about and exploring the natural world on countless hikes and camping trips. She was a reluctant Reno transplant in 2009, and has grown to deeply love the area over the last decade. She feels privileged to live around other adventurous people in such a gorgeous and dramatic landscape. When she’s not working on a grant application or developing relationships with donors, you can find Audrey exploring the great outdoors with her husband and two young kids. They love to bike, hike, swim, paddleboard, ski, and camp.
Lisa Blauth
Marketing and Communications Director
Marketing and Communications Director
LinkedIn
With more than 25 years in marketing and ad agency experience, Lisa has worked with a gamut of brands that span many industries including: nonprofits, social causes, healthcare, real estate and development, utilities, travel and tourism, higher education, hotel resorts and casinos, and economic development.
Prior to her role as Director of Marketing & Communications with Sierra Nevada Journeys, she was Director of Marketing for Renown Health. She helped usher Renown into the national spotlight by marketing a groundbreaking population health study that integrated genetics, environmental data and individual health information.
Additionally, Lisa’s work on a campaign called The Best Medicine for Renown Health, earned the national Eva Award for Best Creative in 2015.
Her career was built on 19 years of agency experience at R&R Partners, a national marketing agency best known for its campaign What Happens Here, Stays Here for Las Vegas.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, has been recognized as a Woman of Achievement with Nevada Women’s Fund and earned numerous ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation.
When Lisa’s not spending her time nurturing brands from good to great, you’ll find her camping with her family and dog Blacksmith.
Sean Hill
Education Director
CEO
LinkedIn
With more than 15 years at Sierra Nevada Journeys, Sean Hill is honored to lead this remarkable organization as Chief Executive Officer. Drawing on his background as an educator and former Vice President of Advancement, Sean brings a hands-on, relationship-driven approach to building partnerships that further the organization's mission. A former science teacher with Teach for America, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University, a Master of Science in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University, a State of Nevada Teaching License in Secondary Biology, and a Wilderness First Responder certification through the Wilderness Medicine Institute (NOLS).
Sean has served on the Executive Board of the Nevada State Science Teachers Association and the Informal STEM Learning Environments Subcommittee of the Nevada Governor’s STEM Council. He currently sits on the Advisory Board for the NevadaTeach program at the University of Nevada, Reno, and was recently appointed to the Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission. Passionate about connecting children with nature, Sean is also an avid fan of deep powder snow.
Teaching Certification
State of Nevada Teaching License, Secondary, Biological Sciences
Organizations
Washoe County Leadership Academy – 2023-2024
The Nell J. Redfield’s Community Partner Committee Supporting People With Disabilities
Latino Stakeholders Advisory Council
Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission – 2024-2025
Informal STEM Learning Environments Subcommittee (Nevada STEM Advisory Council, Governor's Office)
One Truckee River – Education Committee
Carson Water Subconservancy District – Education Committee
Project Learning Tree – Nevada State Coordinator
Nevada Mining Association – Education Committee
Lemelson STEM Academy – STEM Advisory Committee
Association for General Contractors – Education Committee
Leadership in Evaluative Thinking Institute – Trainee
Chief Operating Officers Forum – Member 2013-2015
GREENevada – Member, Former Co-Chair
Meredith Johnson, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Director
Meredith’s human resources experience spans 21 years covering all facets of the employee life cycle. She is a Senior Certified Human Resources Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida.
Meredith’s background includes many years of executive level HR leadership including standing on the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange during her previous company’s initial public offering.
She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association.
Meredith and her husband relocated to Reno in 2010 and say they truly found home. They enjoy outdoor activities especially camping and hiking in the surrounding areas with their Chihuahuas Dandelion (Dandy) and Marigold (Goldie).
Olive Schillo
Reno Program Director
Reno Program Director
Olive grew up in Reno, Nevada and earned her Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Utah. After graduating college, Olive worked for multiple camps and organizations teaching outdoor education. In 2016, Olive joined Sierra Nevada Journeys Environmental Education Camp as a Residential Outdoor Science Instructor; later, she became Program Coordinator and then Summer Camp Manager.
In 2018, Olive received a dream job opportunity to become the Outdoor Program Manager for Girl Scouts of Silver Sage in Boise, Idaho where she ran three summer camp programs and a year-round outdoor program for girls across the state of Idaho. After 3.5 years with Girl Scouts, Olive transitioned to the world of formal education and became the Principal at Montessori Academy in Meridian, Idaho.
In September 2023, Olive enthusiastically re-joined Sierra Nevada Journeys as Program Director for the Classrooms Unleashed program in Reno. She is so excited to be back with an amazing organization and excited to be able to serve the community that she grew up in.