I have worked as an outdoor educator and mountain guide in Washington State since 2009. Most of this work has been with NOLS, but I’ve also worked occasionally with Alpine Ascents and a few other operations. I feel deeply committed to helping people access our state’s incredible mountain terrain, and to making the guiding / outdoor education industries more sustainable and rewarding for those who work in them.

While I recreate in the mountains year-round, I only work in the mountains for around four weeks per year. Depending on your perspective, this might make me less useful as a WMGA Board Member, or it might make me more useful. For my ‘day job,’ I lead a web-based education nonprofit that I founded more than twenty years ago (https://www.omprakash.org/). As Executive Director, I support team members with everything from accounting to web development to graphic design to building partnerships with universities and social impact organizations around the world. I lead a fully-remote global team of ~30 people and manage an annual budget of roughly $8 million USD. I enjoy coming up with creative ways to use technology to streamline operational processes (for example, integrating Claude with Slack and Salesforce to enable real-time data intelligence across my organization), and I am equally comfortable designing curriculum and facilitating dialogue amongst learners and leaders around the world (for example, teaching a Master’s course in sustainability at University of San Diego, mentoring undergrads from University of Washington, offering a staff training to high-school educators in Colorado, or delivering a leadership workshop to social impact leaders from 34 countries across our global network). My hope is that all of these skills could help me add value to the WMGA, especially in areas such as improving its web presence, streamlining its digital operations, and navigating the complexities of state and federal registration requirements.

As I think about the future of mountain guiding and outdoor recreation in our home state, one of my chief concerns is around maintaining access to public lands and encouraging responsible practices amongst all visitors. I am distressed by the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce access to public lands in other states, and want to do our part to build a strong bulwark against any such incursions in the Pacific Northwest. On the micro-level, I am also distressed when I observe guided parties failing to observe basic principles of Leave No Trace, and I want to hold our community to much higher standards. At the same time, I am inspired by recent conservation achievements in locations such as Index, and want to build upon this victory to contribute towards similar efforts at other cherished locations that are threatened by privatization. I admire the efforts of some guide companies to maintain positive dialogue with the Forest Service, but it seems to me that recurring needs such as road maintenance (e.g. on Glacier Creek Rd. or the Vantage Access Rd.) will require consistent advocacy from a well-organized group of guides and users.

I have no attachment to joining the WMGA Board, but if others think that I could make a useful contribution, I would be happy to be of service. Either way, I look forward to being part of this community.

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