Amber Barnett

School Director

Amber has been working for Outward Bound for over a decade. She came to Colorado Outward Bound School after spending time as an Instructor and Manager at Outward Bound Australia. While with COBS, she has taken on a variety of roles including the Manager of Training and Curriculum, the Director of Programs and Safety, and now the School Director. Amber tirelessly and enthusiastically works to ensure that each student and instructor has an epic and safe experience on course. She lives with her family in Salida, Colorado. 

Brock Camper

Facilities Director

Brock joined COBS in 2022 as Facility Manager and was quickly promoted to Facility Director. After nearly two decades in the ski industry, he was ready for a new adventure—one that brought him closer to home and back to his roots in the outdoors. Raised in northern Minnesota, Brock spent his childhood exploring the woods and waters—hunting, fishing, boating, and hiking. That love for the natural world is still a big part of his life today. 

Joining an outdoor education organization like COBS felt like the perfect fit. It offered the chance to support meaningful work while staying connected to the rugged beauty of Colorado. With a passion for fixing, building, and improving things—both at work and at home—Brock has embraced the challenges of facilities management with enthusiasm and creativity. 

He lives in Leadville with his partner and their four beloved dogs: Lancelot, Emrys, Oliver, and Luna Bell. Whether it’s a sunrise hike, a snowy trail, or a quiet moment by the lake, Brock is always up for time spent in wild places. 

Steve Creech

Safety & Training Manager

Working for COBS is the best job possible – it has the best curriculum you can hope to teach - it actually matters in people's lives.  How to communicate with intention and compassion, how to lead with authority and compassion, how to learn what truly matters and sustains us in our lives, how to serve others and the world surrounding us.  

I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to have Outward Bound in my past, and I’m so grateful to have it in my present and future.  After working in the outdoor industry for nearly a decade, I landed at COBS' Southwest Program in 2008. I fell in love with the desert, its canyons, wildflower-filled mountains, endless climbing, and long river expeditions. In 2012, I stepped up and on to the Leadership Team through the early summer of 2016 as an Associate Program Director of Course Quality & Safety.  In 2016 I moved back East with my partner, got a master’s in Administration (Recreation & Parks), continued instructing and CDing for NCOBS in NC and the Everglades, honed many skills and got an alphabet soup of certifications, and spent two years as a Coordinator for Virginia Tech’s outdoor program.   In my spare time I love to do all the things that happen on COBS courses; canyoneering, rafting and canoeing, backpacking, climbing, and watching the setting sun turn into an ocean of stars.  I am thrilled that as of March 2020 I have been able to be back out on the Colorado Plateau and serving as COBS' Safety Manager to positively influence safety in the frontcountry and backcountry so that all of the challenge and discovery can take place.  

Ashton Danker

Student Services Manager

Hello, my name is Ashton Danker (she/her/hers), and my Outward Bound journey began when I was a 14-year-old student on a North Carolina Outward Bound course. That experience was life-changing and an experience that sparked a passion for challenge, discovery, and growth that has shaped my life ever since. 

I was raised in Oklahoma, where there are more cows than mountains, but my heart was always drawn to the wild. I made my way to Colorado for college, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation Management from Metropolitan State University. It didn’t take long before I found my way to Outward Bound, and in 2018 I joined the Colorado Outward Bound School’s Southwest Program. Since then, I’ve worn many hats from Logistics Coordinator to Instructor to Associate Program Director. Today, I’m excited to serve as the Student Services Manager, where I get to support students through every step of their Outward Bound journey. 

I am passionate about the student experience because I know firsthand how impactful these courses can be. Watching students grow in confidence, learn to work as a team, and push through challenges reminds me daily why I believe so deeply in our mission to change lives through challenge and discovery. I’m here because I want every student to walk away from course knowing they are braver, stronger, and more capable than they ever thought possible. 

When I’m not working, you’ll find me deep in a Moab canyon, floating down a river, or wandering somewhere off the beaten path with my partner and our dog. Whether it’s a quiet walk in the woods or a big backcountry expedition, I believe that time in nature has a way of reconnecting us to ourselves and to each other. 

Jack Duffy

Course Advisor

Jack (he/him) joined COBS in 2025 as a Course Advisor. He grew up in the Midwest forming a deep love and appreciation for nature through Scouts and weekend camping trips with his family. He is passionate about helping others experience time in the outdoors to both learn about the natural world and themselves. Having earned degrees in education, Jack has spent the last several years as a high school English teacher and academic advisor. He moved to Colorado in 2020 and quickly fell in love with fly fishing high alpine lakes and streams and spending time in Rocky Mountain National Park. Jack is passionate about working for COBS because he wants to help people build meaningful connections with wild places. When he isn’t working, you’ll find Jack reading, binge-watching a show, standing knee-deep in water fly fishing, or enjoying a hike with his partner.

Melissa Fuller

Director of Student Experience

Hi there, my name is Melissa (she/her/hers) and I am the Director of Student Experience. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Biology from Northern Michigan University, a Master of Education Degree in International Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago, and a Graduate Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University.

I began my professional journey teaching scuba diving and underwater photography from liveaboard dive yachts in the warm waters of the Caribbean and South Pacific. That role enabled me to travel the world, meet all kinds of unique characters, exercise my teaching muscles, and gain an immense respect for cross-cultural learning and collaboration. I then shifted careers and spent 6 years working in international higher education at a non-profit study abroad provider. There I was a Program Manager for International Internships and simultaneously earned my Master’s Degree. After the international higher education field collapsed from Covid-19, I landed in Colorado working in Operations and Logistics for another non-profit study abroad provider before before finding this remarkable opportunity at COBS.

My entire career has focused on experiential education – something I never would have imagined when I attended my own North Carolina Outward Bound program fresh out of high school. However, through that experience I discovered the value of learning outside of the classroom and have concentrated my career on encouraging others to experience that personal growth that only happens when we push ourselves – whether in a foreign country, or the backcountry!

Scott Farley

Development Director

Kelsey Maxwell

Marketing & Communications Manager

Kelsey (she/her) joined the Colorado Outward Bound team in 2022 as the Marketing and Communications Manager. She was raised in Rhode Island but has appreciatively called Colorado home since earning her bachelor’s degree at Colorado College and working in the non-profit sector in Denver. With a degree in Environmental Science and Feminist and Gender Studies, Kelsey is committed to prioritizing equity, justice, and caring for the land in her work with Outward Bound. Every day that Kelsey spends in the mountains, she is overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. She is eager to give back by helping others find joy in the mountains and increasing access to the outdoors in Colorado. After a short time of living in North Idaho, Kelsey is excited to return to the outdoor and environmental advocacy community in Colorado. In her free time, you can find her trail running, rock climbing, and eating ice cream. 

Charlotte Raycraft

Finance Director

Charlotte originally hales from New Zealand but quickly fell in love with the mountains of Colorado. She has a love of numbers and most recently worked within the hospitality industry as well an IT startup. She is delighted for an opportunity to work for a non-profit that is rooted in Colorado and so focused on outdoor education. It is an honor to support an organization that is so closely rooted to her heart.  When not working, she spends her time with her sons and husband and loves sitting down with a good book. Travel and adventure are also central to Charlotte’s passion for the outdoors. She recently has taken up learning Spanish although she may not be ready to tell you more that what her dog’s name is. Charlotte is excited to work for COBS and is looking forward to meeting everyone as the season gets ramped up!

Yerania Silva

Course Advisor

Yerania joined COBS in 2025 as a Course Advisor. Growing up with a deep appreciation for nature, she believes in the power of the outdoors to challenge, inspire, and bring people together. She is passionate about making outdoor adventures more accessible and ensuring that all youth have the chance to build confidence and resilience through exploration.  

With a degree in Leadership and Management, she has dedicated her career to working with nonprofits that serve youth and have programs that help create opportunities for growth, leadership, and community building. She moved to Colorado in 2015 and has stayed active in her community as a youth volleyball coach and ESL educator, always looking for ways to uplift and inspire those around her.  

When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her hiking, camping, snowboarding, sunbathing on the beach, or binge-watching shows with her 3 children, partner and cat! 

Lila Todd

Development Manager

Lila joined COBS in 2024 as the Development Manager. She has spent over a decade working in outdoor education and recreation and is passionate about advancing opportunities in nature for people to connect to themselves, others and the world around them. She completed an Outward Bound course as a student in her twenties and began working at the North Carolina Outward Bound School the next summer as an intern. After eight years with Outward Bound as a Field Instructor, Course Director and Staff Trainer, she moved to Copenhagen, Denmark to complete a Master’s Degree in educational anthropology.

Lila brings fundraising, grant-writing and non-profit development experience from her background as the Director of a non-profit on the Western Slope offering adaptive outdoor recreation. She is a certified yoga teacher, an ACA Level 4 whitewater canoe instructor, and loves spending time outdoors whether it be in the desert, ocean, mountains or river.

Lila lives in Palisade, Colorado with her partner and their two Maine Coon cats, Yeti and Ophelia.