Meet the Pacific Northwest BCM Team

We are thrilled to introduce you to our BCM Pacific Northwest Team for 2019 who will be leading BCM youth expeditions this summer.

Anne, BCM’s Pacific Northwest Regional Program Manager, was nine years old when she went on her first backpacking trip with her family, and while she hated that first experience—think epic amounts of mosquitos—it somehow turned into her passion. Since then she has section-hiked portions of the PCT with her dad, walked the Camino de Santiago with her mom, and finds reasons to sleep under the stars as often as possible.

Anne came to Big City Mountaineers first as a trip agency leader and then as an expedition Instructor. She has had amazing experiences with BCM youth, watching them persevere through tough mental and physical challenges and then bring those life lessons home. When she is not taking jumping photos and eating powdered potatoes in the woods, Anne can be found doing art projects at home or hiking with her german shepherd.

Lucila, BCM Expedition Instructor, grew up under the sun surrounded by the ocean and tropical plants in Miami, FL. This wilderness was her first connection to nature yet a stark contrast to that of mountains and forests. Her first backpacking trip was in North Carolina before college. It transformed her relationship to the outdoors and set her on a path of pursuing outdoor education. She loves encouraging youth to grow through challenge and discovery en la naturaleza, in nature. She feels so grateful to be a part of BCM this summer! You will probably see her breaking out in a dance on the trail because well … she loves to dance.

Dane, BCM Expedition Instructor, passionate about connecting people and nature (to the point that he left a fancy corporate gig to do this work).  His expedition instructor role in the PNW gives him a wonderful outlet to facilitate these connections while also supporting BCM’s mission.  He was first hooked on BCM trips in 2008 as an expedition adult volunteer mentor in California and has come back every year since. He keeps coming back because of the positive impact he’s seen in many youth…and of course because he has fun on every trip!  Dane still gets teary-eyed when he tells the story of a youth on one of his trips who opened up during the reflection circle to explain that he had just experienced the best day of his life.