KRISTEN KOMLOSY
Kristen joins the Chesapeake Outward Bound School after serving as the Executive Director of Shelters to Shutters. Kristen joined Shelters to Shutters in 2021 as the Executive Director for the National Capital Region market. In her time at Shelters to Shutters, she brought strategic development and engagement opportunities forward that delivered impact to the Shelters to Shutters mission. Her talents in developing market pipeline opportunities, driving strategic process implementation and creating necessary models to facilitate corporate development and outreach efforts deepened Shelters to Shutters impact across the region. Prior to joining Shelters to Shutters, Kristen was the Executive Director of JDRF for Maryland and Girls on the Run – DC, a youth development program, where she provided overall strategic direction for programming, fundraising initiatives to raise 70% of the operating budget, high-level volunteer engagement and financial operations efforts. Kristen initiated and led an expansion of programming into Prince George’s County, MD. As a result, Girls on the Run – DC served over 2,200 girls a year across all eight wards of Washington, DC as well as Prince George’s County. With more than ten years of leadership and management experience, Kristen has a well-rounded background with competencies in the following areas: strategic planning, revenue growth; expanding programming, and providing staff and board with effective leadership and management. Kristen earned a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson University. She resides in Arnold, MD with her husband and two sons. Outside of work, Kristen spends time hiking, being on the water with family and friends, traveling and cheering on her sons during their soccer and lacrosse games! Kristen is also a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington – class of 2017.
JEN CUSICK
A city dweller with a love of nature. Between New Jersey, Philadelphia PA, and Baltimore MD, Jen has always lived in what she calls the "Mid-Atlantic Triangle". Jen has followed her passions in the outdoors including farming, floristry, landscaping, and eventually experiential education after completing a 28-day expedition in Alaska. She earned her M.A. in Emerging Media through Loyola University and B.S. in Urban Environmental Studies through Drexel University. Over the past 10+ years, Jen has taken on roles in experiential education including instructor and course director at Outward Bound, to Assistant Director of Outdoor Adventure at Loyola University Maryland. Finding joy in storytelling and community connection, Jen now uses her talents to amplify the mission and impact of Outward Bound as the Marketing & Outreach Director. Her personal adventures have taken her across multiple states on a bicycle, through tidal bays in a sea kayak, down the street in her community garden, and shucking oysters on her front porch.
WILL FERRETTI
After a rewarding 12-year tenure as Chief Operating & Financial Officer at Verra, a global leader in climate action and sustainable development, Will Ferretti has returned to his professional roots. Will’s career journey began with teaching about conservation and ecology. He was an instructor at outdoor/environmental education schools in New England and an environmental education specialist for the Rhode Island chapter of the Girl Scouts. During his college summers, he guided natural history canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Will received his B.S. degree in environmental resource management at Penn State during the great blossoming of environmental legislation, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act, and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Graduate school at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University opened new horizons. He immersed himself in economics, the concepts of public goods and externalities, and how to engineer markets to assign value to resources like clean air and clean water, in other words, how to “price the priceless.” Will’s career has been a journey of pioneering initiatives. From establishing the first government program promoting markets for recycled materials to market-based programs to mitigate the impacts of climate change to earning a Presidential Award for Sustainable Development from President Bill Clinton, each step has been a growthful and gratifying experience. Joining the CBOBS crew is a full-circle moment for Will, reconnecting him to his outdoor education days. He is thrilled to bring his organizational management skills to a role that aligns with his passion – helping others discover their inner strengths through experiential learning and fostering an appreciation of the environment.
LISA O’BRIEN
A native of central Massachusetts, Lisa spent her childhood building forts in the woods and exploring the rocky beaches of southern Maine. These experiences influenced her both personally and professionally, fueling her confidence to try new things, her preference to work collaboratively, and the satisfaction she feels finding solutions to hard problems. An experienced fundraiser, Lisa has held leadership roles at the Scratch Foundation and KID Museum. In her time with KID Museum, she oversaw the organization’s strategic growth plan, leading the major gifts strategy with corporations, foundations, and individuals, securing six- and seven-figure, multi-year gifts. In 2022, she leveraged the organization’s grand opening celebration of a new, larger downtown location to build brand awareness, garner media attention, and inspire donors to increase their investment, exceeding campaign revenue targets. Earlier in her career, Lisa had the privilege of serving as the founding executive director of the Scratch Foundation, a nonprofit aiming to democratize access to computer coding for everyone. It was at Scratch where Lisa honed her donor cultivation skills and hosted her first NYC fundraising gala, which tripled in revenue by year five. Lisa holds a masters degree from Teachers College, Columbia University and a BA from Boston University. Outside of work, Lisa spends time with her friends kayaking and hiking, making art with a variety of media, and cheering on her daughter at track meets.
MARY ODELL
Starting as an instructor, Mary has worked at Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School since 2014. Mary grew up on Long Island, NY and spent most summers at a camp in Northern Ontario. Summers spent canoeing Canada’s lakes and rivers fostered her belief that group travel in the outdoors builds teams, relationships, and confidence like nothing else can. While earning a degree in English at Loyola University Maryland, Mary spent most of her spare time as a Student Leader for Loyola’s Outdoor Adventure Experience (OAE). With the goal of serving CBOBS students better through the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, Mary completed Master of Public Health with a Concentration in Child and Adolescent Health at Johns Hopkins in 2020. After five years of programming, and the completion of her MPH, she now serves our community as the Program and Safety Director. Mary also loves biking around Baltimore, reading with some coffee, and staring at her cat.
KELLY REYNOLDS
Kelly Reynolds came to Outward Bound in 2014 after five years of teaching in the traditional classroom. She has a passion for the deep learning and insight that can come from personal experience, challenge, and reflection. Mindfulness, community, the human connection to others and the natural world are values that drive her methods of instruction. Kelly Reynolds currently serves as the Director of Learning & Strategic Initiatives at Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School. Her duties include strategic planning and in-school support on CBOBS Character Curriculum, staff training and development, and curriculum design. Reynolds co-authored the CBOBS Character Curriculum, which serves as a bridge for schools to effectively engage with Outward Bound programming. B.A. Education, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, 2009
JASON ALFORD
As a life-long Baltimorean, Jason has an affinity to all things Bawlmer. Let’s go O’s! In school, Jason balanced sports, music, and performing arts where he realized the life skills and character development offered in them. Through sports he learned about teamwork, sacrifice, and success from failure; through studying music he developed his creative thinking, problem solving, and time management skills; and through performing arts he became confident, flexible, and dependable. After graduating from Towson University with a Degree in Electronic Media, Jason worked for the Library of Congress Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped before moving onto several lifestyle, brand, and sales focused roles for various companies in Maryland. Wanting to make a greater impact on the community, Jason looked for an organization whose mission was to shape people and teach life skills through experience the way he was fortunate enough to learn. Outward Bound has surpassed his expectations of an organization, and only deepens his love of Baltimore.
ASHLEY BERTOLINI
Ashley is a self-proclaimed “camp kid”. Growing up in Western New York, she spent all of her free time outside exploring, camping, hiking, swimming and horseback riding. When she wasn’t outdoors, she spent her time planning her next adventures. She loved sharing her curiosity and passion for the outdoors with anyone who would listen. This led her to study social studies education at SUNY Fredonia. After college, she worked as a youth department coordinator before expanding her love of experiential learning into the international realm. Ashley obtained her masters in International Education from New York University where she worked on projects related to education in emergencies. To continue thinking about diverse ways to view education and learning, she joined the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. She spent her two years learning alongside her students while incorporating nature as a classroom into her lessons. After returning from West Africa, Ashley joined the gap year field working for the New Zealand based company, Pacific Discovery. She facilitated intentional and ethical travel with groups of students through Central America and South East Asia. Ashley worked with students on cross-cultural competency, sustainable travel, personal growth, and developing an inclusive group culture. When she is not sharing her excitement about experiential education, you can find Ashley reading, frequenting cozy cafes, or learning a new hobby like latte art.
JODIE CLOUSER
A little about me:
Hey I’m Jodie! I’m originally from Severna Park, MD. I love to run long-distance and bike around Baltimore, where I now call home. I have a degree in Middle Grades Education for Language Arts and still love to read (though preferably outside!). I love a good outdoor fire-pit hangout, hula hooping, casual doodling, and doughnuts.Favorite field meal to cook:
Chili MacA stand out course memory:
On day 10 of a 12 day backpacking expedition we “shipwrecked” our students, leaving them to navigate the trail and function as a group on their own for a day of hiking. My co-instructor and I sneakily watched from behind bushes and trees, observing our students debate which way was the correct one to go at tricky intersections of trail. We saw our students encourage one another through tough terrain, take turns carrying the heavy water supply, make food for each other, and support one another in an unknown environment. It was awesome!Something you love about your job:
I love giving folks the opportunity to see that they can do so much more than they think they can. Sunsets and Sunrises at trail overlooks are also magical.Advice for a future student:
Share when something scares you or makes you nervous, chances are others are feeling the same way and we can support one another.
CHRIS DOYLE
Chris arrived at the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School just before his 26th birthday in September of 2018 after four years of teaching in a formalized traditional classroom space. Covered in radiator fluid after his car overheated on the drive down from his native Cape Cod, Chris stepped into his apprenticeship ready for challenge. Since that fateful September day, Chris can often be heard exclaiming, “it’s just another day in paradise” or “the time it takes is the time it takes.” This is after all, the best job he has ever had. An award-winning photographer and classically trained artist, Chris brings a creativity, style, and energy to educating with Outward Bound that engages students from the jump. His partner claims that, “his students are his coffee.” Chris is usually wearing something eccentric; he gets that from his mother. Ask him about whatever it is, there is probably an entertaining story behind it.
KYLE DUFFEY
Kyle grew up in Michigan surrounded by a huge extended family. He has always loved music, especially deep-diving into the music of his favorite artists. His favorite artists of all time are Nine Inch Nails and Prince. Kyle has also always had a love for the natural world, leading him to earn a degree in Geosciences from Princeton University, where he had his first exposure to outdoor education by becoming a peer-leader for Princeton’s Outdoor Action program. This experience led Kyle to join the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School in the Spring of 2019 as an instructor apprentice, and he immediately fell in love with the community and mission of CBOBS. Here at CBOBS and elsewhere, Kyle has thrived in roles designed to support others, and he is looking forward to supporting instructors and the program team as CBOBS’ Program Support Coordinator. Kyle also loves food, making coffee, and making cocktails.
HANIBAL GNAHOUI
Hanibal has lived all over the east coast including NY, VA, FL and MD. His life experiences have created a person with a deep appreciation and respect of the outdoors while also having a love for city life. He has traveled to four continents and is looking to hit all seven at some point. After graduating from Towson University with a Degree in Education he spent years working in the fitness industry and remains involved in collegiate sports as a rugby coach. After becoming an Outward Bound Alum and then eventually an instructor, he has come full circle to help provide Baltimore City youth the life changing experiences that Outward Bound can offer. His favorite thing about working for CBOBS is knowing that his colleagues genuinely have the best interest of all we serve at heart, and work hard to be compassionate human beings. Not many folks can say they go home at the end of the day feeling like they made a positive impact on society, but he feels he can.
LAINIE GRAY
Lainie grew up in upstate NY surrounded by beautiful landscapes and endless outdoor adventures. Her love of nature led her to pursue a degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership (OAL) from Ithaca College. As part of the degree program, OAL students participated in a 90-day multi-element expedition with the Colorado Outward Bound School. After graduating from Ithaca with high honors, Lainie worked as a day program facilitator and an expedition leader for a handful of different outdoor organizations before finding herself at the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School. Lainie was a field instructor for 3 years before stepping into her current role as the Insight Program Coordinator. “I love the work that we do here. Our incredible students and the amazing community of CBOBS is what keeps me here.”
GRACEMARIE JETER
Gracemarie grew up in NY/NJ with a love for day-hiking in areas from the Delaware Water Gap to the Hudson Valley. Shortly after graduating from Bucknell University, she backpacked from NH into Maine with Outward Bound. The courage and confidence she gained through that course was instrumental to her success as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and in every challenging role she has undertaken since. Gracemarie has visited 42 states and 7 foreign countries, enjoys growing in her faith, trying new GF recipes, solving puzzles, and researching ancestry. Her greatest adventure is with her husband as they parent four amazing young women. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” ~ Mark Twain
LISA KIRCH
Lisa was born in Chicago, IL, and moved to the DMV to pursue a graduate degree in English Literature. She loves the outdoors, having grown up near the shores of Lake Michigan, and was grateful to land in a region with so many opportunities to camp and hike. She taught college writing while earning her doctorate, and towards the end of her degree, had the good fortune to try her hand at grant writing. For the past nine years, she has enjoyed a career in fundraising at a community-based nonprofit that serves children and families. She also has a husband and two children who love to climb. With a passion for raising money and a belief in the power of experiential education, she is thrilled to lend her skills to CBOBS! During her spare time, Lisa can be found reading, wandering through Rock Creek Park, singing around the house, and eating chocolate.
SHEY LAMBERT
A native of Knoxville, TN, Shey grew up exploring the lush landscapes of the southern Appalachian Mountains and the vibrant trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was through his own experiences of exploration in the wilderness of these lands that broadened his love for the outdoors and guided his understanding of how one’s own immersive experience in nature can create a backdrop for challenge and discovery within one’s own self. After failing to graduate high school, Shey found guidance through participation and involvement in asset based, outdoor and experiential education programming much like what we offer here at Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School. These experiences fostered and instilled confidence, adaptability, and determination within himself and equipped him with the certitude that he was capable of confronting and overcoming any challenges or obstacles that life may throw his way. As of today, Shey has become the first generation in his family to have obtained a college degree. He has earned an Associate of Arts in Outdoor Leadership Education and Recreation from San Juan College, a Bachelor of Arts in Adventure Education from Prescott College, and a Master of Science in Recreation Management from Southern Illinois University. Shey knows the incredible impact an expedition or experience with Outward Bound can have on a person’s life and he wants to make certain all students in the DC area have accessibility to these opportunities through the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School.
TIANA “TIMO” MORRIS
Expedition Program Coordinator
A little about me:
Hey Friends, My name is TIMO and I am originally from the Peach State. Since leaving GA I have lived in IA, MI, MN, MD, CO, MT and traveled to 32 other states. My personal goal is to get to all 50 states and beyond. I am passionate about service and spent my young adulthood serving in AmeriCorps. I moved to Maryland to continue my journey with AmeriCorps, and as a resort I found my home here at CBOBS. I'm always down for a good movie night, good food and great company!Favorite field meal to cook:
JambalayaA stand out course memory:
First night of course a storm rolls in and it's raining cats and dogs! There is lighting on top of us so we get into lighting drill. The first 5 mins, I'm thinking "wow this must be tough for the students". Then I realized there was another sound in the distance. It sounded a little like," I guess you'd say, What can make me feel this way. My girl, my girl, my girl, talkin' 'bout my girl. My girl." The whole crew was singing at the top of there lungs so that they could hear each other because we were all spaced out. That's when I knew this crew was ready to take on any challenge with style. We were out there together.Something you love about your job:
Course Magic. Everyday is a new adventure.Advice for a future student:
You don't know it yet but everyday you are making memories of a lifetime. So enjoy the little things. That's how you show up for your life's journey.
Jeremiah Nicholson
A Maryland native and current Baltimore resident, Jeremiah spent many years living in Brooklyn, New York. He received his B.A in Film Production from Hofstra University in 2017 and has since worked in various roles within the film and TV industry. In 2021 he returned to Maryland as an Americorps volunteer and, upon completion of his service year, began working for a D.C area non-profit specializing in adult education. He started work at Outward Bound in early 2024 and is excited to contribute to the mission and vision of CBOBS. Outside of work he enjoys exploring nature, cars, music, and board games.
KHAI OVERTON
A lifetime resident of Baltimore, and a product of its private, public, and charter school systems, Khai has worked at CBOBS since joining our Spring 2016 apprentice class. In 2019 , Khai was named Program Coordinator of CBOBS’s Police Youth Challenge Program. Improving police community relations, specifically between youth and BPD, is the main goal of PYC and within his tole Khai has pushed CBOBS into new spaces in this aspect. In October 2019, Khai delivered a TEDx talk on the program as part of the college TEDx series held at Thomas Jefferson University. Also in December 2020 , Khai was named to the inaugural Public Safety Citizens Advisory Commission by Mayor Brandon Scott due to his work in the realms of police reform in Baltimore. When not looking to create equity within the community of Baltimore, Khai enjoys coaching preschool sports clinics at the YMCA, and hanging out with his godson Anthony.
