Leadership Team
Josiah went in open and excited but apprehensive. He knew nobody on his trip or anybody who had ever been on an Adventure Treks trip. When I picked Josiah up from his trip, he was proud, calm, and inspired. He is a blessed kid who has been given wonderful opportunities, and Adventure Treks was one of his most favorite of all his life experiences. He made incredible friends, loved his instructors, had exciting experiences, and is negotiating daily regarding how to visit his friends in other cities. He said, “I loved it. One of the best communities I’ve ever been in.” Thank you, AT. – Sarah Weinberg, parent from San Francisco, CA
Dave “Dmac” McGlashan, executive director
Dave, or “Dmac,” has been with Adventure Treks since 2006. Originally from western North Carolina, he grew up going to summer camps in the area. He attended the University of Tennessee and earned a bachelor’s degree in human ecology, and then a master’s degree in recreation and leisure studies. After graduate school, Dmac came back to the Blue Ridge Mountains to be the associate director of Camp Arrowhead; he also spent time working for the Multnomah Education Service District Outdoor School in Oregon. He went on to work for a non-profit in Maine providing after-school programming for middle and high schoolers, focusing on outdoor adventure, community service, and life skills.
Dmac is the president of the board for the America Outdoors Association, a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and a wilderness first responder. He has explored the outdoors of Italy, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, France, Germany, Australia, and many more. In his free time, Dmac can often be found mountain biking in western North Carolina’s forests.
Amanda Fox-McGlashan, director
Amanda is a North Carolina native and attended Appalachian State University with a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism. After graduating, she moved to Boulder, CO, to be an editor for Climbing and SNEWS magazines; she also reported for the Outdoor Retailer Daily at the outdoor industry’s namesake twice-yearly trade show.
Later, she moved on to work for a digital marketing agency and gained a certificate teaching Bikram yoga. Her passion for teaching, communications, and being in the outdoors collided when she joined Adventure Treks in 2014. Amanda is a wilderness first responder and in her free time can be found trail running, mountain biking, and cycling in the beautiful western NC mountains. She also serves as the vice president of the non-profit volunteer board for the Friends of DuPont Forest.
Kent Ratliff, operations director
Kent grew up in San Antonio, TX, where he refined a love of outdoors through family trips and involvement in the Scouts. He graduated from Middlebury College with a dual bachelor’s degree in computer science and geography and a minor in music; later, he became the school’s Outdoor Programs coordinator, planning orientation trips for all incoming students; educating new instructors to lead hiking, skiing, mountaineering, boating, and climbing trips; and leading multi-day trips throughout the year. While working as a field instructor for Adventure Treks, Kent filled his off-season by traveling the country, building eco-friendly tiny houses, making and analyzing maps as a cartographer, and building websites.
In his free time, Kent enjoys environmentalism, woodworking, guitar, rock climbing, and kayaking!
Jess Myer, logistics director
Jess joins Adventure Treks as the logistics director after four years as a trip leader! She hails from Asheville, NC, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During her time at Emory & Henry College, Jess was the Outdoor Program intern, coordinating hiking and backpacking programs for students. She also led backpacking, whitewater kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking, canoeing, and rock climbing expeditions for underclassmen. She has worked on photo and video production for the non-profit organization Appalachian Sustainable Development, and she spent the past two winter seasons as a ski instructor at Steamboat Resort in CO.
In her free time, Jess loves swimming and backpacking, reading, running, skiing, and volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club.
Kilee Davis, admissions manager
Originally from California, Kilee’s love for the outdoors began with Big Sur family camping trips and soccer tournaments. She jumped into the outdoor and youth development career at Camp High Rocks and Camp Rockbrook in western North Carolina, where she quickly realized that she had a deep passion for student growth and exploration. During her time at San Francisco State University, she led backpacking and kayaking trips while completing her bachelor’s degree in geography.
After graduation, she transitioned to a seasonal rotation of facilitating educational programs in the spring and fall, and working in Peru and Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures in the summer where she spearheaded environmental education programs. Kilee is a wilderness first responder and in her free time enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, writing poetry, and learning languages! Fun Fact: Kilee lived in Spain for 2.5 years!
Rachel O’Neil
Rachel hails from Green Bay, WI, where she attended the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. She spent her summers leading backpacking, canoeing, and kayaking trips in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, and after college completed a thru-hike of the 2,200-mile-long Appalachian Trail. She jumped into the Adventure Treks world in 2018 and led trips for several seasons before becoming a regional director.
Rachel is a first responder, and she and her husband, Brett, love to hike and mountain bike in western North Carolina and spend time with their cats Butterbean and Ahsoka. In summer 2022, they completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail!