Staff are in the order they began their adventure with Adventure Links
Anna Birch
CEO
Started AL: 1997
Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
What I miss about my hometown: Cheese curds that are so fresh they squeak
Dream vacation: New Zealand
Where did you go to School?: University of Minnesota (Double major in Child Psychology and English)
Weird/Hidden Talent: Roller Skating (on the old school skates)
Austin Birch
CFO/CIO
Started AL: 1997
Hometown: Monroe, Indiana
If you weren't working what would you rather be doing?: Farming
Weird/Hidden Talent: Perfect imitation of Barney, and Elmo.
What you miss about your hometown: Wide open skies.
Adam Trautenberg
Operations Director
adam@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: As a summer instructor in 2010, then full time in 2012.
Hometown: Miami, Florida.
Where did you go to school?: University of Central Florida.
Hidden Talent: I worked for a balloon company in college and can make pretty much anything out of balloons.
What do you miss about your hometown?:Thunderstorms in the summer.
Rachel Doody
Program Director
rachel@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL:Full time in 2009
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Life goal: to visit all 58 National Parks (so far I have 23)
Dogs or cats?- One of each please
Weird Talent: I can reach far away objects because my wing span is 3" longer than I am tall.
Daniel Stevens
Facility and Fleet Director
danny@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: 2014
Hometown: Burke, VA
Dream Vacation: Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina
Hidden Talent: I can play drums (kind of)
Pets? 2 Mutts, Bella & Mojo
Ashley Suntheimer
Group Program Manager
ashley@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: as an instructor 2011, full time 2014
Hometown: Wild woods of Newport News, VA
Interesting facts:
I started out as a Criminal Justice Major and thought I would go into Law Enforcement
Did not Like to get dirty or sweat when I was younger
I watched Harry Potter Movies every night for an entire year 2011
If you weren't working what would you rather be doing?
Paddling, Climbing or both at the same time.
Where did you go to school?
Radford University Class of 2010 and George Mason
Weird/Hidden Talent(s):
Does melting chocolate on a plate and eating it count, I can do that like a pro
Crocheted a T-Shirt Rug
Anna Kim
Office Manager
annak@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: Summer 2014
Hometown: Burke, VA
If you weren't working what would you rather be doing? Thru-hiking the Baekdu-Daegan, which runs along the entirety of the Korean peninsula.
Where did you go to school? The College of William and Mary
Would you survive a zombie apocalypse? TBD, but I'd like my tombstone to read: "Survived the dead, but not life."
Ryan Dale
Northern Virginia Summer Camp Director
ryan@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: as an instructor 2014, full time 2016
Hometown: Manassas, VA
Dream vacation spot?
As of now is a tie between Greenland and Torngat Mountains National Park in Labrador.
Favorite band at the moment?
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Dogs or cats?
Dogs (all of them)
Eric Newman
Program Coordinator
eric@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: as an instructor 2013, full time 2016
Hometown: Fort Collins ,CO
Cats or dogs?
Basset hounds
Favorite band right now?
Possessed by Paul James
What I miss most about my hometown?
No humidity. And family, of course
Sarah "Sharkweek" Miller
Assistant Camp Director
sarah@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: 2012
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Interesting Facts:
- Have a Master of Arts in Education.
- Climbed Devils Tower with strep throat.
- My cat is named Alice after Alice Neel, my favorite painter.
Favorite TV Show: Gravity Falls
Where did you go to school? Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
If you had a superpower what would it be? Telekinesis, so that I could move poorly parked parallel cars.
Alice West
CPA
alice@adventurelinks.net
Started at AL: 1997
Hometown: Sumter, SC
Interesting Facts:
•Father was in the Air Force, and Mother in the Army
•A former dairy farmer
•Night Owl
•2 Daughters: Jessica and Brianna
Favorite TV Show: Elementary