Staff Profile | Katie Baum Mettenbrink

By Anne McGowan Development Communications Coordinator

Katie Baum Mettenbrink expected work in the outdoors would supplement other jobs. Courtesy of Katie Baum Mettenbrink NOLS through a college outdoors pro-Katie Baum Mettenbrink learned about gram, but bounced around at other jobs before she found her future at the school. Katie, now NOLS’ associate director of operations and an instructor, taught fifth graders and worked on a political campaign after college. But in all that time, the outdoors was calling.

“I thought working in the outdoors in the summer could supplement teaching or other work,” she recalled. “Instead, I participated in a 2003 NOLS Instructor Course and fell in love with the school. I went back to Oregon, packed my stuff, moved to Lander and got a storage unit in NOLS’ Noble Hotel.”

An Outdoors Career

In 2008, Katie moved to NOLS’ Alaska campus in a program supervisor position, then to NOLS Headquarters in 2010, focusing on staffing, risk management curriculum, and consulting.

Recently, she pivoted to the role of associate director of operations.

“I work with our teams at campus locations to support expedition courses and juggle the many other things that happen on a NOLS campus. Our global operations teams run businesses, supervise instructors, welcome and care for students, do public policy work, design curriculum, and respond to emergencies, all in service of exceptional student experiences.”

The Effect of the Pandemic

The global pandemic has presented Katie, like most folks, with both opportunities and challenges in her work.

“Most challenges are obvious,” Katie said. “As COVID-19 evolves, our response and operations have had to evolve too. International borders, local regulations, testing, medical, masks and other mandates, federal land-management permit status— they change. Even the static stuff isn’t static anymore.”

An opportunity? More communication with students, she said. “We connect with much more depth regarding what their course will be like. We now have pre-course webinars, for example. Not just regarding COVID protocols, but other stuff, too— expedition behavior, what to expect—so students are better prepared and ready for their course. COVID has also created pressure to do more to support instructors, and that has led to important changes.”

Reimagining the Future

For Katie, the last year has also given NOLS, and herself, an opportunity to reimagine what the school can be. The notion of breaking down some of it and rebuilding holds a lot of promise, she said.

“NOLS is an outlet for a really challenging, in-person human experience,” Katie mused. “Combining incredible wilderness, great colleagues, and motivated students creates magical and powerful experiences, maybe even more so right now. Holy smokes! People around the world are hungry for human connection and shared experiences!”

“Sticking Around” for 18 Years

It’s Katie’s belief in the transformative power of a NOLS experience, as well as the NOLS community, that have kept her at the school for almost two decades.

“There are incredibly talented, hardworking, mission-driven people with heart and passion at NOLS,” Katie said. “I’ve seen the school change a lot in my time here. I’m inspired by the people who love what we do and who are advocating for NOLS to be better. I hope to stick around and help to do that.”

Anne McGowan grew up camping and hiking with her family in Pennsylvania. She followed her love of words and books to a career in writing.

WILDERNESS QUIZ

QUESTION | The Wilderness Act of 1964 defined the word Wilderness in the United States and protected 9.1 million acres of land (now 109.5 million). The act took 8 years and over 60 drafts before passing the Senate first and the House of Representatives about a year later. How many of the 375 members of the House of Representatives voted against this landmark piece of legislation?