Hello, NOLS Employees - Intro to the new NEA board - Summer 2026
Dear NOLS employees,
Happy summer! It’s not lost on us that for some, this season, the follow up, and/or the aftermath can be the busiest time of our year. Thank you for all the work that you are putting in to supporting students and one another.
We, the new board of the NEA, would like to introduce ourselves, update you on what we’ve been up to, and let you know how to get involved.
First, for those of you who saw the July 14th, 2026 Community Forum: Sandy Colhoun (NOLS President) acknowledged the letter that we sent to the NOLS Executive Team and Board after Jen Sallwick (Interim Vice President of Expeditions) announced her departure. You can read the letter here. We want to know your thoughts—you can email nolsemployeeassociation@gmail.com, and also read on for how to contact us and/or get involved. Thank you to Sandy for his very appreciative shout out!
Before we go any further, what is the NEA?
The NEA (NOLS Employee Association) represents the views of all NOLS employees below the Senior Leadership Group (Executive Team, Directors, and Assistant Directors or equivalent manager positions) including HQ Employees, Location Staff, and Wilderness Medicine/Field Instructors. We are not a union, but a 501(c)(5) tax exempt Labor Organization that operates independently from NOLS. We helped establish employee pro deals, Instructor Development Funds, the 2021 increase in field instructor compensation, and more. Check out our website to learn more about us.
Who is this new NEA board?
When Anna Santoleri (president) and Sanjana Govind (vice president) put together this board, their goal was for it to be more representative of the NOLS employee community. Our board includes international and U.S.-based employees, those involved with the school for less than five years and for over ten years, instructors and non-instructors, and employees from Wilderness Medicine, Headquarters, branches, and Expeditions. We first convened on May 28, 2026, and have met monthly since. Our board members are listed at the bottom of this letter. You can also find our bios on our website (with some yet to be updated because those folks are in the field).
What are our goals?
As referenced in our letter to the NOLS Board and ET, our goal is to support a NOLS that fulfills its mission, is positioned for long-term operational and financial success, and, as the Second Summit Strategic Plan states, focuses on Our People. To be effective in this work, we plan to:
Re-examine the mission, vision, and role of the NEA by clarifying what it means to be an NEA member, better understanding what matters to employees, and strengthening communication and collaboration between the NEA and NOLS leadership.
Have a greater presence in the NOLS employee community: to gain a more comprehensive sense of what employees care about, we plan to increase and better organize our membership to meaningfully involve you in our initiatives, better publicize our work on our website, social media, and more, and increase our in-person presence at NOLS branches, gatherings, etc.
We need you!
We need thought partners to ensure we are truly representative of the vast number of employees who work at this school. With that,
Reach out to us. We are here to listen–we want to hear what ideas you have for making NOLS a more sustainable place to work, and what you are seeing and hearing in your workplace. Reach out to any of us in person or via email, or email nolsemployeeassociation@gmail.com.
Join the NEA to get more information about what we’re up to and how to get involved. Information here.
With deep appreciation for all that you do,
The NEA Board
Anna Santoleri (anna_santoleri@nols.edu) NEA President, Rocky Mountain Program Supervisor and Field Instructor (Lander-based)
Sanjana Govind (sanjana_govind@nols.edu) NEA Vice President, Field Instructor working out of the RM and Tanzania branches (India-based)
Aila Brennan (aila_brennan@nols.edu) Rocky Mountain Assistant Rations Manager (Lander-based)
Bryan Sarg (bryan_sarg@nols.edu) Field Instructor and Rocky Mountain Bus Driver and Evacuation Coordinator (Lander-based)
David Valenzuela (david_valenzuela@nols.edu) Patagonia & Rocky Mountain Program Supervisor, Field Instructor (Patagonia and Lander-based)
Elie Rabinowitz (elie_rabinowitz@nols.edu) Field Instructor working out the NE, RM, TVB, and AK branches (Northeast-based)
Griffin Leemon (griffin_leemon@nols.edu) Field Instructor working out of the AK, RM, and TVB branches (PNW-based)
Lily Zino (lily_zino@nols.edu) Custom Education Client Service Manager (Lander-based)
Micah Rarick (micah_rarick@nols.edu) Field Instructor working out of the AK, RM, and NE branches (PNW-based)
Trisha Domenie (trisha_cloutier@nols.edu) Wilderness Medicine Instructor (Northeast-based)
