Michael Bodkin, M.S. has been the Executive Director of Rites of Passage since 1987. His first Vision Quest was with Steven and Meredith Foster, then the co-directors of Rites of Passage, in March 1980. Trained by the Fosters and certified as a Vision Quest Guide in 1982, he shortly thereafter led his first program for the organization. His leadership of Rites of Passage includes directing a training program for guide-trainees. Michael has been a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1978 and has over 30 years experience working with youth, couples and families in counseling and wilderness programs. A strong interest in men's work has led to his guiding a number of men's Vision Quests. He's also served on the Advisory Council of the Wilderness Guides Council.  In 1991 Michael moved to an intentional community in Northern California, where he practices his passions of organic gardening and bluegrass music, and continues to learn about the third part of the rite of passage, returning to your people.   

Alison DeLong received her Master of Arts in Eco-psychology, a field of psychology that acknowledges one's relationship with nature as an integral component to well-being. During her studies she apprenticed with Anne Stine of Wilderness Rites and began leading quests in 2002. A native of Yosemite National Park, Alison has spent the past 14 years sharing with youth, adult and family groups the challenge, healing and joy evoked by the wilderness. She brings a passionate and joyous approach to wilderness rites of passage, weaving in diverse strands of her professional history in environmental education, communication, psychology, yoga and massage therapy. Alison is especially passionate in assisting teens and their families to succeed in healthy transitions to adulthood.  

Susanna Maida is absolutely passionate about helping others awaken to the mystery of their own magnificent unfolding so they can respond to the deeper longing in their soul, call forth their unique genius, and rock the world with it. She has a Ph.D. in Transformative Learning and she wrote her doctoral dissertation on the surprisingly creative ways in which people in this country experience initiation, given that we have little in the way of meaningful, formal rites of passage. Susanna trained with the School of Lost Borders and currently leads Four Shields retreats for women leaders to help them grow a more holistically balanced, sustainable, and authentic approach to their own natural leadership. She is also a Council trainer as well as a life coach, working primarily with mid-life women who are ready to birth and grow their own creative, original, and transformative work in the world.

Bob Palmer, who completed a two year  training program with Rites of Passage, has extensive experience with addiction and recovery issues. Married and the father of a college age daughter, Bob was instrumental in helping Rites of Passage develop a program for the Summerfield Waldorf School.  For the past several years Bob has been a student of indigenous healing ways, and this year he completed his apprenticeship.  He brings a gift for ceremony and a love of heart-felt song to the program.        

Farion Pearce is a wife, mother, yoga teacher, carrier of Council, vision quest guide, and past Wilderness Guides Council Netkeeper.  Farion brings to her guiding work a life-long love affair with nature and a desire to serve the One Spirit in us all.  For nine years, she has been taking primarily women 'on the mountain' and helping to create a community to hold the space for their on-going incorporation.  She is honored to support people undertaking the journey to find their own wellspring of truth and love.   
  
 

Kent Pearce, who describes himself as a Ph E (Parent, husband, Educator), is a member of a leaderless men's group that meets weekly.  He has led men's vision quests each year for the past eleven years with men ranging in age from 17 to 81.  He considers it an honor and a privilege to hold a safe space in which courageous men can look into the mirror of nature and share what they see.

 Linda Sartor holds a Ph.D. in Integral Studies and an M.S. in environmental education, and is a faculty member at two graduate institutions.  She has been leading wilderness trips for more than 15 years and has led Vision Quest programs for 10 years, having trained with Rites of Passage and the School of Lost Borders. When she is not in the wilderness, Linda is teaching research methods and supervises thesis/dissertation work. Linda has also been spending about half of her time in Sri Lanka as part of the Nonviolent Peace Force, a group of 18 internationals chosen to provide a protective presence to support civil society and to establish and maintain peace and justice. With a passion for collaboration, Linda works toward facilitating groups with the intention that each individual member bring forth his/her own contribution in service of the group's purpose as well as having the group support its individuals in their unique purposes.  

Munro Sickafoose is a husband, father, whitewater river guide, and ceremonial leader. He has been deeply involved with indigenous earth–based ceremonies for many years. He trained as a vision quest guide at the School of Lost Borders, and has been leading groups and individuals in the wild since 1996. He has also trained at the Ojai Foundation as a facilitator in the Way of Council. He is one of the founders of a men’s community in Portland, Oregon, and is on the Advisory Council, which serves as a board of directors, of the Wilderness Guides Council. With his wife, Susanna Maida, he teaches couples to use Council for sacred relationship communication.

Corinna Stoeffl , M.S., has trained extensively with Steven Foster and Meredith Little Foster at the School of Lost Borders, and has led rite of passage programs for colleges and other community institutions.  A student of wilderness rites of passage for over ten years, Corinna served for several years in a leadership role with the Wilderness Guides Council.  Her vision is to build communities with initiated adults and elders who will support the youth on their passage through adolescence to adulthood.  Raised in Germany and living in the U.S. for over 20 years, Corinna can assist German-speaking people who wish to undertake a rite of passage.  
  

Scout Tomyris (aka Kathy) has been guiding vision quests since 1998, and been on our staff since 2001. An apprentice for 3 years with Anne Stine of Wilderness Rites, her training also included intensive programs with Animas Valley Institute and the School of Lost Borders, as well as training in shamanic practices. Prior to becoming a guide, Scout backpacked and hiked extensively. We each have our moment in the sun, and Scout's was near the end of 2001 when, as she describes it, her brain blew up. The bizarre experience of ICU somehow translated to vision quest and she sought solace and healing by enacting some of the rituals that we practice in the field. Death touched her and then spit her back out: Scout has more work to do on this plane. Now she listens and watches very carefully to the ever-present guidance that emanates from nature and spirit. A lover of nature since childhood, Scout has become a skilled naturalist over the years. Her curiosity about all that surrounds us is nearly as engaging as her quick wit and eagerness to laugh. Her focus as a guide is on working with adults on both women-only and coed trips. Her active involvement with the Wilderness Guides Council, the North American association for vision quest and rites of passage guides, led to her being selected as the Netkeeper in 2005. Currently the only paid administrator for them and as such is in regular contact with guides all over the world, she is one of five volunteers on the organizing committee for the 4th Intercontinental Wilderness Guides Gathering to be held in April 2009. Although Scout lives in Santa Rosa with her beloved tabby cat Inyo, her heart is with the plants, animals, stones and sky of the desert.