Berkeley Anderson—Development Coordinator, Foundations and Grants
From ice climbing to canyoneering, Berkeley is happiest when trying a new outdoor activity and soaking up some sunshine. Before joining the AAC team, Berkeley worked in fundraising and program management for women's empowerment related nonprofits and got degrees in physics, history, and public service. Now that she's at the AAC, she's stoked to combine her love of climbing with her experience in fundraising, and is excited to support the climbing community through our grants program
Aaron Blasingame—Gunks Operations & Guest Services Manager
Aaron is originally from Southern California and now resides in upstate New York managing the Gunks campground. Even with over 15 years of climbing experience all over the country, you can still find him at the crag just as stoked as ever. Aside from climbing, he is also an avid skier, backpacker, and swimmer. Stop by the Gunks campground and say hi!
Xavier Bravo—Events Coordinator
Allyssa Burnley—Lodging Director
Allyssa Burnley, originally from Rochester, NY, serves as the Lodging Director at the American Alpine Club, bringing with her a wealth of transferrable skillsets from her previous seven-year tenure in Human Resources. In her role, Allyssa oversees facility operations across the club's six national locations, with a strong emphasis on creating welcoming environments that foster a sense of community among visitors and guests alike.
Outside of work, Allyssa enjoys all forms of outdoor recreation and finds joy in various forms of climbing - though she holds a special fondness for aesthetic sport climbs. Places that hold a special place in her heart include a myriad of places in the Adirondacks, Rumney, Ten Sleep, Grand Tetons and El Potrero Chico. Outside of recreation, she finds solace in the simple things like throwing the ball for her dog, Colden, the smell of rain on the trees or hot pavement, and sipping coffee to the sound of the birds during slow mornings.
Foster Denney—Graphic Designer
Gabriel Enicks—Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch, Community & Guest Services Manager
Gabe was born and raised in Colorado Springs. From a young age, Gabe developed a sense for adventure in the mountains while following his dad on wild mountaineering and extreme off roading escapades through the Colorado backcountry.
As a young adult, Gabe studied physics and eventually pivoted into data and software where he worked for half a decade with large corporations and technology starts ups. After shifting his career to be more outdoor recreation focused, he enjoys helping other people take part in what the mountains have to offer and loves combining his background in sciences and mountaineering as a way to explore our natural world and as a method for gaining perspective in life.
Eddie Espinosa—Community Programs Director
Eddie started at the AAC as volunteer, leading the Cascade Section in Washington State. He has a strong background in the outdoor industry both in the non-profit world and retail sector. As a former guide/instructor, brand manager, and outdoor program director, he has a diverse set of professional experiences and instinctively seeks to make the climbing world inclusive to all.
He cut his teeth climbing in the North Cascades while at Pacific Lutheran University, and has subsequently climbed throughout the world. Eddie is based out of Seattle, Washington and loves climbing everything including sunny boulders, tall mountains, and frozen waterfalls. Much of his time now is spent adventuring with his two sons Evan and Anderson.
Katie Ferguson—Executive Assistant
After growing up in the climbing desert that is the Chicago suburbs, Katie fell in love with climbing on Missouri choss and Arkansas sandstone during undergrad at the University of Missouri, where she studied mass media communication and Spanish. Following a yearlong cross-country journey driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to Colorado and settled in Golden, where she worked in the brewing industry for a few years before finding her way to the AAC. In her free time, she enjoys (almost) all disciplines of climbing, traveling to climb new rocks and occasionally strapping into skies or hopping on her bike.
Ben Gabriel, Executive Director
Elias Hakim, IT Manager
Shane Johnson—Vice President Marketing & Communications
Shane grew up in Columbus, Ohio and was exposed to climbing at an early age through trips to the local climbing gym and a mentor that taught him to climb in the Red River Gorge and New River Gorge. During high school, a summer long trip to Colorado cemented his love for the outdoors and solidified his goal to move "out West." After graduation from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Marketing Management, he moved to Golden, Colorado to pursue his passion for climbing and the outdoors. Since moving to Golden he has developed a penchant for long, demanding days in the mountains. Before joining the AAC, he worked as a manager at Bent Gate Mountaineering and the Marketing Coordinator at Rab. If he's not out climbing during his free time, he's focused on spending time with his wife, two sons and two dogs.
Dougald MacDonald—Executive Editor
Dougald MacDonald has been a full-time climbing journalist since the mid-1990s. In addition to writing a book about Longs Peak and countless print and online articles, he has worked as Editor and Publisher of Rock & Ice magazine, Editorial Director for Climbing and Urban Climber, and now Executive Editor of the AAC. In this position, he is responsible for the American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Climbing, as well as the club's publications website. Dougald has been climbing for more than 35 years and still enjoys just about every aspect of the sport, from bouldering to long alpine routes. He especially loves putting up new routes in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.
Heidi McDowell - Vice President Development
Heidi hails from sunny California where she was climbing, rafting, and backpacking guide at U.C. Davis. From there she expanded her climbing repertoire in the great PNW, learning actual footwork on slippery basalt and clipping runout bolts at Smith Rock. From 2012 to 2015, she was the AAC Oregon Section Chair, while simultaneously working at the Mountain Shop, the oldest mountaineering gear store in the country. For the past few years, she's crafted events for the AAC. In her downtime she can be found clipping bolts, shredding powder, mountain biking, or hiking in the mountains with her pooch and AAC office dog, Gradie.
Sierra McGivney—Content Coordinator
Ashlee Milanich—Deputy Director
Ashlee comes from Kentucky, where she discovered climbing in the Red during university. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in International Studies. Most recently, she worked for the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition as their first Executive Director. She focused on strategic planning and expanding programming through educational and community outreach, local business and governmental relationships, and coordinating events. Ashlee has a passion for movement, art, and travel. She has spent much of the last five years hanging around, often upside down, either climbing or performing aerial acrobatics.
Karyn Perdue - Events Manager
Kelly Pittenger, Vice President Finance & Operations
Kelly Pittenger - Vice President Finance & Operations
Kelly joins the American Alpine Club as its Operations Manager and looks forward to bringing her years of experience in nonprofit operations to the Club. She enjoys collaborating with all members of the AAC team and strives to improve operational excellence within the organization.
During her time at Colgate University (Biology, Environmental Studies) and the University of Pennsylvania (Master of Environmental Studies), she explored her passion for wildlife biology and conservation. Here, she utilized her capstone project to research the use of detection dogs for noninvasive wildlife monitoring, spending time tracking moose populations through Adirondack Park. She’s excited to bring this environmental conservation and sustainability background to her work at the Club.
Kelly couldn’t be happier to be living somewhere that aligns with her love for the natural world. When she isn’t working, you’ll likely find her skiing, mountain biking, cooking, and exploring new places with her golden retriever, Bear.
Leigh Preston - Membership Director
Leigh grew up in Syracuse, New York and attended nearby Hamilton College, where she studied Environmental Science and Geosciences and quickly found her passion for rock climbing and outdoor education. She moved to Colorado in 2018 in search of larger mountains and less humidity. Her background working at climbing gyms and as an outdoor educator has only solidified her excitement for exploring the outdoors and getting more people outside. When not at work, you can find her hiking or trail running with her cattle dog Murphy, or skiing at A-Basin.
Hannah Provost, Content Director
Nick Ridley, Education Director
Katie Sauter—Library Director
Katie started volunteering at the AAC Library in 2011 and joined the staff in 2013. She serves as librarian, archivist, and curator for the Club and for the American Mountaineering Museum. She holds a BA in History and Russian Studies from CU-Boulder and a Master’s in Library Science from McGill University. She is also a Certified Archivist. Born and raised in Colorado, she loves exploring the state, its history, and its mountains. Katie enjoys everything found in the AAC Library collections. Her favorite collections are the photographs from early exploration of the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks, the Colorado Mountain Club Collection, and the Nicholas B. Clinch Collection with its many incredible treasures. Here are some recommended books.
Shara Zaia, Program Manager