The Outdoor School

The vital link between nature and the classroom

Our Staff

Meet Our Full-Time Staff

Deborah Guinn

Deborah Guinn
Executive Director

Deborah’s love for the outdoors began early in her childhood while growing up in Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Arkansas, Deborah moved to Oregon, where she received her degree in Secondary Education from Western Oregon State College. In 1995, she accepted a position as the Equestrian Director and Retreat Coordinator for Baskin Family Camps, and when the owners expanded their facilities to create The Outdoor School in 1996 Deborah enthusiastically became a part of that team. Deborah’s love for the outdoors, her passion for teaching and her experience working with children make her the perfect choice for Executive Director of The Outdoor School!

Rob Letendre

Rob Letendre
Sales and Marketing Director

Rob received his degree in Outdoor Education from Johnson State College in Vermont. Over the last decade, Rob has held a variety of roles with The Outdoor School and Champions Retreat. He has spent time as an instructor, and program coordinator, was the director at our Camp For All location, and most recently was the retreat director and leadership coordinator. Rob is excited to continue to grow the programs through building relationships with new schools and retreat groups.

Amy Koch
Personnel Director

Amy is originally from the tiny city of Montpelier, Vermont where her passions for nature, education, social growth, and high-quality science were seeded. She has a strong background in summer camp leadership which fuels the enthusiasm and joy she brings to The Outdoor School. Amy has worked in the summer camp and outdoor education industries since 2013 with programs all across this country. She started at The Outdoor School as an instructor and was later a program coordinator before coming back as the Personnel Director and Director of Leadership Programs. Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Boston University.

Ali Grello
Ropes and Retreat Director

Ali has been on staff with The Outdoor School and Camp Champions since 2015. She received a degree in Forestry and French from Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee and then moved to Texas in 2015. Beginning in her childhood, she always had a love for hiking and camping and is happy to have a way to share the outdoors with others. Ali is also the Director of First Time Campers for our summer camp, Camp Champions!

Drew Talbert
Program Coordinator

Drew was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He attended the University of North Texas where he received his degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. After graduation, he spent the next few years on Grapevine Lake managing a private membership boat club. Wanting to transition into the outdoor education industry, he joined The Outdoor School as a program coordinator. Drew is inspired by the meaningful work and lasting impact that comes with working around children.

Grace Mills
Program Coordinator

Grace is originally from Washington, DC where she also attended school at American University. She received a degree in Public Health. Through her education, she discovered a passion for the outdoors and how instrumental it can be in boosting mental health and self-efficacy. She has worked with kids in many capacities including summer camp but is excited to start a new path in outdoor education with The Outdoor School. In her free time, she likes to hike, read, play ultimate frisbee, camp, and play with her dogs!

Nolan Sams
Program Coordinator

Nolan grew up in rural Michigan and spent his youth in Cincinnati OH. He started working with students as a tutor for underserved youth and guided them toward high school graduation. Nolan strives to have fun every day, so working with youth is an obvious path for him! He prefers the outdoors to an office setting and is passionate about building memorable experiences in nature. He worked as an Outdoor Education instructor at TOS in the spring and fall of 2022 before joining as a Program Coordinator.

Rachel Miele
Program Coordinator

Rachel grew up in San Antonio Texas. She was a part of Americorp in the southern region on a specialty forest team, and NCCC in Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama restoring habitats and conducting prescribed burns. She has previously worked as an EMT and volunteer firefighter. Rachel grew up around a lot of children and carried that passion into her first season at the outdoor school as an instructor in the fall of 2021. She loves working at TOS because she can see the impact the program has on the lives of the students.