Bea Armstrong

Executive Director

Biography

Bea is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) and the first female to serve in this post. She brings over 25 years of experience in senior nonprofit leadership and consulting roles to NCOBS. Bea’s career has been defined by her love of adventure, the outdoors, conservation, and working in different cultures. She started her career in experiential education as a wilderness guide working with youth at risk in the Grand Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming, and then went on to work for Pacific Crest Outward Bound School, headquartered in Oregon, as the Director of Admissions, an instructor, and a staff trainer. Bea then worked as an international guide in mainland China and Tibet, as a national and international nonprofit consultant, ran an endowed college foundation lecture series and served for twelve years in the environmental sector and water conservation business as the Director of Communications, Marketing, and Development at the Deschutes River Conservancy in Bend, Oregon. Before assuming the NCOBS Executive Director role, Bea served as the Director of Philanthropy at Hong Kong Academy and an Adjunct Professor in the Masters in Nonprofit Management Program at Hong Kong University. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Oregon Charles Lundquist School of Business and a B.A. from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. A native Southerner, Bea is thrilled to be back in her old stomping grounds exploring new and old areas with family, friends, and the NCOBS community.

What is your role at NCOBS?

I work with staff, the Board of Directors, and NCOBS Regional Advisory Boards to ensure we are a thriving nonprofit successfully accomplishing our mission to change lives through challenge and discovery.

Brianna Ashley

Recruitment & HR Assisant

What is your role at NCOBS

I'm responsible for the company-wide recruitment efforts, overseeing the Fellowship for BIPOC Staff program and assist in various HR systems to ensure a smooth process . I also strive to facilitate sustainable relationships with our community partners to create more accessibility into the outdoor industry.

Is there a Pillar that resonates with you? If so, why? 

I love Compassion. In order to move about this world as harmoniously as possible, we must have Compassion. 

Philip Bassani

Partnership Manager

Erin Broome

Director of Student Services

What is your role with NCOBS?

I work with school groups and families by educating them about their upcoming courses and helping them come to course prepared and ready for adventure.   

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

What keeps me inspired is working with an organization that has a deep sense of purpose and relevancy in today’s world.   

Sal Clarizio

Facilities Director

What is your role with NCOBS? 

I oversee the maintenance and construction at our main office and all NCOBS base camps in North Carolina and Florida.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

I am inspired to work at an organization that has a sense of purpose and provides life-changing experiences for today's youth and adults.

Cait Coffey

Business Development Director

What is your role with NCOBS?

I work as part of the Sales and Admissions Team and am the ’feet on the street.’ While traveling across the Southeast to fairs, events, and schools, I am sharing the NCOBS story with students, families, veterans, organizations, and educators.

What inspired you to work with Outward Bound?

The strong values, rich history, and proven pedagogy of Outward Bound are truly inspirational. Plus, my dog works in the office. 

Austyn DiIoia

Student Services Representative

What is your role at NCOBS? 

I prepare students for their course by helping them through the admissions process and answering any questions they may have.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS? 

I love the mission and have experienced firsthand how impactful outdoor education can be for students.

Carla Farchaus

Student Services Representative for Group Programs

Sarah Goldman

Community Programs Director

“Try to be one of those people on whom nothing is lost.” -Henry James

In 1982, Sarah’s mother Cecele attended an over 30 adult renewal course at Table Rock here at NCOBS. Soon after, her father Michael attended an Outward Bound course in the Boundary Waters at the Voyageur Outward Bound School. Both courses served as pivotal life experiences for her parents and therefore growing up, Sarah was consistently told, “you don’t have to college, but you do have to go to Outward Bound.”

Jordan Gurkin

Professional Program Director

What is your role with NCOBS?

I work with businesses to develop the ideal Outward Bound program for their employees in order to improve communication, teamwork, and productivity. This can be in the form of a virtual event, a day program, or a wilderness experience.

What inspired you to work for NCOBS?

I started working at NCOBS because I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of the outdoors and pushing outside of my comfort zone. My job allows me to share this passion with others and translate that into everyday life and the work force.

Walker Jones

Associate Director of Advancement Operations

Sarah Kime

Director of Advancement

What is your role with NCOBS?

I oversee and direct the organization's fundraising, marketing, and communications, including developing a multi-year strategy for raising funds through the Annual Fund, Grants, Major Gifts, and Planned Giving. I also lead our team with external communications to support and promote all the excellent work that NCOBS provides to our community.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

I was drawn to NCOBS due to its mission of changing lives through challenge and discovery. I am passionate about creating positive transformative experiences for students and nurturing compassionate leaders.

Jan Letendre

Chief Financial Officer

Vanessa McCroskey

Educators Program Director

What is your role at NCOBS?

I help educators to have their own Outward Bound adventures and develop ways to bring principles of experiential education back to their students and schools.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

NCOBS educator programs provide educators with a once in a lifetime experience and the tools to pass some of that on to students every day. I was, and still am, inspired by the opportunity to join my background in experiential education and classroom teaching to help educators and students.

Bill Murray

Chief Operating Officer

What is your role with NCOBS? 

I oversee all our programs and operations for quality and safety to ensure students and staff have the best possible experience.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

The opportunity to do work that is meaningful with dedicated, talented fellow staff and spend time outdoors in the process.

Jackie Neu

Development Coordinator

Karen Sare

HR Director

What is your role at NCOBS?

It is my hope and mission to support the initiatives of the organization while creating the best work environment possible to motivate and retain our employees!

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

As an HR professional for almost 20 years, I’ve learned that my business IS people.  After being an HR Consultant with NCOBS for the last several months, I’ve gotten to know many of the employees and can honestly say that Outward Bound employees are the most dedicated, caring, and mission-driven group of employees I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside. I look forward to being a part of the amazing mission-driven work and supporting the NCOBS employees in their very important roles.  

Alex Schwartz

Safety and Training Director

What is your role with NCOBS?

I work to improve safety by training staff on risk management policies, procedures, and practices and by analyzing and planning based on incidents that have already happened. I also manage our course curriculum, staff manuals, driver training, and Course Director training.  

Is there a pillar that resonates with you? How?

Personally, I really enjoy self-reliance. I find the more I'm willing to learn to do myself, the more control I feel I have over my life. 

Whitney Setser

Associate Director of Student Services

What is your role with NCOBS?

After students have enrolled, I help them prepare for their upcoming course, whether talking about what clothing/gear to bring or by telling them more specifics about their course. I also represent and maintain relationships with NCOBS’s Group Education Program clients, which are large school or organizational groups such as entire 9th-grade classes that may do Outward Bound for a class trip.

Are you an NCOBS alum? If yes, when/where did you do your course?

Yes, I participated in an 8-day Sea Kayaking Course in 2005 at the North Carolina Outer Banks.

Is there a pillar that resonates with you? How? 

Compassion – we need more kindness in the world. It’s also the pillar I find myself working on for myself the most. To walk in someone else’s shoes and to try to have empathy for their experience is important to me. I would want someone to treat me that way, so I strive to do the same.

Natasha Shipman

Executive Assistant

Heather Simpson

Program Resource Manager

What is your role with NCOBS?

I’m responsible for purchasing equipment, vehicles & boats needed to support all activities including backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater paddling, sea kayaking, and mountaineering.  I also oversee all permits required to run programs on Federal and State lands.  We partner with over a dozen agencies around the southeast United States.  I’m often found at one of our basecamp locations supporting the logistics staff.

Sanjay Singh

IT Director

What is your role with NCOBS?

I work to provide technology tools and assistance to the NCOBS staff. 

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

A chance to help a non-profit educational community.

Is there a pillar that resonates with you?

Craftsmanship - doing your best in everything.

Deb Sweeney

Director of Program Operations

What is your role with NCOBS?

I oversee the delivery of safe and quality courses for our staff and students, by working with our Program Directors and Managers to ensure trainings, curriculum, gear, policies and procedures meet Outward Bounds high standards.

What inspired you to work at NCOBS?

The school’s reputation, the quality of the programs, the quality of the trainings, the quality of the people. To just be part of Outward Bound. 

Alexys J. Woods

Charlotte Program Manager

I'm responsible for our 3 Charlotte Programs - The Charlotte Educators Course, The Dalton Leadership Scholarship, and The Charlotte Unity Project. All three of our Charlotte Programs are fully-funded! 

My journey with NCOBS began when I was selected to participate in the NCOBS Charlotte Unity Project program in 2008 while attending high school. That was my first outdoor experience, and I fell in love with Unity and NCOBS. After graduating from Queens University of Charlotte in 2014, I was invited to serve on the NCOBS Charlotte Advisory Board (CAB). I was a member of the CAB for six years before accepting an opportunity to transition into a full-time staff position with NCOBS in 2020.