Our Leaders
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Steve Rosencranz - Founder and PresidentSteve founded The Woods Project in 2001 to provide opportunities for low income youth to develop the skills for life through a wilderness education program. In 2008, he incorporated The Woods Project as a stand-alone entity to facilitate the continued growth of the program. Steve comes from an entrepreneurial background, having founded two successful independent finance companies and co-founding a Grameen model micro-lending non-profit. He has led outdoor adventures for large groups for over 10 years and has backpacked and hiked all over the continental United States. He and his wife Tricia live in Houston. His two daughters are grown and out of the nest and have been replaced by two foo foo dogs. |
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Dick Poindexter
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Mary HarveyMary joined The Woods Project in 2008 as a Donner Pass leader because she loves working with kids in the outdoors. She has 30 years experience as a camp counselor and youth leader in Maine, Virginia, Wyoming and Texas with Camp Fire, Girl Scouts and Venture Scouting. She is an experienced educator and businesswoman and is currently Director of Technology at St. Mark's Episcopal School and teaches technology to 5th through 8th graders. She and her husband Kenneth live in Houston. Mary's daughter, Rebecca, was also a leader at Donner in 2008. Mary will be camp director in Yosemite for the summer of 2009. |
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Stephanie O'Leary
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Haig AgigianAfter retiring from a social work career as an agency director and mental health therapist, Haig spends more time at his favorite activities: hiking, traveling, cooking and salsa dancing. His love of the outdoors began in the boy scouts and continued for the next six years, when he spent summers as a camp counselor. Haig worked with youth at community centers for five years, and also spent a few years as a middle school teacher and school social worker. He has been hiking and car camping with the Sierra Club since 1975. In travels with his wife Annette, Haig has hiked the mountains of Patagonia, the rainforests of New Zealand and other wondrous places. He volunteers with youth on hikes with Inner City Outings and goes on week-end outdoor trips with youth with Mission Graduates. |
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Jaena StrongJaena is a graduate from the University of Houston, and a young professional. As Forrest noted in our newsletter (2008), she has great rapport with the students. She has been a volunteer leader since 2007, backpacking several weekend trips, and the summers of 2008 and 2009. With the exception of a quarter-sized blister on her foot from the summer of 2008, she looks forward to future trips, and leading more youth to experience the outdoors. It always amazes her at the growth in responsibility of the students who participate in the two week summer backpacking trips. It gives her great confidence that the youth participating in this program will be replacing the baby-boomer generation ten years from now! |
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Mike OlsonMike Olson joined the Woods Project during the summer of 2008 as a backpacking leader in Donner Pass. The highlight of the trip was leading a five day back country trek with eight students through the Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe. Mike believes outdoor experiences are an important part of a strong education. He finds when he takes students into the outdoors that often the life lessons are abundant and the students are quick to recognize the beauty and importance of our natural world. Mike grew up in small town in Central Wisconsin where he spent much of his free time outdoors either canoeing, camping, fishing, or hunting. Mike is currently the Operations Manager and English teacher at YES Prep North Central, and he is earning his MBA from Rice University. He and his wife Leticia are expecting their first child this summer so he will be taking a break from the Woods Project. |
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Rebecca SchneiderRebecca Schneider was born and raised in Houston, Texas but is now going to school in California at the University of California San Diego. She was in Girl Scouts for 9 years and earned her Silver Award. Outside of Girl Scout camping she has done everything from hiking to canoeing to skiing. Last year she participated in Wilderness Orientation for new UCSD students and went on a three day canoe trip down the Colorado River. This program strengthened her appreciation of the wilderness and taught her the importance of Leave No Trace practices. Other than constantly applying sunscreen her hobbies include soccer and theater. Rebecca is also taking a Woods Project break this summer because she has to earn money for school next fall! |
Andreya KrievesAndreya Krieves teaches BCIS at Yes Prep Southwest in Houston, Texas. She was a backpacking leader at Donner Pass in Summer 2009 and has participated in spring and summer programming as well. She plans to be a leader in summer 2010 and we look forward to having her on board. |
What They're Saying
"I searched a creek for . . . invertebrates that serve as indicator species for the quality of water."
– Noe, Woods Project participant, Donner Pass 2008
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