Home Office Team The Home Office Team is the story behind the scenes. Most of these talented folks started out working seasonally at our lodges before deciding to come on year-round with AWA, giving them unique insight into what makes AWA special. Day-in and day-out, these people keep the details straight and your trip on track.
Chad Carter: Cooper Landing Office Manager Born on a blueberry farm in Valdosta, Georgia, Chad earned a degree in Recreation from Georgia Southern University in a small town near Savannah, GA. Following college, he teamed up with his best friend for a vacation to Alaska and immediately fell in love with the Kenai Peninsula. Two years later, the pull of Alaska proved more than he could handle, and he finally made the leap in 2008 after landing a job at Alaska Wildland Adventures' Kenai Backcountry Lodge. Since then, he's enjoyed backpacking through the Alaskan wilderness and campfires under the midnight sun. Chad's passions include hiking, kayaking, reading, astronomy, and traveling. Chad also enjoys assisting clients with booking the fishing trip of their dreams and keeping the Cooper Landing office on beat.
Emerald Burrill: Reservationist & Fishing Logistics Coordinator
 Born in the small town of Salmon, Idaho, Emerald spent most of her childhood exploring the outdoors and tagging along with her godparents who run an outfitting company based out of Challis. In 1998 her family moved to Justin, Texas, where she finished high school and pursued a degree in Animal Science from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. After graduation, she dabbled in bartending until she could no longer ignore the pull of the mountains. One night, while trying to decide where to move, a friend suggested Alaska. The idea stuck. Soon after, she and the very same friend who put the idea in her head embarked on a 4,800 mile road trip from Lubbock to Cooper Landing, AK where she took on the position of Fishing Logistics Coordinator for AWA's Kenai River Sportfishing Lodge. It was love at first sight, and the rest as they say, is history. When she's not filleting fish in the summer or booking fishing trips in the winter, she loves to travel, go horseback riding, hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting, spending time with her family and friends in Texas, and cheering on the Red Sox!
Kris Malecha: Sales and Marketing Director 
Kris, our Sales & Marketing Director, was born and raised in Minnesota. Her family spent summers "Up North" at the cabin, camping and canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Her love for the northwoods continued as she pursued her degree in Communications and English from the University of Minnesota - Duluth. She spent a lot of time exploring the northshore of Lake Superior and all the trails, rivers and streams nearby. Late in college, she also discovered a passion for health, fitness and running, which led to an increased interest in all things “outdoors.” A 1996 trip to visit family in Juneau, Alaska exposed Kris to the most beautiful scenery, most amazing wildlife, and a wilderness so vast it was difficult to describe. That seed of love for Alaska was firmly planted, and in 2006, she moved here to make Alaska her permanent home. In her free time, Kris has translated her love of running to trail running, long mountain hikes and climbs, and Nordic skiing. Kayaking has replaced canoeing, and she still loves to camp and just simply be outside. Her two teenage sons both thrill and terrify her with their downhill skiing talents and keep her entertained in all ways. At Alaska Wildland Adventures, Kris loves bringing her enthusiasm for this great state to guests from around the globe. Whether she is on the phone directly serving a guest, or working on marketing plans to bring more of AWA closer to them, it is her overall love of Alaska that puts the passion in what she does.
Glenda Denny: Lead Reservations Specialist  Born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in the small mountain town of Granby, Colorado, Glenda now calls Alaska home. She has worked in a number of travel-related jobs throughout the Last Frontier, first as a seasonal employee while still in college, and now as our full-time Lead Reservations Specialist. With a degree in Restaurant Resort Management, Glenda has mastered the art of managing the details of our many trips. When not calculating meal and room numbers, Glenda enjoys talking with our guests and helping to plan once-in-a-lifetime Alaska vacations. Outside the office, she spends her time hiking, knitting, camping, fishing, sewing, and pressing flowers. Her favorite Alaska experiences include dipping her toes in the Arctic Ocean, visiting Kodiak Island, exploring Prince William Sound, and flightseeing above majestic Mt. McKinley (Denali).
Kirk Hoessle: Company President
 Kirk Hoessle is the President of Alaska Wildland Adventures, Inc. He led the company's first trip for five years before growing into a management position. He has been the principal shareholder and leader of Alaska Wildland Adventures since 1987. Kirk currently serves on the board of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. He also serves as Advisor to the Board of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association (AWRTA), an organization for which he served as a founding Board Member as well as President for two terms. AWRTA is the voice for Ecotourism in Alaska and has been very influential in guiding statewide tourism policy. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Kirk came to Alaska for a summer job as a crew leader with the Bureau of Land Management's Youth Conservation Corps program in 1976. He has traveled and guided adventure travel trips throughout Alaska. His fondest travel memories include backpacking and rafting in Alaska's Brooks Range prior to the establishment of the National Parks, which now encompass much of the area. Kirk holds a degree in Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation from George Williams College of Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois. Before embarking upon a career in Alaska adventure travel, his focus was environmental education. In his seven years in this field, he served as an instructor, outdoor school director, curriculum writer, and program designer. And then, the spell of the Alaska wilderness got the best of him. Kirk is deeply connected to his company, and balances work with family time, rafting, natural history interpretation, cross country and telemark skiing, wilderness exploration, competitive volleyball, and world travel.
Kyle Kelley: General Manager
 Alaska Surfing?! Yes! Kyle has gone surfing out of Seward to Montague Island and explored areas in Resurrection Bay and other Alaska waters: "The water's not cold when you're wearing the right wet suit!" Born in Oakland, CA, but raised primarily in Tacoma, WA, Kyle has lived in Alaska for 20 years and has been working with Alaska Wildland Adventures for the last 14. Kyle is responsible for seeing that our company runs smoothly and that every guest and employee has an enjoyable and safe time. When not overseeing AWA's operations, Kyle stays busy skiing, snowboarding, surfing, mountain biking, hiking, running, fishing, river running and enjoying life with his lovely wife, Stacy and son, Cooper.
Amy LaHaie: Director of Program Development  Amy was enchanted by the wilds of Alaska from a young age, when her older brother would share slideshows, pictures and stories of the abundant wildlife and wilderness witnessed inside Denali National Park. After a visit to Alaska at age 16, Amy vowed to return to the 49th state and did so after completing a BA in Journalism and Communications at Michigan State University. Before finding her home at Alaska Wildland Adventures, Amy ran ground operations for an Alaskan air taxi (during which time she earned her private pilot's license) and also managed logistics for a heli-ski outfit in Thompson Pass, AK. At AWA, Amy focuses her energy on creating unique and culturally enriching Alaska itineraries for special travel groups, educational institutions and affinity associations. Using various personal Alaska travel experiences as reference, she relishes the opportunity to match the perfect AWA trip to individual travelers and travel groups. Aside from work pursuits, Amy enjoys spending time with her dogs, Mort and Olive, cheering on the Detroit Pistons, battling for points on the ping pong table, and talking and laughing with friends around the world.
Kelsey Pilch: Marketing Coordinator
Born in Anchorage, Kelsey has moved and found her way back to Alaska twice. The first time was against her will, when her family packed her up as a two-year-old and moved down to Washington. After 9 years in the Lower 48, Kelsey and her family moved back up to Palmer, Alaska where she graduated from high school in 2006. After high school, it was time to move south again, this time to Idaho for college. Kelsey graduated from the University of Idaho in 2010 but not before having the chance to visit northern Italy; work at a historic performing arts theater; intern for the Governor of Idaho; travel to Shanghai, China; and overall have a fabulous time exploring Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. She is thrilled to be back in Alaska and especially to have the chance to work as AWA's Marketing Coordinator and call Girdwood home. In her free time, Kelsey loves playing volleyball, camping, fishing, reading, knitting, jamming out, visiting her parent's two dogs (and visiting her parents), hanging out with her endlessly entertaining brother and sister, and overall having a great time enjoying life's adventures.
Rebecca Downey Thomas: Staff Accountant
 Rebecca, "Beck" here in the office, previously worked for Alaska Wildland Adventures as the Sales and Office Manager for the Denali properties. Following a 4-year hiatus during which time she worked with two environmental nonprofit organizations in Anchorage, she found her niche with AWA and is now Staff Accountant. Beck is glad to be back and we are ecstatic to have her and appreciate her witty disposition! When Beck's not in the office "counting beans," she and hubby, Scott, enjoy spending time introducing the wonders of Alaska to their daughter, Jillian. Incidentally, Beck and Scott met through AWA. Scott worked for AWA for 13-years before "retiring" to start his own business. Some of her most memorable Alaskan experiences thus far have been backpacking in Denali National Park, kayaking in the waters of Southeast Alaska, and birding around the state with her husband.
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