Board of Directors
Pictured left-to-right: Elizabeth Anglin Knox, Chien Lee and Ana Patel
Elizabeth Anglin Knox
Founding Managing Director, Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding
National Director, Development, Outward Bound
Elizabeth Knox is the founding Managing Director of the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding and served in that role until September 2009. Ms. Knox joined Outward Bound as a field instructor in 1995. She has served the organization in multiple capacities since that time, including as Director of Operations and Safety and Director of Marketing in North Carolina, and as a Development Associate in New York City. She served as the Development Officer for Outward Bound International/Global Leaders Program, and more recently, was the Interim Vice President, Development for Outward Bound, Inc.
Ms. Knox has been actively engaged with the international Outward Bound network, including participation in Outward Bound World Conferences in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa, and visits to developing Outward Bound programs around the world. In addition to her work with Outward Bound, she served as General Manager of Yamnuska Inc. in Canada, where she co-proposed and co-managed adventure training contracts for the British and Canadian militaries. Ms. Knox has an undergraduate degree from Guilford College, and holds a masters degree in Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Elizabeth Cunningham
Author and Illustrator
Liz Cunningham is the author of numerous articles and the highly-praised, Talking Politics: Choosing the President in the Television Age (Praeger), which features in-depth interviews with top television journalists such as Tom Brokaw, Larry King and Robin MacNeil. She has worked with institutions such as the Academy for Educational Development, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Tides Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution to further the cause of citizen education for young people. Ms. Cunningham received her B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic. She is currently researching a book on ocean conservation and sustainable development. She attended her first Outward Bound course in North Carolina in 1977, due to the rather persistent prodding of her grandfather’s brother, Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound. Less than a year later she attended a Hurricane Island Outward Bound course; both were life-transforming experiences. For over a decade she has been actively engaged with the four groups of Hahn-inspired schools as co-founder, with her husband Charles Costello, of KurtHahn.org, the online archive of Kurt Hahn’s writings.
Clayton H. Fowler
Chairman and Chief Executive, Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, LLC
Clayton H. Fowler is a founding partner of Spinnaker Real Estate Partners. Mr. Fowler has over 30 years experience in the acquisition, development, construction and management of commercial office and residential projects in Connecticut, New York, Oregon and Missouri. He has ownership interest in over 3.25 million square feet of commercial office, industrial and multi-family properties located in Fairfield County, CT. His residential experience includes the completion of over 5,500 housing units nationwide.
In the Minnesota winter of 1970, Clay went on his first Outward Bound course as a student. After graduating from Princeton University in 1972, Clay spent the next ten years as a Senior Outward Bound Sea Instructor and Course Director in Maine. Mr. Fowler is currently a leading advocate of affordable housing and has served on affordable housing committees, boards and study groups throughout Connecticut. He has been the Chairman of the Planning Board for the Town of Pound Ridge, New York for the past 20 years. He currently serves on the Boards of the Housing Development Fund of Lower Fairfield County, the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, and the Maritime Aquarium. Mr. Fowler is a Founding Board Member of the Fairfield/Westchester Real Estate Finance Association and is a Member of the Urban Land Institute.
Mr. Fowler is a National Board Member for Outward Bound USA and an International Board Member for the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding. He also serves on the Outward Bound Executive Committee, in addition to being Chairman of its Safety Committee. Mr. Fowler lives in Pound Ridge, New York with his wife and four children.
Tom Glaisyer
Knight Media Policy Fellow, New America Foundation
As a Knight Media Policy Fellow at New America, Tom Glaisyer coordinates the Media Policy Program at the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative. Mr. Glaisyer is a Ph.D. candidate from Columbia University’s School of Journalism where he has focused on the interplay between media and political processes and institutions. Before joining New America he acted as a consultant and analyst leveraging online platforms for knowledge management as well as for building and sustaining advocacy networks. Prior to this he worked for more than fourteen years across Europe and the United States where his work centered on information technology implementation and organizational change. He holds a Masters Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and Economics from the University of Birmingham in England, and has passed the qualifying exams of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. In 1983 at the age of 14 he attended an Outward Bound Junior Standard course at Outward Bound Rhowniar in West Wales that changed his life.
Stephen C. Hassenfelt
Chairman and Chief Executive, Granville Capital, Inc.
Mr. Hassenfelt is the Chairman and CEO of Granville Capital, Inc. and has over 25 years of experience in the investment management business. He was the Chairman and CEO of NCT Opportunities, Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Trust Corporation specializing in hedge fund advisory services, and has been the portfolio manager of Granville Multi-Strategy Partners since its inception in 1995. During his career, he has served in senior executive positions with N.C. Trust Company (which he co-founded in 1984) and its successor U.S. Trust Company of North Carolina as well as U.S. Trust Corporation. From October 2000 to June 2003, Mr. Hassenfelt founded and managed the Excelsior Hedge Fund of Funds I, L.L.C., a registered investment company, for U.S. Trust. Mr. Hassenfelt graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972 with a BS in Business and from Wake Forest University Law School in 1976 with a JD (cum laude). He is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Life Underwriter.
Janina Hrebickova
Head of Office of the Czech Republic to Kosovo
Janina Hrebickova is the Head of Office of the Czech Republic to Kosovo. Previously, she was the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic Mission to the United Nations, 2004 to August 2007. In 2003, she was the Czech Republic Foreign Affairs Ambassador-at-Large to Iraq, leading and coordinating the work of 22 Czech experts in reconstruction, nation and capacity-building projects throughout the country. Prior to her work in the diplomatic service of the Czech Republic, her international work encompassed four peacekeeping missions of the United Nations in roles including spokesperson, producer, media trainer, and chief of unit. She served as a political analyst and in a number of professional capacities for organizations such as the International Organization on Migration and the International Research Exchange Board.
Ms. Hrebickova’s early career was as a journalist for Czech and international news organizations, and as a television news anchor and host, specializing on foreign affairs and policy. She is a founding member of the International Women Media Foundation, and is a member of the International Journalistic Federation. She holds a Master’s degree from Charles University in Prague, and PhD in Comparative Linguistics and Literature.
Chien Lee, Chairman
Private Investor
Chien Lee is a private investor based in Hong Kong who devotes most of his time to not-for-profit organizations. Between 1996 and 2009, Mr. Lee served for 10 years as Vice Chairman of Outward Bound International and 10 years as Chairman of Outward Bound Hong Kong.
Educated in Hong Kong, Switzerland and the United States, Mr. Lee received his B.S., M.S. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford University, where he has served on its Board of Trustees, the Board of the Stanford Alumni Association and the Advisory Council of the Graduate School of Business. Currently, he is a member of the Advisory Boards of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the School of Education and the School of Engineering. Mr Lee is also a Trustee of Phillips Academy, Andover, is a member of the Councils of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and St. Paul’s Co-educational College (Hong Kong) where he is its Supervisor and is a Trustee of The Asia Foundation and The Asia Society Hong Kong Center.
Mr Lee is non-executive director of Hysan Development Company Limited, Swire Pacific Limited and Television Broadcasts Limited which are all listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Heskel Nathaniel
President and Founder, E.D.R. Eastern Development & Real Estate
President and Founder, Breaking the Ice
Managing Director and Founder, arsago
Heskel Nathaniel is the Founder of Breaking the Ice, an international non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring people to transform conflicts from enmity into trust and mutual respect. Mr. Nathaniel served as a team member for the Antarctica Journey and the Sahara Journey, two expeditions that earned Breaking the Ice international recognition. Mr. Nathaniel is a co-founder of Outward Bound Israel and has served on its Board of Directors since 2006.
Mr. Nathaniel is the Founder and Managing Director of arsago, a real estate investment firm based in Germany. arsago is an exclusive investment partner of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund for investments in Germany. An Israeli, born in Haifa in 1962, Mr. Nathaniel served in the Israeli Defense Forces for over 10 years.
Julia Pershan
Independent Non-Profit Organization Management Professional 
Julia Pershan is active in the nonprofit sector. She is President of the Arete Foundation which supports endeavors in the fields of education, health and the arts. She serves on the Board of Directors of the The Brearley School, an independent girls school in New York City, as well as numerous environmental organizations. Julia was a long-time trustee of the Children’s Museum of the Arts, a hands-on arts space newly re-opened in lower Manhattan. Julia was the also co-Founder, Chairman and President of the Tribeca Organization, a not-for-profit organization begun after September 11th and dedicated to small business and community development downtown.
Julia has an extensive history in community service. After college, she co-founded Freedom Summer, a non-profit organization dedicated to young voter registration and participation. Julia was appointed by President Clinton to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, DC and spent three years focusing on civil rights issues.
Julia graduated with a degree in History from Yale College and received her MBA degree from the Wharton School of Business. She lives in Manhattan with her husband Jonathan Cohen and their daughters Ella, Phoebe and Hannah.
Frances Rubacha
Frances Rubacha has been involved with Outward Bound since 1992. She served as Chairman of the Board of Outward Bound USA, from 2000-2004 and is currently a trustee of Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, as well as a member of Outward Bound Global Advisory Board. Ms. Rubacha also serves on the Boards of Literacy Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Advisors
Jon D’Almeida 
Executive Director, Outward Bound Hong Kong
Jon is a New Zealander who has roamed the world in the service of Outward Bound. After working as School Director in New Zealand he left to take up the challenge of starting Outward Bound in post-apartheid South Africa. With that school well established Jon moved to Hong Kong where he is now the Executive Director. Jon has had many years of involvement in Outward Bound around the world.
Mark Gerzon
Founder and President, Mediators Foundation
Mark Gerzon is one of the key architects of the field of global leadership and an experienced facilitator in high-conflict zones. He has advised a wide variety of organizations including the US Congress, multinational corporations, and UNDP. The author of numerous books, including Leading Through Conflict and Global Citizens, he is currently serving as UN advisor on leadership in conflict-torn countries in Africa and Asia.
As President of Mediators Foundation, which he founded over twenty years ago, Mark is working closely with several projects that also advance the field of global citizenship. He founded the Conflict Transformation Collaborative, a network of peace-builders from around the world. He is currently designing an interactive, awareness-raising workshop ‘The Global Citizen Journey’ based on his most recent book. For four decades, Gerzon has been involved in global affairs — first as a student (his junior year at Harvard was spent living and studying in seven countries around the world); then as a journalist (he co-founded WorldPaper, a “global newspaper” which reached a circulation of 1.5 million in five languages); next as a citizen diplomat (he worked for several years bringing together Soviet and American civic leaders to help end the cold war); and now as a UN advisor in leadership development.
His articles and commentaries have appeared recently in newspapers ranging from the Washington Post to the International Herald Tribune.
Peter Kyle
International Legal Consultant
Finance, Private Sector and Infrastructure Practice Group World Bank
After a 16-year career with the World Bank Peter Kyle recently retired from his position as Lead Counsel but continues as an International Legal Consultant with the Bank and is based in Washington, DC. He hails from New Zealand and was educated at Victoria University of Wellington gaining a BA (Economics) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honors). After qualifying as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in 1972, he clerked for the Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was then awarded a Rotary International Graduate Fellowship to complete a Master of Laws degree at the University of Virginia in 1974. Upon returning to New Zealand, Peter was made a partner in the leading New Zealand commercial law firm of Watts and Patterson. In 1979, he took leave from his firm to serve as a Senior Counsel with the Asian Development Bank in Manila, Philippines until 1985. In 1992, he accepted an offer of a senior position within the Legal Department of the World Bank and moved with his wife and two children to Washington, D.C.
Peter completed his first Outward Bound course at Anakiwa, New Zealand, in February 1966. He formed and became an active leader in the OBNZ Alumni Association and was elected to the Council of OBNZ in 1970. He served on all major Council and Board committees and chaired many of them. At the time of his move to Washington, DC he was the Senior Vice President of OBNZ. He also became actively involved in the international activities of Outward Bound and in 1988 was instrumental in drafting the legal documentation which led to the establishment of the Outward Bound International Advisory Board – the predecessor of Outward Bound International (OBI). In 1993 he was appointed to that Board and became Vice President of the organization the following year. In 1997 he was appointed as the inaugural Chairman of OBI, a position he held until 2002 when he was appointed Chairman Emeritus.
John Read
President and CEO, Hole in the Wall Camps
John C. Read is the President and CEO of the Hole in the Wall Camps, an organization founded by the former actor, Paul Newman. Prior to his current position, John was President & CEO of Outward Bound USA from 2002 – 2010. He also served as President and CEO for Heavy Duty Holdings, a $400 million mobile equipment components company he also founded and consolidated in association with Hidden Creek Industries.
Michael D. Schwamm
Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Michael Schwamm is a partner in the corporate department of the New York office of Duane Morris LLP, a national law firm with offices in 20 cities in the United States as well as London, Singapore, Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City.
Mr. Schwamm practices in the areas of corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities and technology law. Mr. Schwamm has represented companies of all sizes, including startups and venture-backed companies, privately held family businesses and both large and small public companies in all aspects of their business affairs, as well as providing services to angel investors, venture capitalist private equity funds and other institutional investors. In addition to providing general corporate counseling to a diverse number of clients, Mr. Schwamm has worked on a wide variety of transactions, including public offerings, private placements, mergers, acquisitions, reverse mergers into public shells, joint ventures and licensing arrangements involving a number of industries such as biotechnology, e-commerce, entertainment, manufacturing, sports and telecommunications.
He is a former vice president and general counsel of FiberCity Networks, Inc., a telecommunications service provider. In 2006, 2009 and 2010 he was selected as a Super Lawyer in Securities and Corporate Finance in New York and has been a partner at Duane Morris since 2003. Mr. Schwamm is a 1983 magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, where he was editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business and a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Schwamm has provided corporate advice and counseling to Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding on a pro bono basis, assisting in its incorporation, successful application for tax exempt status and corporate governance matters.
William Ury
Negotiation Advisor and Mediator
William Ury is co-founder of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, where he directs the Global Negotiation Initiative. He is co-author of the international bestselling Getting to YES and author of The Power of a Positive No.
Over the last twenty-five years, Mr. Ury has mediated between quarrelling corporate divisions, battling unions and management, and warring ethnic groups around the world. He has also served as a negotiation consultant to governments and dozens of Fortune 500 companies. He is co-founder of the e-Parliament (www.e-parl.net), a problem-solving forum and ideas bank for effective legislation, connecting members of congress and parliament around the world.
Mr. Ury’s most recent project is the Abraham Path Initiative (www.abrahampath.org) which seeks to create a permanent path of tourism and pilgrimage in the Middle East that retraces the footsteps of Abraham, the unifying figure of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Trained as an anthropologist, Mr. Ury holds a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. from Harvard.
Risk Management Advisors
William Ripley
William Ripley has been a senior manager with The Outward Bound Trust in the UK for 19 years. During that time he has held a number of roles and is currently Director Learning and Adventure with responsibility for delivery of course across the country. In addition William has represents the UK on the Outward Bound International Operations Committee and is a member of Outward Bound Centre for Peace Building risk management committee.
William graduated from the University of Wales in Zoology and subsequently gained his MBA from Manchester University.
William is active in the outdoors, holds a Mountain Instructor Award, and can on occasions be seen paddling and sailing.
Based from the Outward Bound Trust head office in the Lake District, England, William can be contacted at: williamripley@outwardbound,org.uk
Lewis Glenn
Lewis Glenn’s 35-year career in the adventure education industry began as an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and culminated with 19 years of service as the Vice President – Safety for Outward Bound USA. He now serves on Outward Bound USA’s Board of Advisors. Lewis currently works as a Managing Partner of Adventure Analytics, a safety and risk management consulting firm.
Lewis has instructed and managed programs in mountains and deserts, on rivers, lakes and oceans, and in urban environments, with an array of populations ranging from troubled youth to corporate executives. As Vice President, he was responsible for safety oversight of all Outward Bound USA programs, which, at its peak, included over 34,000 participants a year on programs ranging in length from one day to three months, both domestic and foreign.
Prior to entering the field of adventure education, Lewis served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and trainer of Peace Corps Volunteers in the Marshall Islands. Subsequently, he was the on-site director of the U.S. Department of Interior’s rehabilitation program on atomic- and hydrogen-bomb-torn Bikini Atoll, in the northern Marshall Island
As VP – Safety, Lewis was one or two primary liaisons with Outward Bound’s insurers and insurance broker. He also worked closely with legal counsel. Lewis led or oversaw over a dozen investigations into serious incidents and led approximately 100 routine safety reviews of operating programs of Outward Bound USA as well as of foreign Outward Bound programs. He led expeditions for Outward Bound Board Members to remote locales, including Bhutan, Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania, Patagonia and Machu Picchu in Peru.
Lewis served on Outward Bound USA’s Risk Management Committee, where he continues as an active member. In this capacity he works with other committee members to secure insurance, manage claims, and provide oversight of risks to the organization. Additionally, Lewis serves on the Risk Management Committee of the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding. He served on the industry group Wilderness Risk Management Committee (WRMC) from its inception in 1992 until 2009, providing support and guidance to the annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference, where he has often presented.
In addition to holding a bachelors degree in Philosophy, Lewis has completed a Case Study Method seminar at the Harvard School of Business, group management training with Interaction Associates, and wilderness medical trainings with Wilderness Medical Associates. He is certified by the American Red Cross as a Life Guard and Water Safety Instructor, and by the American Canoe Association as a Whitewater Canoe Instructor. He was a co-editor of the book “Leadership the Outward Bound Way.”
Joshua Schiller MD
Attending Physician & Clerkship Director, Dept. of Emergency Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center
Joshua is currently an Attending Physician and Clerkship Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY; in addition, he has been appointed the Director of International Programming starting this next academic year, 2012-2013. Dr. Schiller joined OBCP last year as a member of the risk management team. He has worked in the past with the International Organization of Migration and the United Nations Development Programme.
He holds a BA in Business Economics from Brown University, Providence RI, a Master of International Affairs with a Certificate of Expertise in Middle East studies from Columbia University, NY NY, and an MD from the Mount School of Medicine, NY NY. He trained in Emergency Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook NY. Joshua grew up camping and fishing, and spends as much time as he can getting out to the beaches and forests around the NYC area.
Jacques De Jongh
Executive Director, Outward Bound South Africa
Jacques joined The Outward Bound Trust of South Africa in 1995 after studying Human movement science and Psychology at the University of Pretoria. During these forming years of OBSA there were 90+ % foreign staff and there was a need to train local South Africans to further the OBSA development in a New South Africa.
Jacques spent much time as a field instructor, specialising in Adjudicated Youth programmes and new area developments. After three years of solid instructing he became the Operations Director for OBSA. During his time as the Ops Director Jacques developed programmes and programme areas around the country. Outward Bound now runs ten different sites around South Africa. He was also part of a team that hosted the Outward Bound World conference in South Africa – a truly memorable occasion.
Jacques was appointed as caretaker CEO of OBSA in 2006 and accepted a full-time appointment as the Executive Director in 2007. He has joined a select group of International staff that are charged with the responsibility of Programme quality and Safety at all OB schools internationally. Since 2002 Jacques has participated in programme reviews in Germany, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Oman and Rwanda. He has also been invited to work with the International Operations council who are responsible for the licensing and developing of new Outward Bound schools around the world.
Apart from the countries mentioned before, Outward Bound has taken Jacques to New Zealand, Scotland, England, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Namibia, USA and Alaska.
Outside of work Jacques is married to Denise and they live in the small coastal town of Plettenbergbay where they also raise their two daughters, Dominique(5) and Nina(2). Jacques is an avid outdoorsman and golfer.
