Our Staff & Board
Melis has been our school's executive director since 2016. She has lived and worked in Alaska for over 20 years enjoying a career on snow and glaciers as a climbing ranger for Denali National Park, senior guide for the Alaska Mountaineering School and a field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). She has completed Pro 1 avalanche training, and has skied/climbed on 7 continents including two stints as a field guide for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. A dedicated educator, Melis has spent over two decades certifying students in emergency medicine as a wilderness medicine instructor for NOLS and as a climbing instructor navigating avalanche terrain. Melis shares her deep dedication to safety in the outdoors with a broad audience. She works hard to preserve AAS' legacy as a leader in local nonprofit avalanche education.
