Instructors
All programs are provided by Cornell Team & Leadership Center's famously skilled and enthusiastic instructors. The Cornell Team & Leadership Center is a division of Cornell Outdoor Education, a nationally-recognized leader in experiential education, employing ten full-time staff, a network of world-class trainers around the country, and 150 student leaders. The one thing we all share in common is a commitment to excellence, and to providing teambuilding program participants with the best experience possible.
Director, Amy Kohut
Amy Kohut is the Director of the Cornell Team and Leadership Center. Amy has been a manager, trainer and consultant for experience-based programs for over 25 years, and has worked for top rated organizations such as Outward Bound and Project Adventure. In 2005 Amy received the Excellence in Training and Consulting Award for Creative Leadership in the Art of Facilitation from Project Adventure, Inc.
Assistant Director, Jim Volckhausen Jim Volckhausen'88 has worked with Cornell Team & Leadership Center and Cornell Outdoor Education since the late 1980's. He has built adventure courses and trained staff at various experiential learning centers, and has directed a number of non-profit organizations. Over the past two decades, he has lead countless trainings, workshops and retreats focused on individual, group and organizational change. He has lead groups in a wide variety of settings, from corporate meeting rooms, to Challenge Ropes Courses, to remote wilderness and waterways. Jim is an avid paddler, bicycler, and xc/tele skiier, and has led a wide variety of courses and trainings for COE.
David Moriah
A pioneer in experiential training and education, Dave has over 30 years of experience in the field. Formerly the founding Director of Cornell Outdoor Education and the Program Director for Corporate Training at the Voyageur Outward Bound School, Dave has worked with the Wharton Business School and many Fortune 500 companies. He is currently a faculty member of the American Management Association.
Dan Tillemans Executive Director of COE from 1984 to 1999, Dan provided the vision and fundraising to make Cornell one of the top university-based outdoor programs in the nation. Dan's tenure resulted in the largest indoor climbing wall in North America, an extensive new outdoor program center, and a comprehensive outdoor challenge course. Dan's background includes working at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Wyoming for 7 years as an instructor and in the administration. Dan continues to teach teamwork and leadership development courses throughout the university. In particular, Dan has worked closely with Clint Sidle, Director of the Park Leadership Fellows Program in the Johnson Graduate School of Management to develop and apply the model called “The Leadership Wheel.” Dan lives in Ithaca, NY.
Paul Louis
Paul Louis started working with Malaysia Outward Bound in 1984, then came to the United States to work for North Carolina Outward Bound in 1987. Paul continues to work for them, largely in the Professional Development Programs. Paul also ran the outdoor program at the University of Missouri, and now has his own team consulting, experiential program design, safety audits, and professional leadership development business called Edgewalks. He has a BS in Experiential Education from Troy State University, MS from Mankato, and an Executive Coaching certification from Georgetown University. Paul speaks Tamil, Malay, and English. Paul lives in Ithaca, NY.
Carol James
Carol James has been an adventure educator for close to 20 years, originally working with adjudicated youth at Outward Bound in Florida. She has been a program director for Outward Bound in Boston, and is currently a consultant with Project Adventure, teaching professionals in areas of technical skills training, therapeutic skills, and consulting on organizational change around behavior management. Carol lives in Ithaca, NY.
Karl E. Johnson Karl E. Johnson ’89 designed Cornell's Hoffman Challenge Course in 1996 and served as the Dan Tillemans Director of Teambuilding and Professional Development Programs from 1996 to 2005. He has taught climbing, backpacking, bicycling, trail maintenance, and paddling, and has served as a trainer, consultant, and expert witness in the outdoor education field. Also a doctoral candidate in Cornell's Department of Natural Resources, Johnson has received several writing awards, and was recognized as a 1999 Academy of Leisure Sciences Future Scholar. Karl lives in Ithaca, NY.
Clint Sidle
Clint Sidle is the Director of the Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows Program at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Clint Sidle is author of The Leadership Wheel: Five Steps for Achieving Individual and Organizational Greatness. He also works as a Professional Development consultant and has led Leadership Wheel trainings for Cornell Team & Leadership Center. Clint lives in Ithaca, NY.
Todd Miner
Dr. Todd Miner is Executive Director of Cornell Outdoor Education. Dr. Miner previously served as assistant dean and assistant professor at Keuka College and the University of Alaska. Miner has conducted corporate training for Cornell University, Outward Bound, and private consultants. His research and writing focus on corporate adventure training, management, and safety. An experienced mountaineer, Miner has led climbs to North America's seven highest summits, as well as expeditions throughout Alaska and South America. He earned a BS from University of Alaska, masters from Alaska Pacific University, and doctorate from Boston University. Miner and his family enjoy kayaking, canoeing, skiing, and hiking. Todd lives in Ithaca, NY.
Student Instructors In addition to Cornell Team & Leadership Center's professional instructors, student instructors provide much of the facilitation and management of this program. Our 'famously skilled and enthusiastic' student instructors facilitate student programs and assist with professional programs.
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