Randy Richards

Dexter " Randy" Richards, founder and executive director of MSI, has guided and taught individuals, clients, and participants throughout South America, the European Alps and the Western US since 1981. He has been a senior guide for Alpine Ascents International on Aconcagua, Argentina, four of Ecuador’s major volcanoes, and expedition co-leader on Mt. Huascaran, Peru, as well as a respected instructor in the North Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Alaska. He was a senior staff-trainer for Pacific Crest Outward Bound along the west coast ranges, instructing semester, rock, mountaineering, sea-kayaking and seamanship programs. He is the recipient of the 2004 OBP Leadership Award for his work with corporate and civic groups on the eastern seaboard with Outward Bound Professional. Richards attended the Peruvian Government sponsored conference on sustainable and alternative tourism called ALTUR and was the first North American invited to this conference. There he met some enthusiastic locals in the Peruvian outdoor field, adding to the contacts and friends that Randy has known from guiding in South America. He has been meditating regularly since a young age, and has been doing intuitive readings for 17 years. He accepted an invitation by an elder, to be a member of a Native American church "in the capacity of shaman, healer and minister." He is an individual member of American Mountain Guides Association; Level III Alpine Ski Instructor, Level II Backcountry Ski Guide, Level II Nordic Downhill Instructor with Professional Ski Instructors Association- Intermountain, holds a USCG 100-ton license from Pacific Maritime Academy in Honolulu and is a graduate of University of Utah. He speaks English, French, Spanish, German and some Quechua.

Amanda Richards

Amanda is responsible for marketing and development as well as adimistrative support for our programs. She has traveled extensively in Asia, Africa and Australasia and has a great love of mountains having trekked and climbed in Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, and India, including Everest, Annapurna and Kanchenchunga basecamps and the summit of Kilimanjaro.

A certified Homeopathic practitioner, Amanda also has a degree in genetics, was a national marketing manager in IT for many years, and most recently was a backcountry hut ranger on the South Island for New Zealand's Department of Conservation. She was introduced to Vipassana meditation while in India. Orginally from South Africa, Amanda speaks English, conversational Danish, and Spanish.

Robert Stremba: Ed.D. , Durango Colorado

Bob Stremba, Ed.D., is Coordinator and Associate Professor of Adventure Education at Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado. He also instructs courses for Outward Bound focusing on leadership. His personal and professional adventure pursuits include mountaineering backpacking and sea kayaking. Bob’s international travels include Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, and much of Europe. He has previously worked as director of Counseling, Health and Wellness at the University of Puget Sound, and has been a visiting Professor of Adventure Education at New Mexico Highlands University. He serves as an accreditation reviewer and executive board member for the Association for Experiential Education and is the Vice President and a guide/facilitator for Mountain Spirit Institute. Bob second language is Spanish.

Guillermo Seminario: Cusco, Peru

Guillermo is the musical director for the band Chimu's in Cusco, Peru. He coordinates the Cusco Music Exchange for MSI. He is a talented performer, having played various instruments since an early age. His interest in music led him to particpate five different cultural/educational organizations for a number of years. Guilllermo also makes professional instruments such as Zamponas, pan pipes, flutes and charangos. He, and his band Chimu Inka had a their first very successful tour in the USA performing and teaching in the Fall of 2008. Guillermo states, "Just as we depend upon the sun, we can't exist without the strength, warmth and inspiration of music." Guillermo speaks Spanish, Quechua and English.

Craig Cimmons: Woodstock, Vermont


Craig has a solid wilderness leadership and program management background mainly from Green Mountain College in Vermont where he ran the outdoor program. Craig has a passion for connecting people with nature and draws upon his breadth of natural history knowledge as well has his spiritual connection. His position on the board brings new focus to our Northern New England outdoor programs.
Craig is currently putting the finishing touches on his Masters degree at Antioch New England.

Richard Cari: Amantani Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Richard and his parents Sigundino and Marcelina Cari, own the Kantuta Lodge on the Island of Amantani on Lake Titicaca, Peru. Richard is a graduate of the Puno University and studied tourism and hospitality. Since graduating from the University, Richard and his family have been improving the family lodge which lies just meters from the shores of Titicaca. Sigundino is a former town official and assistant to the head shaman on the island. Richard Speaks Spanish, Quechua, English and Aymara.

 

The following individuals have their own organizations, and conduct programs under a co-venture, contractual relationship, or sponsorship by Mountain Spirit Institute.

Jorge & Teresa Martel: Huaraz, Peru

Jorge is a veteran Peruvian mountain guide in the Andes’ Cordillera Blanca range in Peru. He is a past president of the Peruvian Mountain Guides Association, and has studied tourism and hospitality in Austria. His experience and knowledge of the high Peruvian Andes is substantial. He is a founding executive member of the cultural non-profit group Llama 2000, a program dedicated to bringing sustainable environmentally and culturally sensitive backcountry programs to his native Ancash region of Peru. Jorge speaks Spanish, English, German, French and Quechua.

Julio and Silvia Lopez Del Aquila: Cusco, Peru

Julio and Silvia are owners of a Personal Travel Service in Cusco. Julio is a certified backcountry outfitter licensed with the Peruvian Government. Silvia is president of the Cusco Travel and Tourism Association, which entails bi-monthly meetings in Lima with the Peruvian government and occasionally with President Toledo. Both Julio and Silvia help organize and facilitate the custom cultural immersion programs in the Cusco/Machu Picchu area of Peru. They both speak fluent Spanish, Quechua and English and have a wonderful family in Peru.

Gary Acevedo, MSW: Salt Lake City, Utah

Founder of DreamMakers Academy, Gary has lead personal empowerment training, retreats, and seminars for a diverse spectrum of corporate organizations, social service agencies, and private individuals since 1971. These include the World Futures Conference on Education, the 10 state Regional Conference for the Division of Rehabilitation, and he was chosen by the Utah Governors Commission to design the state wide Victims Rights Conference, training Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" course, training Career Track's "Self-Discipline and Emotional Control." In 1981, Gary founded the unique personal empowerment retreat known as "The Awakening," He founded Dream Makers Academy; one of the most advanced training programs in the country for coaches, healers, facilitators of experiential training, and is recognized as a trainer of trainers. Consulting projects include Franklin Covey, AT&T, Mass Mutual, Einstein Bagels, consulting with members of the 1992 & 2000 Olympics, and designing training for VitalSmarts (Authors of bestsellers "The Balancing Act" and "Crucial Conversations," and invited to advise Gorbachev before the fall).

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