La Vida Contact

Rich Obenschain
Outdoor Education and Leadership Director
Discovery, Rock Gym and College Expeditions Director

B.A. Lenoir Rhyne College
M.Div. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Rich has worked in the adventure and outdoor education field for 35 years and has been with La Vida since 1976. He is always looking for ways to create environments where students are encouraged and stretched in their faith and given opportunities to overcome challenges. He is certified as a Project Adventure Trainer, Wilderness Education Association Instructor, and Wilderness First Responder. He is also the director of the Gordon W.I.L.D. Semester with the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department.

Nathan Hausman
Adirondack Expeditions Director
Recreation and Leisure Studies Department Part-Time Faculty 
W.I.L.D. Semester Faculty

B.A. Gordon College
M.A. Wheaton College
Camp Ministry and Leadership Certificate

Nate has ten years of full-time experience in the wilderness education field and has been involved with La Vida since 1997. He looks forward to spending each summer in the Adirondack Mountains of New York working with the La Vida staff and his black lab, Colden. He is certified as a Wilderness Education Association National Standards Program Certifying Instructor, Leave No Trace Master Educator and WMA Wilderness First Responder.

Katherine McMillan
Office Manager

B.A. Covenant College

Kate enjoys going hiking and camping with her husband Todd and daughter Jade. Before joining the La Vida staff, Kate worked in adventure programs in the south and in wilderness therapy in Utah. She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder and trained in Project Adventure Advanced Skills and Standards for challenge courses.

Katie Madden
Office Assistant

B.A. Gordon College

Katie enjoys being outside and working with students who have a desire to grow and be challenged in their faith.  She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder and completed a 9-month graduate assistantship in outdoor education, ministry and leadership through Wheaton College's HoneyRock graduate program.  She has been involved with La Vida for five years and enjoys long walks and time by the water with friends at her home in Gloucester.

Dr. Scott Barnett
Director of Adventure Camp
Assistant Director of Discovery

B.A. Wheaton College
M.A. Wheaton College
P.H.D Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Scott has been hiking and camping all his life. He grew up roaming in the bush as a missionary kid in Kenya, hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim with his family and climbing mountains in Colorado. Summers were spent at Deerfoot Lodge in the Adirondacks. At Wheaton College he was a Christian Education major with an emphasis in camp ministry. He also completed his Masters degree at Wheaton including the Wilderness Leadership Practicum at Wheaton's Honey Rock Camp. Scott went on to lead wilderness trips and train staff at Honey Rock for several summers before eventually coordinating the Masters program in Leadership and Camp Ministry. He completed his PhD in Education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School focusing his dissertation on the aspects of camp ministry that facilitate spiritual growth. One of Scott's passions is training people in how to use outdoor experiential education to facilitate spiritual growth. He has worked with camp programs in Kenya, South Africa, Russia, Siberia, Honduras, Venezuela and Kosovo. He is excited about the opportunities that working with La Vida affords to disciple college students and equip them for future ministry.