Our Travel Specialists

Kim Cunningham

River Guide

Growing up in Eastern Oregon and living in Idaho as an adult has given Kim a deep appreciation for all things outdoors.  Kim first got involved in boating in 2017 when some Idaho friends introduced her to Montana’s Yaak River. She’s since guided throughout Idaho and Montana and loves the varied scenery, stunning views and rugged terrain.  In the off-season she is a middle school choir teacher and has a background as a saxophonist with a Bachelor's Degree in Music.  In her free time she loves to shred the ski slopes, go rock climbing, or spend time on the river!

Guiding Destinations: Middle Fork of the Salmon, Idaho Rivers

Jen Klingensmith

River Guide

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Jen now calls Oregon “home” and loves how many amazing outdoor spaces the state has to explore. She first got into rafting after being invited onto a Rogue River trip in 2010 and said that she immediately purchased her own raft and started learning how to row. Since that day, she’s spent as many days on the river as possible and believes the trip was a catalyst for so many positive changes in her life. Eight years later, she quit her desk job and became a guide, running the same river where her rafting journey began. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and studied law at the University of Oregon, and describes herself as an “excellent bread baker”. When not on the river, she’s at her small hobby farm where she has chickens and cattle (as well as the occasional sheep, goats, and pigs), as well as 600 dwarfing apple trees for making apple cider. Jen also has two dogs that love being on the river as much as she does!

Drew Hoag

River Guide

North Carolina native Drew Hoag only intended to do guiding as a short-term gig after finishing college. But his passion for the river took over and he has since explored waterways in Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho. One of Drew’s favorite childhood memories took place on Quebec’s Bonaventure River when he pierced his dad’s ear with a salmon fly and had to navigate French road signs in search of medical assistance. Over the years, he has tackled the rainforested rivers of Queensland, Australia and dove with dozens of bull sharks in Fiji. Drew holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina and has worked as a Desert Tortoise Biologist in the Mojave Desert for the last two years. When he’s not on the river, you’ll find Drew enjoying the outdoors with family and friends. 

Brianna (Bri) Loff

Rogue River Assistant Manager

Hailing from Las Vegas, Brianna’s been on the water since she was a kid and has fond memories of house boating with her family on Lake Mead. Her guiding journey began in 2018 on the South Fork of the American River where she blissfully fell asleep to the gentle roar of the “Highway” rapid. Aside from holding a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, she’s a specialist at making lasagna and telling stories about the first sturgeon she saw at the confluence of the Salmon and Snake rivers. When Brianna’s not guiding and sharing her love of the river with people from all walks of life, she’s catching up with friends at cafes in Moscow, reading books or watching full moons rise as the Head and the Heart perform.

Guiding Destinations: Oregon Rivers, Idaho Rivers

Matthew Phillipy

River Guide

With a Masters of Science Education under his belt, Spokane-born Matthew Phillipy a.k.a. “Professor” is a science teacher by trade but spends his summers river guiding. Growing up canoeing the moving waters of the Spokane and Pend Oreille Rivers he fell in love with water and nature. One of his favorite memories was winning the Poker Paddle canoe race on the Pend Oreille River with his dad when he was 12 years old. After many years of teaching science and spending his summers working as a Ranger at Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks Matthew got hooked on rafting following a bachelor’s party on the Salmon River and considers it an honor and duty to share his love of nature, culture and stewardship with others. When he’s not leading middle schoolers into the wild on another one of his epic field trips or navigating the rivers of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, Matthew can be found skiing, biking, hiking, camping, canoeing and rafting with his son Oliver and his puppy Willow. 

Kaya Pungello

River Guide

Kaya’s first taste of whitewater rafting was after moving to Asheville, although they had tried sea kayaking back in high school. They became hooked on multi-day rafting after their first Grand Canyon trip and Kaya has since worked as a guide in Arizona, Idaho, California, Washington, and their home state of North Carolina. One of Kaya’s most amazing river trips saw them swimming Crystal, Bedrock, and Lava falls on their first private Grand Canyon trip in 2017, although they also love the Rogue River, describing it as “absolutely gorgeous”. Kaya has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice, Entrepreneurship, and Outdoor Recreation from Prescott College and loves to play guitar. When Kaya’s not on the river, you’ll probably find them up in the skies honing their pilot skills. 

Chee Chin

Accountant

Chee Chin was born and raised in Malaysia. She was the Staff Accountant for a Timber Industry Company in Malaysia before she and her Family migrated to the Untied States in 2007, settling in Butte Montana. There Chee Chin joined Town Pump Inc. at their home office as a Property Management Accountant for 8 years. In 2016 Chee Chin moved with her family to Coeur d' Alene so she could stay close to her sister and other family members who live in the area. 

Chee Chin is excited to be part of ROW's Famliy as the Corporate Accountant. When Chee Chin is not working she enjoys cooking, gardening and traveling. 

Specialty: Numbers and smiles

Favorite Trip: Coming soon

Thomas (Tommy) Hurrell

River Guide

Tommy’s first experience whitewater rafting was as a seven-year-old on Wisconsin’s Brule River and he began working as a sea kayaking and whitewater canoe guide in 2011. Originally from Winfield, Illinois, he’s since guided throughout 10 states, as well as working in Mexico and Canada. In describing the rivers of the northwest United States, he says they are like nowhere else and “immerse us in a deeply intimate relationship with the natural world”. Aside from holding degrees in political science and education, Tommy’s working towards a Master's of Outdoor Adventure and Expedition Leadership at Southern Oregon University. When he’s not on the river, you’ll likely find Tommy backcountry skiing in Siskiyou, exploring the Southern Cascades, or doing home improvement jobs. He’s also a passionate explorer and ventures abroad at every chance to make new connections in little-visited regions of the globe. 

Emily Wray

Guest Service Administrator

Emily was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, but discovered her love of rafting and outdoors on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. After that trip it became her passion to find out how to be on the river and outdoors as much as possible. This led her to be a summer camp counselor in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri on the Black River for three summers. Emily continued her rafting and outdoor education at the University of Idaho and their Outdoor Program. She graduated with a B.S. in Recreation Management and a Minor in Outdoor Recreation Leadership with the intention of helping others get outside no matter their experience level or ability. 

Emily loves to do anything outdoors with her husband and dog. Along with her love of outdoor pursuits, Emily loves crafting and gardening. You will usually find scratch pieces of paper lying around with sketches of her next ten projects. No matter where you find Emily, she’s bound to have a smile on her face.

Maia DeGaetano

Content Coordinator

Maia was raised in the Pacific Northwest which has left a lasting imprint on her identity. After graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Studies and Communications she quickly knew she wanted to dive deep into the outdoor industry.

Maia found her role at ROW to be the perfect melting pot of her educational background and personal experience. She loves sifting through photos of rivers and sharing blogs about the outdoors as her job. As a remote employee, she doesn’t stay in one place for too long as she loves to travel and explore new places. Maia will always say yes to new expereinces and crazy adventures.

When she’s not working, you can find her in different corners of the world rock climbing, or closer to the ground on her little green raft.

Brian Kohl

River Guide

Guide Since 1999: CA, CO, AZ, ID, MT. Joined ROW in 2014. A boater since high school, Brian has an impressive guiding skill-set and has benefitted from a two-decade whitewater career. While Brian’s impressive river resume makes him a valuable asset to the ROW team, folks most often remark about his steadfast enthusiasm and eclectic passions. An accomplished ceramic artist, Brian holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics from California State University, Fullerton and teaches ceramics at the college and elementary school levels. For personal enjoyment, Brian competes in kickball for the World Adult Kickball Association and plays the American flute (a real highlight on river trips).   

Guiding Destinations: Middle Fork, Lochsa River

Monica Sanchez

Baja Naturalist and Sea Kayak Guide

Now in her fifth season with ROW Sea Kayak Adventures in Baja, Monica loves the water, and everything surrounding it. She is especially passionate about whales and dolphins. Monica always dreamt of being a wilderness explorer like the journalists in National Geographer magazine. Due to her love for both the ocean and marine mammals, she decided to work at an aquarium in the Caribbean where she worked as a dolphin and sea lion trainer for a couple of years.

While she loved being so close to the animals, she realized she would rather see them in the wild, in their natural habitat. Monica discovered Sea Kayak Adventures was looking to hire a naturalist for their Baja whale watching tours, and applied. The day she was hired was "one of the best days of my life; my dream came true. I will be in the wilderness, observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat."

Monica loves that every day as a guide is a new adventure, a new experience, and a surprise, where the unexpected is the norm. She loves sharing her excitement and passion for nature with guests, as well as hearing about their stories. She loves knowing that the time she shared with them in nature gave them something special that they will remember for the rest of their life.  When she's not guiding, Monica likes to hike, explore, and travel. She also loves reading about marine life and nature, and discovering new places where she can practice stand-up paddle boarding. In the off-season, Monica works as a reporter.

Milly Chi

River Guide

Not only can Milly make the perfect soft-boiled egg every time but she was also on Team USA for figure skating (and does a pretty amazing backflip to prove it)! Originally from Clifton, Virginia, she first got involved in rafting in 2017 on the Kern River and has worked as a guide in California since. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of California Santa Barbara and is currently preparing for PA school. One of her most amazing experiences? Paddling out amidst a bioluminescent plankton bloom and getting to surf glowing waves! A notable second is seeing a guy named Greg lose his pants in a rapid named “Fred Lost His Pants”. When she’s not on the river, Milly is climbing, skiing, and throwing sticks for her dog “Ducky”. 

Malcolm Reed

River Guide

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Malcolm took his first rafting steps in West Virginia with his dad before going on to complete a Source to Sea expedition on the Mississippi River in 2015. One year later, he began his guiding journey on Australia’s Tully River and he has since traveled around the globe, venturing as far afield as Papua New Guinea, Morocco, Chile, and New Zealand. One of Malcolm’s highlights has been trekking through the rainforest with local tribesmen in Borneo while learning to hunt and forage for food. When it comes to rafting back home, he particularly loves Idaho as it boasts some of the most “remote and wild spaces in the lower 48”. Aside from being a keen surfer, Malcolm holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Marine Biology from Loyola University New Orleans. 

Katie Jimenez

Operations Administrator

Katie is originally from Harpster, Idaho but was raised in the Midwest. She then studied abroad in Gouvieux, France earning her Culinary Certification. A few years later she relocated back to Idaho and has called Coeur d'Alene home for the past 18 years. After 2020 it was time for a change and to get out of the restaurant industry. ROW has become a perfect home for Katie's love of nature and adventure, while utilizing her organizational skills and passion to help others. 

In her spare time, you will find Katie exploring the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest with her family, working in the garden at her home, cooking up a feast for friends or paddle boarding. 

Sebastian Jurado

Galapagos Adventure Guide

After growing up in a small town in a valley of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador near the city of Quito, Sebastian decided to travel to Santiago de Chile to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Administration. His eagerness for travel took him on a backpacking adventure through Canada and United States for 9 months. Having perfected his English, he started guiding in Ecuador in 1998. 

As a young nature-lover interested in natural history and ecology, nature filming, photography, alternative energy, ecotourism development, and outdoor sports his career took an interesting path on the exciting soft-adventure world. In order guarantee travelers’ safety, Sebastian has been Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified for more than a decade. 

Annabelle Sparks

River Guide

Annabelle’s earliest river memory was kayaking the French Broad with her father and watching as a black bear swam across the river right in front of them. She started kayaking when she was just 5 years of age and backpacked along the Cornwall coastline with her aunt at the age of 11. While Annabelle grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, she moved to Colorado to study Environmental Science on a scholarship from Colorado College’s Women’s Educational Society and teaches her fellow students to roll kayaks in her spare time. In describing the landscapes of Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, Annabelle says they are “absolutely breathtaking” and loves how much there is to explore. When she’s not on the river, you’ll find her snowboarding, hiking, climbing, or making delicious kale bowls. 

Connor Young

Bike Guide

Originally from Taos, New Mexico, Connor Young is a Computer Science major who began river guiding in 2021. He has since worked on rivers throughout Idaho, Washington, and Montana, and says that he loves seeing clients fall in love with the “overlooked” recreational landscapes of Idaho’s panhandle. Connor first went down a river with his parents at just 18 months old but it wasn’t until he got involved in rafting in college that he saw how it could bring people together. Case in point: flipping on a race course in New Mexico and seeing how quickly people sprang into action as a team. When he’s not on the river, Connor can usually be found on a bike and says his special skill is putting 15 bikes in a trailer in 15 minutes. His experiences in the outdoors have ranged from flipping on a bucking horse at the age of 6 to sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on a 40-foot yacht and bike-packing the length of New Zealand’s South Island.

Garin Vannoy

River Guide

Originally from Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, Garin has been skiing, mountain biking, and rafting for as long as he can remember.

In the summer of 2020 while working for a landscaping business, Garin wanted a change. He saw a job ad for ROW Adventures on Facebook and instantly applied. One day after his interview he dropped everything to be a ‘swamper’ on the Salmon River and has never looked back. Since then he has gone from a swamper to a sweep boat driver on the Middle Fork Salmon River.

When he’s off the river, living seasonally, Garin spends most of his fall season traveling around the world, and winters working as a ski instructor in Colorado.

Jason Kruger

Adventure Consultant

Born and raised in Coeur d' Alene Idaho, Jason has always had a great appreciation of getting outdoors.  He attended college at the University of Idaho earning a Bachelors's degree in physical education, health, and outdoor program leadership.  Jason is passionate about sharing nature with others and enjoys seeing their reactions to new experiences.

Jason enjoys the four seasons that the North-West has to offer and the changing scenery and outdoor opportunities presented with each of the seasons. When not in the office, your likely to find Jason; on the water, wilderness backpacking, hiking, biking, snow skiing, or riding on motorcycles and ATVs.  

As our resident comedian, you're likely to find Jason telling jokes to co-workers or fellow guests on a trip. If you're lucky enough to get on the river with him, you're sure to laugh a lot! 

Destination Specialties: USA Rivers

Favorite Trip: "That is like asking my favorite beer or ice cream!"

Alejandra Mosquera

Galapagos Adventure Guide

Alejandra was born and raised in Quito. She believes that there is nothing better than opening her eyes and seeing the beauty of the marvelous Andes, their colors, wildlife, and scenery. Even though she never thought about becoming a guide, she realized this activity would be her future during her first trip in the university. She has been sharing her passion and love for Ecuador since 2006, and obtained her Wilderness Advanced First Aid certificate four years ago. In her free time, she likes to explore Ecuador with her four-year-old daughter, Manuela, who shares the same passion for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands as her mother. She also enjoys outdoor sports including kayaking and stand-up paddling.

Mahalie Hill

River Guide

Mahalie describes herself as an “Idaho girl through and through” and believes her home state is a “hidden gem”. With her sister competing as a slalom kayaker, she grew up around the river and spent her school holidays backpacking and exploring waterways in Idaho, Oregon, and Chile. One of her most vivid childhood memories is being afraid to jump off a waterfall before being reminded “You’re never going to have this opportunity again”. She’s held those words close ever since and they inspired her to take her first guiding gig on the Main Payette in 2017. Guiding is something that she plans on continuing next summer, despite heading to Durango to start a new career as a drinking water engineer. When she’s not on the river, Mahalie is mountain biking, skiing, playing ultimate frisbee, and completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification. 

Alec Gordon

River Guide

Coming soon...

Jonah Grubb

Operations Manager

Guide since 2011 MT, ID, WA, OR, China, joined ROW 2010. Jonah's first rafting trip was on the Salmon River at 9 months of age and it's fair to say he has grown up rafting. Since becoming a guide, he has become an avid kayaker and all around outdoorsman spending his free time climbing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking and hiking. He also loves projects and can be found helping friends upgrade their houses or building out their camper vans. After graduating from Pomona College with a Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Jonah found himself travelling the world, including spending a year in China raft guiding on the Salween and Daqu (upper Mekong) river and kayaking on days off, including a solo kayak first descent on the Kanas river in the far northern region of Xinjiang. Now back in Idaho, Jonah has taken on the role of ROW's Operations Manager with a hand in the logistics of all our trips across four states. 

Garrett Sopko

River Guide

Garrett has been guiding with ROW Adventures since 2019 and loves the feeling of being in the “Wild West” that Montana offers. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he holds a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Sociology with a minor in Outdoor Studies from St. Lawrence University and first got involved in river life while at college. One of his most treasured childhood memories is throwing snowballs at New York City taxis before quickly running away! When it comes to his most amazing life experiences, Garrett describes seeing the sunrise atop the tallest mountain in New York, Marcy Mountain, followed by sunset from the top of the One World Trade Center as up there with his best days on Earth. Aside from being a skier and a tennis player, Garrett describes his special skill as being able to fit everything he owns into his Subaru Outback. 

Bill Sedivy

River Guide

A river guide since 1990, Bill has worked part-time for ROW since 2004 and joined our full-time team in 2022. Born and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area – near the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River, which infamously caught fire in 1969 – Bill has been rafting and canoeing rivers for more than four decades. A former journalist, Bill published in 1995 a collection of short stories about river running called River’s End: A Collection of Bedtime Stories for Paddlers. Over the years he’s also worked hard in various capacities to protect the rivers, fish and wild places he has grown to love. From 1996 to 1999, Bill served on the board of the national advocacy group, American Whitewater. He served six years as president of the non-profit Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition (2007-2013). From 1999 to 2015 Bill worked as executive director of Idaho’s only statewide river conservation group, Idaho Rivers United (IRU). During his tenure at IRU, Bill led efforts to protect the Owyhee, Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers of Southwest Idaho as federally protected Wild & Scenic Rivers, and, guided the organization to several other important river conservation victories. In 2015, he was named a national “River Hero” by the nationwide association of river conservation groups, The River Network. Since his ‘retirement’ from IRU, Bill has worked mainly as a river ranger for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management on various rivers. He spends his winters bird watching, attempting to learn Spanish and doing a little rafting — in Costa Rica.

Guiding Destinations: Snake River, Salmon River Canyons

Jakob Baker

Area Manager

With both of his parents working as guides, it makes sense that Lake Tahoe-born Jake has gone down the same path. In fact, his first river trip was on the Rogue when he was just 18 months old! As a child, he regularly joined his dad on river trips and looked up to the guides as “some kind of superheroes”. He remembered his first flip on the Truckee River as “so much fun”, although his dad wasn’t quite as impressed. While Jake has worked as a guide in California, Colombia, and Guatemala, he believes that Idaho boasts some of the best river trips in the world and he loves being immersed in the state’s natural and cultural history. If you needed proof that Jake is an adventurer at heart, he’s also jumped off Half Dome and El Cap in the Yosemite Valley, several times! Jake holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nevada and plays drums in a rock band, as well as being good at fixing things (thanks YouTube!).

Guiding Destinations: Middle Fork of the Salmon, Idaho Rivers

Hillary Scott

River Guide

Originally from Boston, Hillary says that her parents instilled a sense of wanderlust in her at a young age by taking her to new places each summer. She’s always been on the water, initially sailing and sea kayaking before finding her “special place” while rafting. While guiding in Tennessee, Colorado, and Idaho, she has had the opportunity to explore faraway places that she never thought possible. Hillary holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from Bridgewater State University and loves cooking and getting crafty with DIY projects in her spare time. When she’s not on the river, you’ll probably find her skiing on mountain slopes, relaxing in a hammock, or finding a sense of completeness while laughing with friends.

Rian Garn

River Guide

Originally from Arizona, Rian says that she never set out to be a river guide but was “scouted” while working at a wilderness lodge on Oregon’s Rogue River. A group of guides suggested it was something she would be great at and she has been “happily rowing rivers ever since”. Rian is highly active in queer advocacy and representation in the outdoor community. She adores the rivers in the Pacific Northwest for their “unparalleled natural beauty and human history”, with the joy of successfully rowing the “Greenwall” rapid on the Illinois River among her highlights. When Rian’s not on the river, you’ll find her traveling the country, listening to podcasts about wilderness journeys, and finding creative ways to share her love of gardening, history, and environmentally friendly beauty products with others. 

Guiding Destinations: Rogue River

Connie Kennedy

Area Manager

Guide since 1985: ID. Joined ROW in 2012. Connie is one of the true veterans of Idaho Whitewater. Born and raised in Nebraska, Connie came to Idaho for a river trip in 1976. A few years, a few more Main Salmon trips and one life-changing National Geographic television special later, she and her husband packed up, left Omaha and moved to Idaho to begin life as river guides. She has now guided every season since 1985, and after hundreds of multi-day trips down the Snake and Salmon rivers has accumulated an astounding number of river miles and a legendary knowledge of Hells Canyon. As a long-time resident of the local canyons, Connie has a lifetime of stories to enrich your trip. Connie lives year round in Riggins, Idaho (“Idaho’s Whitewater Capital”) with her horses, cats, and husband Mike.

Guiding Destinations: Snake River, Salmon River Canyons