President

Chris Bremner is a native of St. Louis, MO, a lover of mountains, who now calls the Hollywood Hills home. He was both a participant and trip leader for RLT, with more than 13 trips under his belt across 3 continents, and went on to run The Road Less Traveled's Staff Training Program. After studying History at Brown University, Chris became a screenwriter. Working in genres from action to comedy, drama to history, in television and film, he still tries to escape LA once a year, and get back to the wilderness. Expecting his first child this fall, Chris is dedicated to helping other young people experience the wilderness travel and education that has been so formative in his own sense of self and the world.

Callie Stein has been intimately involved with both the Road Less Traveled and Geography of Hope for her entire life. As a lover of the outdoors, she spends any free time chasing riffles for rainbow and brown trout and powder to bury her skis in. She was a participant, leader, and is one of RLT’s two head field staff trainers that return each year to run Staff Training. After graduating from University of California, Berkeley where she wrote her thesis on Nature Deficit Disorder, she moved across the bay to start working in FinTech. Callie currently works in San Francisco for Square on the Creative team where she ships digital ads, videos, web pages, and more. She is deeply committed to facilitating opportunities for young students to engage with the outdoors and sustainable environmental practices.

Donna Stein has been seeking adventure, perfecting travel, and teaching youth over 30 years. In 2013 she brought new life to Geography of Hope: reestablished the organization in Chicago and refueled it’s purpose with her passion. Donna’s love of the outdoors began while growing up in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age, during the turbulent ‘60’s, Donna escaped the hot summers of Detroit and found respite in the north woods of Michigan, where she discovered independence and solace in the outdoors. Donna gained extensive business experience in corporations and non-profit organizations before leaving the corporate world to found The Road Less Traveled, with her husband Jim Stein. She manages all development, operations, marketing, and upholds the rigorous standards that support the mission, training, and policies of RLT. Donna is most happy during RLT’s intensive and in depth 10 day staff training in MI and anytime she can play with her three children: Ben, Callie and Emma.

Director Emeritus

Mark A. Smylie is Professor of Education, Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Visiting Professor at Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University.  Mark studies and teaches in the areas of educational leadership and organizational improvement.  A former high school teacher, he works with schools, school districts, and regional and national educational organizations concerned with leadership development and school improvement. He enjoys kayaking and hiking with the family Labrador. Mark and his wife live in Oak Park, IL and have three daughters each of whom traveled and studied abroad as high school and college students.  Their daughter, Rachel, is a Road Less Travelled alum, a participant in the Hujambo trip to Tanzania. The Geography of Hope’s Rachel G. Smylie Memorial Scholarship was established in her memory and provides opportunities for high school students to experience the greatness of the people and natural environment of Africa.

Director Emeritus

Christopher B. Mann, PhD, Yale University, alumni staff of The Road Less Traveled founder of Geography of Hope and native Chicagoan, Chris shares a deep passion and commitment to providing life changing outdoor experiences for ALL children. Chris founded Geography of Hope in 1997 to share the value and enjoyment of the wilderness with young people who were not blessed with the opportunities he had to explore the wilderness as a child. Chris began backpacking in Colorado at the age of four with his grandfather and other family members. In addition to countless (but never enough) personal trips, he was a participant on Outward Bound, a leader for the Road Less Traveled, head ski guide, and is still working on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Chris now lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with his wife and two children and is a professor of political science at Skidmore College.