MEET OUR CREW
Meet Our Team
Our Staff is What Truly Sets Earthshine Apart
Our team of passionate and caring adventure enthusiasts are on hand to welcome guests and ensure that each and every visitor has a remarkable experience. While you may come as a stranger, we hope that you leave feeling a part of the Earthshine community.
The Earthshine Team
Anna Bracco
Owner & Founder
Anna has spent her career in executive leadership development and is excited to bring this work outdoors. Earthshine is the perfect opportunity to meld her experience working with corporate groups – assessing, coaching, developing and facilitating leadership programs – with her passion for experiential learning and the outdoors.
Katherine Parnell
Managing Director
Katherine first arrived in Western North Carolina to attend Brevard College and immediately felt at home in the mountains. With a diverse background in camp management, outdoor education, higher education, leadership development, conference coordination, board management, and event planning, she is eager to leverage her extensive experience to foster meaningful connections for the staff and guests of Earthshine.
Lysa Kennedy
Program Instructor
Lysa has called Asheville home for more than 25 years. She is a licensed teacher with over three decades of experience teaching English, Drama, and Outdoor Education. She is an avid lover of all things wild! Her greatest passion is sharing the beauty of the stunning WNC with students of all ages.
Kimbri Johnson
Assistant Manager
Kimbri believes life is a lot like SpongeBob – we can choose how we see things and find a positive perspective. Kimbri loves helping students reach those “ah-ha” moments. She remembers the mentors who encouraged her to be brave, and hopes to pass that same encouragement on. Kimbri reminds us that slowing down helps us learn, notice more, and enjoy the journey.
Shawn McMurray
Program Instructor
Shawn is an educator with over twenty years experience working with children and adults. A Transylvania County native and avid day hiker, Shawn retired from education early, so she could spend more time exploring her passion for the outdoors. Shawn is thrilled that her role at Earthshine allows her to combine her passion for the outdoors to her love for teaching.
Moriah Geer-Hardwick
Program Instructor
Moriah is an experiential educator with 20 years of experience working with all ages. He loves making a difference through outdoor education. At Earthshine, you can find Mo anywhere from blacksmithing, to leading hikes, to spinning on a spinning wheel. Ask him and he will point out which giant millipedes smell like cherries and which trees taste like wintergreen.
Brad Stewart
Program Instructor
Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Brad found his love for the outdoors through Boy Scouts. After graduating with a degree in Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education from Brevard College, he has spent the last 4 years guiding youth adventure trips from the Green Mountains of Vermont to the Florida Keys. Brad loves to spend his free time in Pisgah National Forest fly fishing and mountain biking with his friends.
Jenny Wheeler
Program Instructor
Jenny has a background in social work and occupational therapy and finds Earthshine to be the perfect place to combine these skills with her love of the outdoors. She appreciates being able to meet each student where they are and help them to get the most out of their Earthshine experience. She especially loves seeing the kids get excited about a unique bug or plant and hopes they take that enthusiasm and new love of nature back home!
Griffin Pollock
Program Instructor
Griffin Pollock grew up visiting Western North Carolina every summer, and decided early to pursue a career in Outdoor Education. Having spent many years leading groups of students on trips and adventures throughout the area, Griffin is excited to be able to bring the incredible experiences of WNC to Earthshine’s guests.
Trish McClure
Program Instructor
After a career of evaluating how federal agencies implement laws such as the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, Trish joined Earthshine Lodge to share her passion for the outdoors with younger generations. After 30+ years in Washington DC, Trish and her husband are thrilled to call WNC home.
Ed Maggart
Program Instructor
Ed has been involved in experiential education for 35 years as a high school teacher, director of a high school outdoor program, and Head of School. Ed loves spending time outdoors in WNC and around the world and he is a leader for WNC Sierra Club.
M Rathsack
Program Instructor
M has been teaching art and running her own independent art school since 2006. At Earthshine, she teaches Nature Art classes, Paint and Wine classes, and also helps in our Cherokee and Pioneer Living History Villages.
Bethany Myers
Housekeeping & Kitchen
Bethany is a Transylvania County native and knows this beautiful part of the world well. She can be found working around Earthshine in many different capacities, helping to make each guest experience amazing.
Magnolia Parnell
Lodge Dog & Office Assistant
‘Noli’ takes her job as Earthshine’s lodge dog very seriously and loves meeting new people. Her favorite activities include eating ice on the front porch, showing everyone how fast she can run in circles, and giving hugs.
Colleen Raulerson
Chef
Chef Coe hails from sunny San Diego, California. Now, she and her family live off-grid on their small homestead in Dupont forest. They enjoy all things outdoors especially camping, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and cooking! Guests love Coe’s homemade meals, focus on using locally sourced ingredients, and, of course, her amazing smile!
Mark English
Instructor/ Llama Wrangler
Mark, better know as “the llama dude,” is well known in the Transylvania County for the variety of llama adventures he provides. Mark is partnering with Earthshine Lodge to offer llama hikes on the beautiful property and is now keeping some of his llamas in the Earthshine pasture.
Clare Desmelik
Yoga Instructor
Clare brings an approachable, revitalizing vibe to her yoga classes and adjusts her class to multi-level abilities. She trusts in the power of a deep breath and feels that anyone’s emotional, physical, or mental health will benefit from the process of using their breath to connect body and mind.
Colleen Raulerson
Chef
Chef Coe hails from sunny San Diego, California. Now, she and her family live off-grid on their small homestead in Dupont forest. They enjoy all things outdoors especially camping, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and cooking! Guests love Coe’s homemade meals, focus on using locally sourced ingredients, and of course, her amazing smile!
Want to join an amazing Team ?
Love Fun And Adventure? Join Our Staff!
Earthshine Lodge is a collaborative workplace with highly motivated and passionate individuals. We are a family and adventure-friendly employer – we encourage staff to take time to enjoy the outdoors, travel, adventure (whatever that looks like for each individual). We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from individuals from all races, colors, religions, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, familial situations, and national origins.
Current Job Openings
We are currently hiring for the following roles. Click on the role for a full job description. If you are interested in any of the following, please send a resume and cover letter to info@earthshinenc.com. Please do not contact us via social media in response to a job posting.
Earthshine Lodge is always looking for good people to compliment our team with seasonal/ hourly positions. Any of these would make great seasonal work for anyone needing a few extra hours. These include someone to help with the gardens/planting, kitchen help such as serving, prepping, and washing dishes, and occasional help with events such as bartending and serving. If you are interested in occasional work with any of these things, please contact us at info@earthshinenc.com. Please include what tasks you are interested in as well as your resume and/or relevant experience.