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    • Home
    • Donate
    • How It Works
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    • Past Trips
    • Plan a Trip
    • Trip Stories
    • Leadership
    • Contact
  • Home
  • Donate
  • How It Works
  • Where We Go
  • Past Trips
  • Plan a Trip
  • Trip Stories
  • Leadership
  • Contact

LongWalk Leadership

Melanie Evans - Board President

Melanie Evans is currently serving a 2-year term as President of the  LongWalk Board. She has been involved in working with teens as a  volunteer or in her professional career beginning in 1987. She has an  undergraduate degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in human  Relations. She and her husband, Rick raised their son and daughter in  Tulsa while she worked for Youth Services of Tulsa for fourteen years  which serves teens and their families. She initially worked with teens  in crisis in Tulsa area high schools and then went on to administer a  contract with the Office of Juvenile Affairs that served teens in the  juvenile justice system. 


After moving to Florida in 2001 she started volunteering as a mentor  to high school students working towards their community service projects  for graduation through the Police Athletic League. She really enjoyed  helping these teens explore their leadership potential and practice good  decision-making skills.


Since moving back to Tulsa in 2017 Melanie has joined the Board of  LongWalk and been involved in the Level II Community Service projects  with the campers. It has given her the opportunity to reconnect with  teens in the same environment she enjoyed in Florida watching them grow  in their leadership skills. Level II is an opportunity for campers to  serve their community after their first backpacking trip and a chance to  earn credit towards a Level III trip to Colorado the following summer.

Mike Morris - Founder & Executive Director

After a career of helping build better schools, he is now part of a  team helping build better students. Mike’s college training focused on  adolescent development with a degree in psychology and sociology. As a  single father to two sons, much of his time was spent coaching various  sports, helping with high adventure Scouting programs and leading  wilderness trips with friends.


After starting a high school rugby league and heading the Jenks Rugby  Club, Mike saw the value of giving teens the opportunity to “run the  show” all without him suffering profuse bleeding and orthopedic damage.  Using wilderness adventure and public service to provide a level playing  field, the opportunity to provide coed interaction with teens from all  socioeconomic backgrounds became possible. Today, Mike leads our Level 1  and Level 3 trips and enjoys the time watching our future leaders deal  with the challenges of leadership.


Mike is happy to report, there have been no discipline problems in  the field once the students learn they are sleeping in bear country.

Kat Morrissey - Lead Guide & Program Coordinator

Kat is currently a full time Tulsa realtor who has redefined herself  after 18 years of running a small business and raising 4 kids. With her  newfound freedom, she has taken small hikes with kids and family. In the  Summer of 2015, Kat developed a passion for larger scale hikes. She has since added backpacking to the mix. With hikes in Arkansas, Utah,  Arizona and Colorado, as well as her home state of Oklahoma under her belt she succeeded in completing her 1st 180 mile thru hike in 2018 with her son on the Ozark Highlands Trail. 


Kat is always eager to share the amazing experience of hiking with others and knows that hiking is not only beneficial physically, but  psychologically as well. Hiking is great for relieving mental fatigue and helps soothe the mind. This is what she discovered hiking with  teams and hoping to one day broaden LongWalk program to women’s groups

Greg Kohlbacher - Guide & Trainer

Greg is an educator, with twenty years as a guide for Camp Takatoka,  fifteen years a teacher, four years a Student Council Sponsor and a  lifetime outdoorsman. Greg grew up exploring, having adventures, and  learning about the fields and forests of south Tulsa. “Long before I  heard about frogs, or flowers, or insects in school I learned about them  by watching and holding and being with them in the wild,” Greg says.  “Kids today miss out on valuable learning about themselves and about the  natural world when they spend their lives in the artificial world of  TV, video games and computers.” Greg believes LongWalk is an opportunity  for adults to take action and help young people of today have a  fulfilling childhood. He sees LongWalk as a way to reintroduce our kids  to the wild, and all the benefits to be found there, while living in  today’s world.


Greg brings a powerful resume to LongWalk as a Route Scout, Guide and  mentor a la twenty years with Camp Takatoka, starting in 1972: leading  trips out of camp; including overnight trips on wilderness sites on Lake  Ft. Gibson; overnight river canoe trips; and eight day Colorado  backpacking trips. Three years full time at Camp Takatoka helping to  develop and lead group building programs on the ropes course back in the  early 80s when the ropes course was a new and powerful tool as well as  many weekend rope course programs during the 80s and early 90s. And  years of outdoor education experience at Camp Takatoka, University of  Georgia outdoor education facility in the North Georgia Mountains and  guiding wildflower hikes for the national park service.

Chase Counts - Guide

Chase  is an Oklahoma Native, and father of 2 young kids.  He’s also a  Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor who enjoys doing  wilderness therapy in his private practice.  Chase heard about LongWalk  while working as a counselor in a local alternative high school, and has  been with us ever since.  He enjoys traveling, hiking, biking,  climbing, and kayaking.  


Chase enjoys the group dynamics of the LongWalk  program, and seeing people become more confident in themselves.

Scott Williams - Guide & Route Scout

Scott is a dad to 5 kids ranging from ages 4-23. If family demands  weren’t enough, he has a passion for community, teams and leadership.  This is a passion he shares with students at Long Walk and has been a  staple of his career in marketing, product development business  leadership and church ministry.


Growing up Scott spent a lot of time in Eastern Oklahoma, fishing  small ponds, lakes and canoeing the baron fork, Illinois and public  water ways. He enjoys just about any outdoor activity. He’s a avid  runner and backpacker. Scott’ has experienced a variety of hikes across  Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Wyoming, Austria, Germany and  Switzerland.


Nothing is more rewarding that seeing people around you succeed and find joy in what they’re doing!

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