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!