Meet the Family
The Heart & Soul of Wildwater
Meet the Wildwater crew. The people that make Wildwater special are the folks you see around here every day!
Bodie Beitz - River Manager
Bodie is our new River Manager this year, bringing experience from a variety of professions. Bodie's steadfast love of the river and commitment to staff development makes him the perfect candidate for the job. Bodie can be found in the back of a raft, videoing your trip, swinging a hammer at basecamp or manning the phones in the office.
Jonathan Danz - General Manager
Jonathan's Wildwater roots go back to when he was 7 years old and his parents, longtime Wildwater enthusiasts, ventured to Thurmond West Virginia for a week of whitewater. They were kind enough to throw the kids a bone with a token Upper New trip. Jonathan surfaced in West Virginia in 1991 to train as a guide. After an eight year hiatus spent pursuing a graduate degree and working in the corporate world, Jonathan returned to the Wildwater family. Best we can tell, he likes being back.
Brad Atkins - River Guide / Video Boater
The boy from Kalamazoo and the smoothest raft guide you'll ever meet. Once you meet him you'll know why we lovingly refer to him as "Disco B".
Cat Frost - River Guide/Group Sales
River Guide - Group Sales. Fashion Consultant. A utility type person whose fire and passion for life and the river is matched only by the fire in her hair.
Dan Wallen - River Guide
River Guide. (Stockbroker). We hear that he handles the stocks and the ladies better than he handles a raft but we find that hard to believe. We'll let you be the judge.
Earl Adkins - Driver
The word driver doesn't begin to describe Earl. Driver Extraordinaire? Maybe? Dynamic distinguished driver of steadfast skill and tremendous talents? Much better!
Eric Autenreith - River Guide / Driver
The happiest elf to be found east of the Mississippi, he is the builder of all things great and small and the keeper of all useless knowledge.
Frank Vaughan - River Guide
River Guide. (Professional Student). There is not much that you can say about Frank. Even if we tried, you wouldn't believe us. Let's just say that we all want to be Frank when we grow up.
Gary Miller - River Guide
Just one of them good ole boys from Summersville. He gets you down the river real good. It may not be pretty, but he does a heck of a job. (Ya gotta say this one with a real 'southern' accent.)
Jay Perry - River Guide
Just one of the nicest people in the world. Good ole Jay. Not much to say about him other than the fact that not one of us can remember ever having seen him in a bad mood.
Jessica McGowan
Jessica has migrated to beautiful Colorado to broaden her whitewater skills, but usually makes her way back to West Virginia to join us on the Gauley River in the fall. Jessica is one of the nicest people you will meet and always ready to pitch in. Jess's diverse interests always make for interesting conversations.
Rich Knight - Senior Guide
Rich Knight is a mountain of a man who is steadfast at the controls and quick with a smile. Rich hails from Jefferson, PA and joins us throughout the year on the New River and during Gauley Season. Don't let the size fool you, Rich is as nice as they come.
Mike Becker - Senior Trip Leader
Mike Becker has been part of the Wildwater team for about a decade now and we're glad to have him. Mike is the consummate guide, both on the water and on the rock. He'll leave you in stitches (or groaning) with his awful jokes and amazed at his river and climbing skills. Mike is working towards his nursing degree and when he's not here at Wildwater, you can find him patrolling the slopes at Snoshoe Ski Resort here in West Virginia.
Linda Price - Office CEO
Our little office angel but don't let the title fool ya, she actually runs the joint!
Lisa Naylor - Office Vice CEO
Our resident expert on all things pertaining to NASCAR, good music, and General Hospital.
Marti Mitchell - River Guide
She skis, she rafts, she skis, she rafts, she rafts, she skis? Marti loves the outdoors and anything to be found in it and spends her days looking for yet another adventure she can embark upon. She has no fear of the unknown, only of being bored. She keeps us all on our toes and on the lookout.
Mike Mather - River Guide / Climbing Guide / River Rescue Instructor
Mike Mather is an institution here at Wildwater Expeditions. Mike started guiding back in the late 80's and when he's not teaching river rescue clinics around the globe, tuning skis in Vail, CO, or driving his big black truck to some destination in between, you may find Mike at the helm of your boat during Gauley season. We welcome back Mike with open arms every year! Mike plays a mean guitar and puts on quite a show. If you have the opportunity to catch him performing, don't miss it!
PJ Stevenson - River Guide / Reservationist
Her official title is Benevolent Dictator Czarina High Priestess Goddess Imperial of the Ghetto. We'll let her tell ya why.
Rick Roberts - River Guide
River Guide. (Manager of Kohls). "Willis" learned one of his skills as an extra on Aliens, and with all the girls (his wife and daughters) in his life he likes to guide so he can actually get to the bathroom.
Sam Hess - River Guide / Video Boater / Safety Boater
Don't be led astray by his boyish good looks, he may look like a little tyke but his knowledge of the river is immense and his personality is pure sunshine.
Steve Barber - River Guide / Video Boater / Safety Boater
If you play your cards right, he'll sing his way down the river for ya. He doesn't normally take requests but on a good day you can groove to the melodic melodies of Marvin Gaye and Looking Glass.
Rob Dobson - River Guide / Video Boater
The local boy with a heart of gold. He travels the country spreading the word of great water, good gear, and the groovy times to be had with Wildwater Expeditions.
Chris Wallen - River Guide
Chris has been a part of Wildwater since the early 80's. When he's not running his company, Dynamic Solutions with his wife Julie, Chris can be found kayaking, hunting or lounging in a chair here at Wildwater when the work is done. A second generation of Wallens often accompanies Chris on his visits to Wildwater. Before long, you may see them in the back of your boat!
Bill Hoblitzell - River Guide
Bill is, in our opinion, the King of the one-lines. He just sits there looking all sweet and innocent and then, wham, out of nowhere comes this insightful bit of wit and wisdom that just leaves ya staring. It's incredible.
Chris Perkins - River Guide
River Guide. (Director of Secondary Schools / Vocational). Perk's put in many miles on the river and is now trying to match that on the road. "I said PADDLE!!"
Lee Granger - River Guide
Don't let his 'Jethro' routine throw ya. Lee is sharp as a tack and just willing to converse on just about any subject, any time. We are constantly amazed at the truly useless things that he knows.
Katie Smith - River Guide
We didn't hire her just cause she works for REI, we swear! It's just a bonus. She is as sweet as the day is long and has some of the worst jokes known to man, How that combination works, we don't know, but it does.
Sam Stewart - River Guide
Our all American Apple Pie Kid! If the Ken doll came to life, he would look like Sam although his personality is something of a mix between Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Braddock Stevenson - River Guide
We've been training Braddock to be a raft guide since he was 12 so he definitely knows his stuff. That knowledge combined with the biggest blue eyes you've ever seen will simply 'wow' you. He is constantly amazing us.
Erin Weaver
She rafts, guides, kayaks, answers the phones, drives shuttle, solves the world’s problems, and cleans a kitchen like nobody else—all while wearing her famous non-wavering smile. If we had ten more just like her—we wouldn’t need anybody else.
Dustin Grey
He escaped Iowa years ago to find terrain change here in West Virginia and though he has to go back for a bit each year, he’s now a West Viriginian boy at heart. We’ve adopted him and you can’t have him back. He’s ours now.
Torie Bowman
Torie's a four-year veteran and trip leader at Wildwater, responsible for many smiles and laughs along the way. A graduate of Wake Forest, Torie spent this past winter enjoying the powder on the ski slopes of Colorado.