Leadership Team
Josh Goldbach
Executive Director
Josh Goldbach is the executive director of Bold Earth and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eckerd College. He’s worked as an environmental educator for Nature’s Classroom, a glacier guide in New Zealand, and a wilderness instructor for the Boojum Institute; he also spent four years as a director for Adventure Treks. Josh is a Leave No Trace master educator, wilderness first responder, and Level 5 swiftwater rescue technician. He is also a passionate world traveler, having lived in New Zealand for a year and traveled through South America, including Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Argentina. Josh’s favorite countries to visit have been Israel, Tanzania and Kenya, Costa Rica, and Italy. In his free time, you can find Josh whitewater kayaking and mountain biking on the many rivers and trails of western North Carolina.
Hayley Hucks
Director
Hayley hails from the sunny state of California! After growing up in Santa Cruz, Hayley pursued a bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University. Hayley first joined Bold Earth in 2014 as a trip leader in the American West. Since, she’s led campers on trips all over the Lower 48 and in Hawaii, Fiji, and Africa. Before Bold Earth, she worked as the Southeast Asia program manager for The JUMP! Foundation, a non-profit that uses experiential education to teach youth about leadership and global citizenship. When she’s not throwing herself into film, photography, yoga, or writing, she is traveling in the backcountry and spending her free time outdoors. Hayley is certified in CPR and is a wilderness first responder.
Sarah Silverstein
Program director
Sarah grew up in a small town in Minnesota exploring the countless acres of farmland in her backyard. She attended Northeastern University in Boston and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and communication studies. When she isn’t traveling the world with students, she’s doing it herself! Pre-COVID, Sarah spent two months bike touring Patagonia. In the last decade, Sarah has traveled to 24 countries and six continents. Sarah has lead Bold Earth trips to Iceland, Costa Rica, Spain, Fiji, and the western US. In addition to her time at Bold Earth, she has worked as a gap year instructor in the South Pacific and a wilderness therapy guide in central Oregon. She is a wilderness first responder, advanced PADI open water diver, and lifeguard, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Work through the University of Denver.
Remi Zimmerman
Staffing manager
Remi grew up in Northern California and spent most of her time hiking in the hills and swimming in the Pacific. She attended Seattle University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. Remi spent several years teaching in summer school programs with the International Rescue Committee, guiding in outdoor education spaces, and also working in traditional classroom settings. She found herself in western North Carolina first by way of wilderness therapy before joining the Bold Earth team full-time. Remi has traveled extensively through Central and South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. She loves to sing and dance, enjoys watercoloring and playing with clay, practicing yoga, backpacking, and cooking. She is certified in CPR and is a wilderness first responder.
Maren Helfrich
Maren HelfrichProgram Manager
Originally hailing from Virginia, Maren attended university at Virginia Tech where she earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management before working on the executive management team at a country club. Her passion for adventure, hiking, backpacking, and exploring outdoors led her to guide backpacking trips for youth in North Carolina where she currently resides. Originally a trip leader with Bold Earth, Maren now brings her background in hospitality management into play as a full-time Program Manager on the team. She is passionate about helping facilitate outdoor and interpersonal experiences that empower young people. In her free time, Maren enjoys painting, working with textiles arts, reading, and spending time in the woods. She is certified in CPR and is a wilderness first responder.
Jacqueline Comola
Jacqueline ComolaAdmissions manager
Jacqueline is passionate about guiding others through life-changing outdoor experiences, which is exactly what drew her to work at Bold Earth. Prior to joining our team, Jacqueline worked in admissions and student life at a girls’ boarding school, was a wilderness therapy field guide for teens and young adults and managed a women’s outdoor-adventure-focused recovery home. Jacqueline works year-round in our office and also teaches yoga and guides hikes. She loves everything Appalachia. From hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding in the mountains; to paddle boarding the rivers, Jacqueline has worked her way down the range from Virginia to Asheville, where she currently resides.
Jacqueline is a certified yoga instructor and wilderness first responder. When she isn’t at work, you can usually find her practicing yoga, enjoying the outdoors, making art, or jamming out on the guitar and singing with her pet parakeet!
Dr. Andrew Morris
Medical advisor
Dr. Andrew Morris is a family physician in Hendersonville, NC, where he serves as the assistant program director of the MAHEC Hendersonville Family Medicine Residency Program; assistant clinical instructor of Family Medicine at UNC School of Medicine; medical director of Blue Ridge Community Health Services; and medical director for four regional summer camps. He began his career as a full-time volunteer for two years at Clinica Hombro a Hombro in Intibucá, Honduras, and continues his involvement in global health as the course director of the Missionary Medicine for Physicians course at Equip International. He currently provides inpatient care at Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC, and full-spectrum outpatient care at Blue Ridge Community Health.
This summer, Dr. Morris will be our COVID protocols advisor and medical director.