http://www.mra.org

http://www.volunteerfd.org

National Outdoor Leadership School - Index

National Outdoor Leadership School - brochure - Index

BY NICOLE CHILTON
ALUMNI PROFILE
Each day on the way to work at a software company,
Barry Leff would pass the local firehouse in
Boulder, Colorado and wonder what it would be like
to work with them. “One day I just stopped by and
askedifit’dbealrightifItookarideinthebigredfire
truck,” he says. “The woman I spoke to said she didn’t
see any problem with it except that their fire trucks
were yellow.” But the color of the trucks didn’t faze
him. After talking more with the firefighters, Barry
signed up for their volunteer program, quickly moved
through the ranks, and eventually became an EMT. It
was just what he was looking for to supplement his
life in the corporate world.
A complacent high school graduate in 1996, a
turning point came for Barry when his family gave
him a NOLS course as a graduation gift. When Barry
completed his British Columbia Wilderness course
with NOLS that summer, he knew he had found a
new dedication to make his life his own. “I had every
intention to follow my brother off to his college, but
after going to NOLS I realized I was going to pave my
own way,” he says.
His path took him to Boston University School
of Management. After graduating in 2000, he decided
he wanted to break into the outdoor industry. He soon
relocated to Boulder and began job hunting, but instead
of finding a day job within the outdoor industry,
Barry found work at a genetic analysis research software
company. Though the work was good, it wasn’t
what he had imagined his life in Colorado would be
like. That’s when he decided to begin volunteering
with the firehouse. “When you’re not sure what to do
and are kind of down in the dumps, it’s really great to
give back to others rather than worrying about yourself
all day long,” Barry says. “Volunteerism is completely
rewarding. There’s no other gain—not
financial or stardom.”
Soon Barry found himself working in Vail and
signing up with the Vail Mountain Rescue Group was
one of the first things he did in his new city. Eventually
Barry became their new member educator, helping
to orient and train new volunteers. “I made friends
and did some amazing things,” he says.
One of Barry’s more memorable rescues with
Vail Mountain Rescue ended up being one of the
more strenuous. Having just finished a rescue at a
sunny and warm lower altitude, Barry suddenly
found himself flying via helicopter to a snowy peak
to rescue a climbing student from a local outdoor
organization whose foot had become trapped under
a 1,000-pound boulder. It was a long, difficult rescue
that lasted well over fifteen hours and involved
multiple rescue personnel and the trapped student’s
instructors. The other students were helpless to do
anything for their friend, but instead of just letting
them sit in their tents worrying, Barry took the leadership
role and involved them as much as he could.
“It’s an event that happens every day—leaders helping
leaders,” he says. “For me it was a very personally
rewarding experience to be there for all of the students.
You don’t learn that anywhere else. You learn
that at NOLS.”
In June 2005, Barry was able to volunteer his
time and talents with the rescue group in a different
way. They hosted the International Workshop and
Conference on Mountain Rescue where he was the
delegate to the team from Israel. Since he speaks Hebrew,
it was a great fit for both groups and a wonderful
learning opportunity. “It was great. I was hearing English
in my right ear and Hebrew in my left and they
were both talking about the same thing.”
For Barry, it’s all about having balance in life. “My
life has two sides: passion in the outdoor industry and
passion for marketing and sales. NOLS taught me
both angles. The teachings of NOLS aren’t isolated to
the backcountry. Office, family, do the right thing,
FALL 2007
Above: Barry Leff with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Nina, on a recent backpackng trip through the north Georgia wilderness. Above right: Amy, Barry, and their SAR dog, Rusty,
after a successful rescue mission on Mount Holy Cross in Eagle, Colorado.
Searching for What Matters Most
NOLS Grad Barry Leff Finds Balance through Volunteering
13
choose the right path—those are important principals
that I learned from NOLS.”
Barry, his wife, Amy, and their six-month-old
daughter, Nina, recently completed their first backcountry
trip together, a five-mile hiking trip through
the north Georgia wilderness. “Nina was incredible
and only started to fuss when I would slow down the
pace. As long as I kept it around 2.5 mph she was in
hiker heaven! I assure you she’ll be signed up [with
NOLS] soon.”
“Not a day goes by that
Idon’tthinkofNOLS,
my peers, my instructors,
and fond, fond memories
that quickly led to a life of
outdoor volunteerism and
continuing education.”
In addition to being a family man, Barry is the
senior marking manager for 3PD Inc. in Atlanta,
Georgia where he continues to be active in the outdoors.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of NOLS,
my peers, my instructors, and fond, fond memories
that quickly led to a life of outdoor volunteerism and
continuing education.”
To find a search and rescue group near you, visit the Mountain
Rescue Association at www.mra.org. To learn how to
get involved with your local volunteer fire department, visit
www.volunteerfd.org.