Full Time Staff
Throughout the year, the full-time staff members at the ARCC home base are busy shaping the adventures that occur in the summer. This group is made up of former trip leaders, world travelers, marathon runners, kayakers, and moms and dads. They are all united by their love of travel and adventure, and the desire to create positive experiences for young people.
Scott von Eschen, President
Scott has a diverse background in international travel, business, and adventure travel. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology as well as an MBA from Dartmouth College. He has lived in Spain, Japan and Guatemala. Scott’s passion for the wilderness is reflected in his love of backpacking, mountaineering and kayaking. He lives in Mill Valley, with his wife, Kristin, and their daughters, Campbell and Andie.
Lisa Halsted, Founder
Lisa founded ARCC 26 years ago with the intention of offering adventure travel programs exclusively for young adults. Lisa gained her outdoor experience through participation in Outward Bound, National Outdoor Leadership School and Outdoor Leadership Training Seminars. Lisa is a graduate of the Ethel Walker School and Trinity College; she holds Master’s Degree in Experiential Education from Mankato State University. She lives in Mill Valley with her husband, Scott, and their children, Katie, Sheldon, Heidi and Willie.
Ellery Fink, Program Director
Ellery’s extensive outdoor leadership background in Colorado, California, Utah, and Costa Rica brought her to ARCC five years ago. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she earned a psychology degree. A resident of San Francisco for five years, Ellery enjoys taking advantage of the surfing and biking opportunities in the Bay Area, as well as the culture that surrounds her. Ellery is an active member of her community, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Leadership High School of San Francisco.
Zachary Dorman, Senior Regional Director
After leading trips in Colorado, Utah, Hawaii and Alaska, Zach joined ARCC full-time. He graduated from the University of Montana in Resource Conservation and Wilderness Studies, and also studied in West Africa. Zach once appeared on Late Night with David Letterman (with his award winning bird call).
Suzie Rose, Regional Director
Suzie’s diverse background in teaching, outdoor leadership, service learning and adventure travel brought her to Adventures Cross-Country. Suzie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Duke University. Suzie has since organized and led trips in Costa Rica, New Zealand, Israel, Chile, Mexico, and throughout the US. In addition to her passion for working with and traveling with teenagers, Suzie enjoys climbing, biking and backpacking.
Claire Diepenbrock, Regional Director
Claire joins our full time staff with three years of leading ARCC programs in Colorado, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji under her belt in addition to vast outdoor leadership experiences all over California. Claire holds a degree in Mass Communications from U.C. Berkeley and is a graduate of the NOLS Rocky Mountain Semester. An intrepid traveler, Claire’s most recent adventure took her to India.
Cameron Richards, Regional Director
Cameron spent three summers leading trips in California, Alaska, and Thailand before joining the ARCC office staff. A native of Oregon, Cameron received his BA in History at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he swam and played rugby. Cameron’s love for the outdoors is reflected in his various weekend adventures where he enjoys skiing, bicycling, backpacking, riding his motorcycle, and spending time in the sunshine of Northern California.
Piper Christian, Regional Director
Piper comes to ARCC with five years of experience organizing and leading trips throughout Latin America. A native of the Bay Area, she graduated from the University of California in San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology. Her passion for exploring the world was first sparked with a year of study in Spain, which was followed by subsequent study abroad experiences in France and Brazil. Besides traveling, her interests include hiking, reading, and cooking.