Committed to providing an opportunity for all children to gain confidence and self-esteem through participation in outdoor activities

Outdoor Outreach Board of Directors

Douglas W. Burke
Chief Executive Officer, Defense Web Technologies

Doug Burke is the Chief Executive Officer of DefenseWeb Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Humana, Inc.  Mr. Burke drives the strategic vision for DefenseWeb and manages the Company’s Sales, Marketing, and Business Development.  Under his leadership, the Company has achieved a cumulative annual revenue growth rate of over 92% since 2003.  Prior to DefenseWeb, Mr. Burke held senior leadership positions in several enterprise software and software services companies including Simile Software, Keylime Software, HNC Software, GlobeSet, and SAIC. Mr. Burke holds a BA in Economics from the University of California (1990) and an MS in Telecommunications from the University of Pittsburgh (1994).  Mr. Burke has been married to his wife Carol for 10 years and has two sons, William (9) and Ryan (6).  Mr. Burke lives in San Diego, California and enjoys running, swimming, backpacking, surfing, and spending time with his family.

Laura Correa
WindFire Investment Group, LLC – Partner

Laura brings over 12 years' experience as a residential real estate agent at Prudential California Realty and United Brokers Network, four years as a partner and real estate investor at WindFire Investment Group and five years as operations manager at Alero Technology, Inc.  As a native San Diegan, Laura enjoys traveling, reading, exercising and the outdoors.  Her desire to help brings her to Outdoor Outreach, where she volunteers in several of the programs.  Now as a board member, Laura hopes to get more involved with the promotion, fund raising and sponsorship of the organization.

Olin M. Hyde
CEO of VerifyFast.com

Olin is a seasoned business development executive and entrepreneur. Currently, he is CEO and co-founder of www.VerifyFast.com -- a company that specializes in verifying employment and income records on behalf of HR departments. VerifyFast encourages their HR partners to donate 10% of revenues to a charity of their choice. Olin was the founder of American Bankcard Capital and co-founder of National Facilities Group (now part of Accurent.com). His professional experience includes leadership positions at Integrant Inc., Andersen Consulting, Koll Real Estate and self-employment as a project manager specializing in developing business requirements for enterprise software systems. Olin grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania where he was a white water river enthusiast, competitive downhill skier and mountain biker. He has a long-standing interest in helping kids gain self-esteem through outdoor adventures and was previously a volunteer with Trips-for-Kids in Marin County, CA. Olin has traveled to more than 40 countries around the world for work and pleasure. He holds a Bachelor's of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University (Ohio). Olin moved to San Diego in 2006 and lives with his partner Lydia Rivera and their best friend Fuzz.

Mark MacKay
CFO of CommerceTel

Mark has over ten years of experience in running the financial and administrative operations for both private and publicly held technology companies in San Diego. Currently, he serves as CFO for CommerceTel, Inc., a software development company located in San Diego. Prior to CommerceTel, Mark served as the corporate controller for One Voice Technologies, a publicly traded market leader in voice recognition and mobile telecom solutions. Mark grew up in Lake Arrowhead and is an avid snow skier, golfer, and fisherman. Mark holds a BS from Northern Arizona University and an MS in accountancy from San Diego State University.

Nick Rhea

Nick Rhea
Bombora Investments, Inc. – President

After spending one too many winters in Kansas, Nick moved west in February 2001 to bask in San Diego's sun.  He then spent the next few years in the wireless industry.  In January 2004 Nick changed his focus on real estate and other investments.  He founded Bombora Investments, Inc., whose current drive is real estate investment.  As president of Bombora Investments, Nick is a successful realtor and real estate investor.  Nick has made San Diego his home and enjoys all America's Finest City has to offer.  Initially, rock climbing and surfing drew Nick to Outdoor Outreach, but it's the enthusiastic kids and dedicated volunteers that make it enriching.

Christopher Rutgers
Outdoor Outreach – Executive Director

Christopher Rutgers is the founder and executive director of Outdoor Outreach.  As a competitive skier, whitewater river guide, expedition rock climber and avid surfer, Chris has spent most of his life developing a passion for the outdoors.  It was this passion that helped Chris overcome his own at-risk childhood.  In 1999, he founded Outdoor Outreach as a means to give at-risk and underprivileged youth the same life changing opportunities.  Drawing from his own personal experiences, Chris developed the Outdoor Outreach philosophies that have proven to be so successful working with at-risk and underprivileged youth.

As founder of Outdoor Outreach, Chris has been nationally recognized as an expert on programming for youth at-risk.  He is frequently asked to speak at national conferences and symposiums, and to consult with government agencies, academic institutions and other nonprofit organizations.  Chris has served as an advisor to the California Governor's Office, California State Parks and the National Park Service on developing programs for at-risk youth.  In addition, Chris has won numerous local and national awards for his programs' successes.  He is a past recipient of San Diego's KGTV Channel 10 Leadership Award and Newsweek magazine's "America's Best."

David Rutgers

David Rutgers
Kaye, Rose, Maltzman, LLP – Director of Administration

David is the director of administration for Kaye, Rose & Maltzman, LLP, a prominent San Diego law firm. He has over 30 years of experience as a business manager, comptroller and administrator, and previously owned and operated his own financial consulting business.  From 1987 to 1997, he served as business manager for Bodkin, McCarthy, Sargent & Smith, one of Los Angeles' premier law firms.  From 1981 to 1987, Mr. Rutgers was employed with McKittrick, Jackson, DeMarco & Peckenpaugh as well as Zobrist, Vienna & McCullough, both of which are prominent Los Angeles firms.  He is responsible for administration of all four offices of Kaye, Rose & Maltzman, LLP as well as the firm's long-term administrative and business planning.  He also handles facilities, technology management and human resources.  As Treasurer, David is responsible for and oversees all Outdoor Outreach financial matters.

Judy Sandweiss
Human Resources

Judy has always loved the outdoors and was attracted to Outdoor Outreach for its mission to give at-risk youth the same opportunities she and her three sisters had growing up.  A native of San Diego, she spent four years throwing snowballs in Ithaca, New York, six years enjoying the beauty of the Bay Area, and one year working at Sun Microsystems' office in Bangalore, India where she had to opportunity to volunteer with kids in an orphanage.  Judy received a BA from UCSD and two master's degrees from Cornell University, and she is currently in Human Resources at Qualcomm. 

Sergio Langarica
Director of International Trade - Sony Electronics Inc.

Sergio’s fondest memories as a child were riding his bicycle on BMX trails amid agricultural fields near the ocean in Oxnard, California, going deep sea fishing with his father, and camping at Kern River with dozens of his extended family members. He also remembers growing up in impoverished neighborhoods where gangs and drugs were rampant. Later in life, as a student at the University of California in San Diego, a mountain bike became his main means of transportation and Rose Canyon became his daily nature retreat going to and from school. On a study abroad program in Brazil, a friend led him through a weeklong backpacking trek through Torres del Paine in the Chilean Patagonia. And when living in Guadalajara, Mexico a friend introduced him to rock climbing. There is something special that happens when he interacts with nature that helps keep him focused when he returns to work, school or his family. For the last 12 years, Sergio has been employed with Sony Electronics Inc. in San Diego where he is currently Director of International Trade responsible for all import / export issues in the Americas Region. He earned a high school degree at the American School in Guadalajara, Mexico, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California in San Diego, an academic year abroad at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Monterey Institute of Technology in Mexico (ITESM). In his Outdoor Outreach future, he will be sharing his passion for the outdoors and showing others how it has helped him become a better person.

Ricky Schlesinger
Executice Vice President, Eagle Creek, Inc.

Ricky is the Executive Vice President of Eagle Creek Travel Gear and has been with them since 1979. Eagle Creek was the pioneer of adventure travel gear category in the 1980's in the outdoor and luggage specialty markets. In 1999 Ricky received the Outdoor Industry Leadership Excellence Award and in 2002 was awarded the annual Travel Goods Association "Man of the Year". Ricky currently sits on the Executive Board of the Travel Goods Association as the Past Chairman and has led their strategic planning efforts. He was on the Advisory Board of Travel Goods magazine for 5 years. Ricky is active in his community and on the Board of Directors of the Vista Buddhist Temple, and a community leader in his local Friends of Leucadia. He has also spearheaded charitable efforts with Eagle Creek such as Children of Nepal and the North County Food Bank.

Copyright © 2007 Outdoor Outreach. A non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization based in San Diego, CA.