After nine years of service to Outward Bound, Northwest Outward Bound School is sad to say goodbye to Ryan Audett, Washington Logistics Manager, as he moves on to other ventures. To honor the impact Ryan has had on his staff, colleagues, and students, Will Long, Logistics Coordinator, and Erika Halm, Washington Program Director, have written affirmations of his character;
From Will Long, NWOBS Logistics Coordinator since 2014:
“Ryan Audett saved my life. I do speak in extreme hyperbole, of course, but the excess of the statement is not undeserved. I have no doubt that he has saved many lives over the course of his own, but Ryan hired me sight unseen from the bottom of a pile of last-minute applications based on a second-hand recommendation, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I would be neither who I am nor where I am today without Ryan, and I’m sure that I make up but a slight percentage of the people who might testify to that fact as well.
I worked as a Logistics Coordinator (we prefer the term Logistician) under Ryan Audett’s leadership for two years, and in those two years, I found that I could, quite literally, ask him about anything. Ryan is the kind of person who does everything, whose warmth and presence could be felt in all aspects of the strange amalgam of communal, professional living. I operated both on and off the clock knowing that there was at least one person that I could go to for help, regardless of the circumstance; professional problems, personal dilemmas, abstract questions, advice, best practices. Above all, he has always been enthusiastic and willing to chat, or hang out on the porch, or pull up a chair at board-game night.
Despite, sometimes, his intentional exterior, Ryan has been an excellent friend and an extremely able leader. There is no doubt among any of us in Mazama that Ryan will excel in futures both near and far, and that we would always be able to call him, email him, or drop by unannounced to bombard him with questions, asking how something works, how we should proceed with our lives, what, if anything, will tear the tiles off of an ancient kitchen floor. Ryan will, first and foremost, give you a hard time about the question, but then, infallibly, he will know precisely what to do and what to say. Godspeed Ryan, we wish you well.”
From Erika Halm, Washington Program Director:
“Please join me in thanking our beloved Washington Logistics Manager, Ryan Audett, who will be moving on from his position this year. Ryan has worked incredibly hard and done a fantastic job managing our logistics needs as part of the Washington Administration Team, and although we fully support his decision, it’s hard to see him go. Ryan is a thoughtful, pragmatic, and skilled educator who holds himself and everyone around him to the highest standards.
Ryan is the consummate jack-of-all-trades, which makes him a great Logistics Manager: he can re-order desperately needed bickies, schedule complicated student transportation, manage our widely varying equipment fleet, create delicate earrings for our auction, repair absolutely anything on base, organize evacuations, manage LCs, lip-sync flawed but enthusiastic Spice Girls at community events, train neophyte stick-shifters to handle a massive truck and trailer over the pass, and so much more. Before he was our Logistics Manager, Ryan was an instructor and course director in Washington, Alaska, and Baja. And, of course, he’s simply fun to work with and always has something to offer. Ryan has been a mentor, colleague, and friend to me and many others in our school. While Ryan is transitioning out of his current role, I know he will continue to be part of our community. Ryan is leaving big shoes to fill in our school, and I know I speak for all of us when I say THANK YOU for 9 years of service!”
And to think your first experience was our beyond Malibu trip!! You have come such a long way and I am very proud of you. Can’t wait to see the next adventure that awaits! Nothing better than being a parent!
Ryan, though we never had too much time spent working / adventuring together, I look forward to seeing you again. Thanks for the inspiration and mentorship over the past few years!