About NOLI

Founder & Instructor/IT

A long-time resident of Northeast Tennessee, Scott has a deep affection and appreciation for the mountains and rivers of the region that he calls home. A former Army Infantry officer and graduate of Airborne and Ranger schools, he went on to successful corporate careers before deciding to combine his passion for the outdoors with his love of teaching to found NOLI. He is the former Safety and Education Chairperson for the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts and carries advanced instructor certifications in whitewater kayak and swiftwater rescue through the ACA and ITRA. He is also a Level 5 Instructor Trainer for Swiftwater Rescue and a Level 4 Instructor Trainer for Whitewater Kayaking. Additionally, he teaches wilderness survival, wilderness navigation and Leave No Trace. He has been instructing for over 15 years, during which time he has taught hundreds of adults, youth and rescue professionals.

Canoe Instructor

Although Viki has been canoeing since she was a kid, her most intense period of boating has been since 2012. Since then, canoeing has taken her to the most amazing places: the Southeast’s finest class 3 and 4 creeks, the jungle rivers of Costa Rica, the rivers of the Colorado Rockies and the Middle Fork of the Salmon. She's passionate about sharing the art of canoeing with folks who are just getting started, as well as helping experienced canoeists gain the skills and confidence they need to run harder whitewater and creeks. Teaching, for her, is a way to help create learning experiences for others, to share what she's learned, to honor those who have done the same for her, to grow the sport and to show gratitude for the amazing ways boating has helped shape her life.

Kayak & Rescue Instructor

Debbie Briscoe is a native resident of TN and has enjoyed the outdoors most of her life. She started kayaking more than 20 years ago and strives to help others to break into the sport to enjoy it as much as she does. She has been a trip leader for beginner trips and weekend kayak outings with the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts Club and is currently the Class I-II/ Touring Trip Coordinator. Deb is an ACA Level 3 River Safety and Rescue Instructor and plays a leading role in our flatwater safety classes. In her spare time you can find Deb kayaking, hiking and hammock camping and she enjoys campfire Dutch Oven cooking and multi day kayak camping expeditions. 

Backpacking Instructor

A native of New Orleans, Michelle grew up the quintessential indoors person. That changed when she moved to northeast Tennessee and slowly began to embrace an active lifestyle. On trails meandering through serene forests and along babbling creeks, Michelle recognized an inner need to be in the wilderness that she didn’t previously realize existed within herself.  In the 20+ years since, Michelle has steadily worked to increase her knowledge, skills, and fitness to safely explore wild areas, earning certifications in Wilderness First Aid/CPR, ACA Level 2 Kayak Trip Leader and Wilderness First Responder. Some of her more recent adventures include backpacking to the Havasupai waterfalls of the Grand Canyon, kayak camping through the San Juan Islands and completing the Sheltowee Trace Association hiker’s challenge. Michelle is honored to have the opportunity to help newcomers explore all this wonderful world of wilderness adventure has to offer with NOLI.  When Michelle is not out in a kayak or ambling along the Appalachian Trail, she is a professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Quillen College of Medicine of East Tennessee State University.

Canoe & Kayak Instructor

Brad has been drawn to the outdoors since childhood. From playing in the creek behind his childhood home, his interests grew into hiking throughout the Southwest, Grand Canyon, and Colorado Wilderness, technical rock climbing, and whitewater canoeing and kayaking. Being outside has always been a source of renewal, reflection, and recreation. Brad holds a degree in Forestry, and he worked several seasons for the Forest Service in Wilderness and Recreation management. He then made a professional shift and has been in private chiropractic practice since 1999. He is also a second degree black belt and instructor in Aikido, and an ACA certified L3 kayak instructor. As an instructor, Brad enjoys making the complex, simple. Skill progression is built on strong fundamentals!

Kayak & Wilderness Medicine Instructor

When Adam was 11 years old he took his first paddle strokes on the Tuckaseegee River in Western North Carolina and never looked back. Whitewater kayaking is the driving force in Adam’s life. He raced the Green for the first time in 2002 and continues to race well into his forties. He has notched podium finishes and wins in Jerry’s Baddle, the Watauga Race, the Chatooga Race, the Baddle of the Broad, and the Nolichucky Race. Adam has paddled extensively in the U.S. and Canada. In 2022 he completed his lifetime goal of successfully paddling the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River (aka the Mount Everest of kayaking) in Northern British Columbia. After returning home, Adam decided he wanted to give back to the sport that has given so much. He earned his ACA L4 kayak instructor certification and enjoys teaching newcomers to the sport, and helping seasoned veterans elevate their game. Adam is a family man with two boys, Ryland and Hudson. When he isn’t on the river he can be found working as a trauma nurse and paramedic instructor.

Wilderness Medicine, SWR & Survival Instructor

Randy Manuel is a Wilderness EMT, Lead Instructor, and Instructor Trainer for SOLO Schools, Sierra Rescue and an ACA level IV Swiftwater Rescue Instructor. He is the Training Officer and a Field Team Leader with Cherokee County Search and Rescue {NC}. Randy fills other roles within EMS as well, but his main focus is teaching. He has been an instructor for over a decade, teaching hundreds of Wilderness Medicine and Survival Courses. Attend just one of his classes and you'll see he is knowledgeable, passionate about the topics, and his enthusiasm is contagious. "It's extraordinary to me, the realization of knowing that I'm passing the torch to the next generation of outdoor leaders. I'm honored and humbled to have the privilege to do so." When not at work you might find Randy, his wife Jae, and their dog Jefe hiking, boating, or simply near a body of water on this big, beautiful, blue marble we call home.

Kayak & Swiftwater Rescue Instructor

Mike moved to East TN in early 1992 and, wanting to take advantage of the outdoor opportunities in the area, decided kayaking was in his future. He went to a gear sale and left with everything he needed to participate in the sport and zero experience. After multiple trips to a local lake, he soon realized he needed instruction. Paddling quickly became much more than a hobby but a lifestyle. This lifestyle has taken him to a host of incredible places in this country and abroad and, over the last three decades, Mike has been one of the most prolific and highly regarded kayakers in the southeast. He has held advanced certifications as both a kayak and swift water rescue instructor and is the past president, safety, and cruise chair for the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts. Mike’s greatest pride has come from watching his son grow into a young man and exceptional kayaker in his own right. Mike recently retired after a 32-year career, and he is stoked to get back into whitewater instruction. When Mike is not kayaking, he can be found skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with his wife at their camper in this beautiful region.

Kayak, SWR & WFA Instructor & ITE

Robin is one of the leading ACA instructors and trainer educators in the country, having taught or mentored countless individuals in paddling and rescue over three decades. He is certified as an instructor trainer educator in swiftwater rescue (level 5), river kayaking (level 5) and prone paddling (level 3); and as an instructor in coastal kayaking (level 2) and canoeing (level 1). He is also certified as a lifeguard. He is a past Chair of ACA’s Board of Directors, secretary of ACA’s Safety and Rescue Committee and is a current member of the US Coast Guard’s National Boating Safety Advisory Council. Robin lives with his family in Sylva, NC, where he works as a physician assistant for Mountain ENT. His work as a PA allows him to follow his avocation as a paddling and aquatics instructor.

Backpacking Instructor

Minta grew up in the shadow of the Smokies in Knoxville, TN, but has decided to call Johnson City and the surrounding area her new home. Minta has been playing outside and finding rest in the woods from a young age and has a passion for inviting others to safely recreate outdoors with her—because teaching someone else to love and care for what she loves and cares for is fun! Her current mainstays are kayaking on the Nolichucky, open water swimming on Watauga Lake, downhill skiing and ski instructing, and escaping to the Appalachian Trail whenever she can. In 2018, Minta completed a thru hike of the AT as a Trail Chaplain with The United Methodist Church and will happily answer to her trail name, “Blueberry.” When she’s not outdoors, Minta is a second year medical student at ETSU Quillen College of Medicine hoping to pursue a career in primary care working alongside the underserved right here in Appalachia.

Kayak Instructor

Ryan is from Blountville, TN and started kayaking in the summer of 2007 on the Watauga River. Shortly thereafter he started paddling the Nolichucky river with the Appalachian Paddle Enthusiasts and as his experience progressed he decided he wanted to share his skills with others who were interested in learning how to paddle. So he pursued his Level 4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor certification through the American Canoe Association in 2013 and has been teaching ever since. He's excited to be instructing with NOLI and always looks forward to passing on his skills to new boaters with an emphasis on safety and fun!

Backpacking Instructor

Although Rob has been a canoe/kayak camper, backpacker, fisherman and wildlife photographer for most of his adult life, those activities have become even more important over the last 15 years. A former competitive cyclist and trail runner, Rob continues to feed his competitive side by occasionally racing flatwater kayaks. His outdoor volunteer experiences started with habitat improvement workdays for the Nature Conservancy and he has 40 years of experience planning and leading bike and running trips/races, as well as hiking, backpacking, and paddling trips. He believes strongly in encouraging trip participants to explore wild places, to share their collective knowledge, and to improve (and gain confidence in) their skills. When he's not out enjoying the outdoors Rob is the interim chairperson of the Department of Medical Education in the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University.

Medical Director

Dr. James Luna grew up in east Tennessee enjoying all things outdoors: hunting, fishing, golfing, tennis, biking, canoeing, camping, and hiking. Going to college and medical school in large cities with flat land and muddy water cemented his desire to be in a small town near the mountains. He and his wife of 21 years, Kim, met during residency in NC and later relocated to Montana. After the birth of their first of 5 children, they made the decision to return to TN and moved to Kingsport in 20o2. When they outgrew that house, they moved to a farm on the lower Watauga River in 2012 where they raise cattle, chickens and children. His interests include kayaking, woodworking, blacksmithing, farming, and watching his kids grow. James has been an ER doctor for almost 30 years and enjoys the unpredictable and challenging nature of his job, where no day is the same as the last. He received his MD degree from the University of Tennessee in 1991 and completed his emergency medicine residency at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He has served as the Director of Emergency Medicine at Holston Valley Medical Center and is currently an attending Emergency Physician at Mountain Home VA in Johnson City, TN. James is the NOLI Medical Director and advises our medical-related courses.