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 ANASAZI Foundation Founder Larry D. Olsen Born in 1939, near Jerome, Idaho, Larry's unquenchable curiosity in Native American cultures lured him to the great desert wastelands of the Western United States and their ancient inhabitants. As a boy, Larry trekked into remote canyon areas and became adept at living off the land. Read more... ANASAZI Foundation Founder Ezekiel C. Sanchez Ezekiel C. Sanchez, a Totonac Indian from Mexico, is the second oldest of sixteen children. At a young age Ezekiel learned to work and gather wild edibles from the desert to supplement his family food supply. Read more... Read the Founders' Official Statement. Read the Ten Guiding Principles of ANASAZI as defined by the Founders. Administration  Ezekiel C. Sanchez Ezekiel, a Totonac Indian from Mexico, is the second oldest of sixteen children. At a young age Ezekiel learned to work and gather wild edibles from the desert to supplement his family food supply. In his fourteenth year, Ezekiel's family joined a band of migrant farm workers. After several years of following the crops in the Western States, his family finally settled in Moapa Valley in Overton, Nevada. Ezekiel started high school at 19 years of age and graduated three years later at the age of 22. He became the first in his family to earn a high school diploma. An art teacher recognized his artistic ability and without Ezekiel's knowledge submitted a scholarship application to Brigham Young University. He was awarded an art scholarship to BYU in 1966. After struggling through his first year at the University, Ezekiel received an invitation from the college administration to participate in a wilderness survival course conducted by Larry D. Olsen. Three days into the course, Larry recognized Ezekiel's obvious skills and talents for the outdoors and invited Ezekiel to help him develop the BYU Survival courses. Ezekiel became a full time teaching staff member for BYU's Department of Youth Leadership. At the request of ecclesiastical leaders, Ezekiel left the university to implement a church education program in the remote areas of the Navajo Indian Reservation. A gifted teacher, Ezekiel worked with youth of all ages from the reservation. During the summer months Ezekiel continued to develop his outdoor programs for youth with Larry Olsen. In 1988, Ezekiel and Larry reunited to establish the ANASAZI Foundation, a non-profit, licensed and nationally accredited outdoor behavioral healthcare program located in Arizona. By applying their many years of wilderness experiences, they developed the ANASAZI Way philosophy. The ANASAZI Way has since become recognized internationally as an effective and nurturing approach to inviting a lasting change in youth and young adults making at-risk choices. Today, Ezekiel's knowledge of plants and ancient skills is unparalleled. He is known for his exceptional skill to track (even at night). Stories of his ability to travel through the desert with little or no food and water are told and retold around campfires throughout the West. Ezekiel is married to Pauline Martin, a beautiful Navajo from The Gap, Arizona. They are the parents of seven children. Ezekiel and Pauline were honored as the 2001 Arizona's Parents of the Year and in 2002 received the Excellence in Parenting 2002 National Award from The National Parents' Day Council, A Project of the American Family Coalition and The Washington Times Foundation. Among the many honors they have received, these two honors are special because Ezekiel and Pauline consider all the young people who have walked or will walk the ANASAZI Trail as part of their family.  Michael J. Merchant Mike has helped lead ANASAZI since 1990. He oversees the organization's day-to-day activities and works closely with families as a facilitator of ANASAZI's parent seminar. Mike also serves as chairman of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative (www.obhrc.org), which helps determine best practices for adolescent behavioral healthcare providers. Mike is a frequent lecturer on standards of care and the importance of effective parent-child communication. In 2004, he developed the communication component at the heart of the Emmy-nominated "Take the Time to Talk" substance-abuse awareness and prevention campaign. Mike and wife Gaylene are the proud parents of seven musically gifted, red-headed children. Vice President, Marketing & Development Sean Rourke Sean is primarily responsible for the development of ANASAZI's annual scholarship fund, which provides assistance for financially challenged families in need of ANASAZI's services. He also oversees ANASAZI's marketing, professional education, social networking, alumni services, and admissions efforts. Sean brings to ANASAZI more than 18 years of experience in strategic marketing management, public relations, and proposal development. A native of Oklahoma, Sean earned degrees in business administration and mass communications from St. Gregory's College and Northeastern State University. He and his wife Lori have two sons.  Virginia Robinson Virginia brings a wealth of experience to her role as ANASAZI's director of admissions. She first became acquainted with ANASAZI's founders as a student enrolled in their earlier, university-based wilderness programs. Soon after ANASAZI was formed in 1988, Virginia enrolled one of her children in the program. Since that time, all but two of her 12 children have participated in ANASAZI as either students or staff.  Quynn Taylor Quynn serves as ANASAZI's liaison to the professional community and is an invaluable resource for parents participating in ANASAZI programs. For more than 13 years, Quynn served as director of the family education program at Hyde School, a preparatory academy based in Bath, Maine, and well known for its approach to character-based education. She is a certified personal life coach with 18 years of expertise in family communications, parenting skills, and personal transition issues. Clinical Team Clinical Director Jared M. Dinehart, Ph.D. Jared was named clinical director in September 2008, serving previously as one of ANASAZI's family therapists. Jared came to ANASAZI from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he served as the staff psychologist while also maintaining a private practice. A licensed counseling psychologist, Jared specializes in behavioral addictions and anxiety-related disorders. He received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Brigham Young University.  Daniel Parke, LCSW Daniel earned a BS in Marriage, Family and Human Development and a MA in Social Work, both from Brigham Young University, Utah. His professional experience includes a Master's level internship in a residential facility working in individual adolescent therapy, family therapy, and facilitating sexual addiction groups and substance abuse groups. His Master's level internship in an out-patient facility gave him additional experience in family therapy, group therapy, and facilitating anger management groups. He worked as a Psych Tech in two different youth corrections facilities. Daniel and Ginger have been married for four years and have two sons. He loves spending time with family, exercising, and reading. Family Therapist/Shadow Sulay Tovar, LMSW Sulay earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in social work (MSW) from Brigham Young University. A native of California, she worked previously as an elementary/high school special education teacher for the Mohave Unified School District. Sulay's clinical experience includes work with West Ridge Academy and the Utah State Hospital's forensics unit. Fluent in Portuguese, she served an 18-month humanitarian mission in Brazil after working previously as a TrailWalker on ANASAZI's direct-care staff. Sulay loves working with young people and considers her work at ANASAZI to be her ideal job. She is the proud owner of Tumbleweed and Baer, two puppies who found her on the road to the ANASAZI trail. Family Therapist/Shadow Nathan Mitchell, MS, LAC Nathan earned his master's degree in mental health counseling from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor's in fine arts/acting from Brigham Young University. He came to ANASAZI from a Utah-based therapeutic boarding school, where he served as a therapist and developed the school's drama therapy program. He worked previously as a professional film actor, a life-skills instructor in a cognitive restructuring program, a psychiatric clinical assistant, and as an adolescent life coach in another residential treatment center. Besides serving as a family therapist/shadow, Nathan is a facilitator for ANASAZI's Arbinger Institute parenting program. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and is an avid woodworker, hiker, and fisherman. Medical Staff Wanda Foutz, RN, MSN Associated with ANASAZI since 1992 and formerly serving as clinical director, Wanda recently rejoined our staff as Director of Nursing. In this position, she oversees the health and safety of participants and staff. Wanda holds a degree in social services and a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Santa Fe. She received her MSN from the University of Sacramento. Besides serving for 10 years as ANASAZI's clinical director, Wanda has extensive experience as a staff nurse and as nursing/clinical director in surgical, ICU, mental health, home health, and hospice care. She has been a nursing instructor at Central Arizona College for the past 10 years and has been instrumental in helping several organizations achieve Joint Commission accreditation. Wanda has served on the surveying committee for the Council on Accreditation and is the past president of the nursing board at the University of New Mexico-Gallup. Theresa Mooney, MSN, FNP-C A certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Theresa received a master's degree in nursing from the University of Arizona and a bachelor's in nursing from Brigham Young University. Before ANASAZI, she worked as a floor nurse for three years, caring for cancer and medical patients. Famous for reminding the YoungWalkers and TrailWalkers to wash their hands and drink plenty of water, Theresa is known as "Mama T" on the trail. Working with the children and their families brings light and joy into her life. She thoroughly enjoys working closely with our supervising physician, Jay Swanson, M.D., and his marvelous staff. Theresa feels she has the best job in the world working with bright teens and young adults, their parents and families, and the excellent ANASAZI staff. Operations Team Field Director Andrew Belcher Andrew helps to manage day-to-day field operations and works closely with founder Ezekiel Sanchez to hire and train members of ANASAZI's direct care staff. A former ANASAZI TrailWalker and RidgeWalker (field supervisor) who is trained as a Wilderness First Responder, Andrew graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish.  David Holladay David Holladay brings more than 35 years of teaching experience to his role as ANASAZI's education director. Widely regarded as one of the country's foremost educators in Stone Age living skills, David is a frequent lecturer, author and consultant on primitive technologies, edible/medicinal plants, and pre-Columbian culture. He served for 18 years as head instructor at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School and spent five years as a K-12 environmental educator with the Tucson Unified School District. An accomplished artist, musician and story-teller, David and his work have been featured in Cast Away, Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, Road Rules, and in numerous other documentary productions which have aired on HBO, MTV and networks around the world. Part of ANASAZI for 20 years, he is the proud father of 10 children and husband to Jill, who was also a long-time ANASAZI instructor. Director of Logistics Sheldon Nelson Sheldon joined ANASAZI's field team in 2004 and is responsible for planning, logistics, communications, and safety in ANASAZI's field operations. He worked previously as a wild land firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and provided logistical support to aid relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Board of Directors
Sterling Tanner, Chairman
President, Forever Young Foundation
D. Paul Smith, Secretary
Chief Financial Officer, Arbinger Institute
Ezekiel Sanchez
Executive Director & Founder, ANASAZI Foundation
Michael J. Merchant
President, ANASAZI Foundation
Lester W.B. Moore
Operating Partner Director, Huntsman Gay Global Capital Advisory Board
Dr. Ina Bendis, M.D.
W. McComb Dunwoody
President, The Inverness Group
Ralph Earle, Ph.D.
Founder, Psychological Counseling Services
Gordon Gartner
Chief of Police (Retired), Payson, AZ
Robert C. Gay, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Huntsman Gay Global Capital
Wayne Greene
President, Valley Interiors
Bob & Diana Hunt, Ph.D.
Hunt Construction Group
Tom Lewis
T.W. Lewis Company
Larry Olsen
Founder (Retired), ANASAZI Foundation
Pauline M. Sanchez
Former Director, ANASAZI Foundation
Dr. Marc Tahiliani
President/Founder/CEO, Awareness Corporation
Nathan Olsen
President/CEO, BestNotes
Richard & Claudia Hutchings
Rich & Krista Haws
Dinah Lundell
Jerry Coleman
Managing Director and General Counsel, Alliance Investment Group
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