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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  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.  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. 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.  Dr. David J. Jecmen, Ph.D. David received his Doctor of Philosophy from Ohio State University and his Masters Degree, Ohio State University, both in Counseling Psychology; his Bachelors Degree, Notre Dame in Honors Pre-Professional Studies. His specialties include marriage and family dynamics, parent/child relationships, addiction and recovery, trauma healing, intensive outpatient treatment, sexual addiction and offense, and gifted children. In addition to working with ANASAZI, he has a partnership practice, Sanctuary: A Healing Place. "I enjoy my role as father of three children and the growth and learning I experience in parenting and creative play. I acknowledge the ongoing challenge of balancing in my own life the active 'doing' aspect of life with the restful 'being' aspect of life."  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 4 years and have two sons. He loves spending time with family, exercising, and reading. Operations  Sandra Priedeman, LCSW Sandra earned her MSW from Colorado State University and her BS in Special Education from Brigham Young University. She has worked as an ANASAZI counselor since 2001 but spent her first years here as a TrailWalker. Prior to that she taught elementary children and did undergraduate work as an intern at a Teen Run-Away shelter. Her background also includes working with angry/uncommunicative youth, those struggling with divorce/marital conflict, and youth with learning differences. 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. Director of Logistics Nathan Godfrey Nathan is responsible for planning, logistics, communications, and safety in ANASAZI's field operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Leadership Education and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. Board of Directors
Lester W.B. Moore, Chairman
Executive Vice President, Bain Capital
D. Paul Smith, Secretary
Chief Financial Officer, Arbinger Institute
Michael J. Merchant
President/CEO, ANASAZI Foundation
Ezekiel Sanchez
Founder, ANASAZI Foundation
Sterling Tanner
President, Forever Young Foundation Advisory Board
Dr. Ina Bendis, M.D.
W. McComb Dunwoody
President, The Inverness Group
Ralph Earle
Founder, Psychological Counseling Services
Gordon Gartner
Chief of Police (Retired), Payson, AZ
Robert C. Gay
Managing Director, Hunstman Gay Global Capital
Wayne Greene
President, Valley Interiors
Bob & Diana Hunt
Hunt Construction Group
Tom Lewis
T.W. Lewis Company
Larry Olsen
Founder (Retired), ANASAZI Foundation
Pauline M. Sanchez
Former Director, ANASAZI Foundation
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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