Hayes Hitchens hails from Charlotte, NC. Hayes founded Moondance as a way to share outdoor adventures with young people. Many of his thirty years in organized camping were spent at Camp Deerhorn in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a camp founded by his grandfather in 1930. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Hayes served The Lovett School in Atlanta for twelve years as the Dean of Students and the Director of Summer Programs. He has participated in outdoor programs with the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Hayes looks forward to another summer spent traveling the continental US meeting Moondance students on their many adventures. He lives with his wife, Michael, and their daughter Hunter in Nashville, TN, where he coordinates all of Moondance Adventures.

Liza McLain was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and then went to Athens, GA to study English Education at The University of Georgia. Growing up, Liza spent most of her weekends at her family’s mountain cabin in North Georgia, where she fell in love with the outdoors. Liza is a Moondance alum, having been a student on the Pacific Northwest trip in 2008. Liza is also an avid traveler and has been to Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Belize, Croatia, Italy, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru, and Costa Rica for outdoor, community service, and study abroad trips. She also has a passion for music, photography, and dogs - specifically her puppy, Pancake! Liza is a wonderful leader in the Moondance HQ office, serving as our Director of Operations.

Kit Sommi hails from Knoxville, TN, and is a graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, where she majored in English and Creative Writing. Throughout her time there, Kit was an active member of the varsity lacrosse team, where she served as a captain her senior year. Kit has always had a love for the outdoors, which was further developed during her time spent on Sewanee’s outdoor campus. Kit grew up attending both Camp Spofford and Camp Greystone and returned in later years to work as a counselor. Kit loved her time spent as a camper and thrived as a counselor, where she found her passion for working with teens. Kit also loved leading the Big Wild trip in the summer of 2018, and led our Chamonix trip in 2019. Kit is a superb leader within the Moondance Office!

Mallie Bromberg hails from Birmingham, Alabama and has lived in Nashville since graduating from the University of Alabama in 2017. Mallie views Moondance as an opportunity to become the best version of yourself while providing lifelong friendships and teaching students lessons that they can carry with them through their entire life. She is no stranger to Moondance, having participated on The Grand in 2013 and led Maui in 2017. Mallie offers invaluable customer service experience, having spent years in the sales and HR industries. We are so grateful to have her as a key member of Moondance's Admissions Team!

Hannah Burlingame is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is a recent graduate from The University of Alabama (RTR!) with a degree in Psychology. After spending a couple summers with Moondance as a student, Hannah has always held a special place in her heart for the company. Since spending her most recent summer in Wyoming at A Bar A Ranch as a guest wrangler, she knew she could not stray away from something meaningful and full of adventure. She is so excited to keep helping other students live in the moment with Moondance as our Assistant Director of Admissions.

Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Zoe Parker is a Midwesterner at heart, even as her family has recently relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee! Zoe led our Hawaiian Islands trip and has had a passion for Moondance ever since. A graduate of Furman University, Zoe majored in Sustainability Sciences and Sociology, focusing her studies on her passions of helping people and the planet. She continues to bring her skills from her previous work as a Walt Disney World Entertainment Cast Member, Scottish Parliament intern, and United Nations Millennium Fellow to serve the Moondance family as our Assistant Director of Admissions.

Jackie Faustin graduated cum laude from Furman University, with a degree in both Economics and Communications Studies. During her time at Furman, Jackie was an active part of the campus community, serving as an Admissions Ambassador, the Vice President of the Student Activities Board, and a certified yoga instructor! Additionally, she gave her own Ted Talk on the benefits of social-emotional learning and mindfulness in education. Jackie grew up attending Camp Wayfarer and later worked there as a lead counselor for years. Most recently, she led with Moondance on The Olympics trip. Jackie continues her passion for the outdoors, transformative experiences, and Moondance's philosophy in her HQ role as the Assistant Director of Staffing.

Edwin Hussey was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Arkansas where he studied Recreation Management. Edwin has had a strong interest in the outdoors from an early age having spent four summers with Moondance as a student. After his time with Moondance, Edwin went on to complete two courses with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where he solidified his passion for transformative, outdoor experiences. Edwin's fascination with adventure and being outside continued while in college as he spent his summers between semesters working as a river guide on the Snake River in Wyoming. Additionally, Edwin is in the process of obtaining his pilot's license! Clearly, adventure is never far from his horizon. Edwin is stoked to keep creating the Moondance experience for others as the Director of International Operations.

Sandra Davis hails from Greensboro, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a degree in Public Policy and Social and Economic Justice. After graduation, Sandra led her first Moondance trip to Maui and was hooked. She is no stranger to adventure, having visited 26 countries, and her life long-goal is traveling to all 7 continents - she has only one left. Next adventure on the horizon: Machu Picchu (Spring '22). Sandra has also obtained her Girl Scout of America Gold Award and established an art program at a school that welcomes Syrian and South American refugees. Sandra combines her adventurous spirit and love for Moondance's service philosophy by working as our Assistant Director of Staffing.

Hoke Smith hails from Nashville, TN where he grew up with an undying love and appreciation for the outdoors. Hoke is a graduate of the University of Georgia and has spent the last three years living out West, spending his free time exploring the wilderness of Colorado in any way that he could. Hoke’s love for the outdoors began at an early age when he participated on our Pacific Northwest and Northern Lights trips as a student and loved every second of it! He went on to become a NOLS graduate and rejoined the Moondance family as a leader from 2015 to 2018. After deciding to move back home to Nashville, Hoke serves as our Director of Domestic Operations at Moondance HQ.

Runa King graduated from Washington and Lee University with a major in Geology and Politics. She spent much of her time in Virginia exploring the outdoors through W&L's Outing Club, participating in various outing club trips and leading groups for the pre-orientation program. She fell in love with the outdoors as a camper at Camp Skyline and later returned as a counselor, serving as the camp's head of circus activity. Through her time as a counselor and through two summer internships with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, Runa discovered her passion for working with teens. This past summer she led Northern Lights and had the absolute time of her life! She continues to add value to Moondance by serving as our Assistant Director of Operations.

Ash Williamson is a Chicagoland native who graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Communication Studies. Ash fell in love with the outdoors attending summer camp as a child, where she was both a camper and an activity coordinator. Her favorite activities are kayaking or tubing on the river and late night campfires, and she prefers hammock camping over a tent anyday! She also enjoys playing video games with her husband, snuggling with their two cats and their dog, or reading a great book. Ash joins the Moondance HQ Office as our Accountant.