Lodge and Program Managers

Brooke Edwards: Safari Program Director
In 1998, Brooke Edwards came to Alaska to work for Alaska Wildland Adventures as a Natural History Trip Leader. From the moment she stepped off the plane, she knew Alaska would become "home." Eight years later, she has built her own cordwood masonry home from recycled materials with her husband, Shane, in the beautiful glacier valley of Girdwood. She is excited to return to AWA as Safari Program Director. She spent the past few years as a sea-kayak guide, instructing for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), working as field faculty for Audubon Expedition Institute, running Alaskan rafting expeditions, fighting forest fires, building trails for the local Chugach National Forest, and teaching the art of telemark skiing. Brooke's goal: "finding new and exciting ways to discover Alaska on a daily basis." Brooke brings to her position with AWA an M.S. in Environmental Education with an emphasis on Ecotourism. Her passion and respect for the preservation of wild places makes her a perfect fit with AWA and we are excited to have her back on the team! When she's not program directing, Brooke can be found backcountry skiing, competing in triathlons, pack rafting, writing poetry, and spending quality time with her husband and their Alaskan husky, Nunatak.

Melissa Novorgoratz: Cooper Landing Office Manager
Melissa's first stint in Alaska came along in 2003, when she moved to Juneau as a recent college grad to work as an Americorps VISTA Volunteer with the State of Alaska. The spectacular mountains, glaciers and ocean just outside her front door quickly proved addictive and Melissa knew she had found a place she didn't want to stop exploring. Later on, with a couple more years of working in Alaskan tourism, Melissa's dream career opportunity came true and she joined the Alaska Wildland Adventures family. We are so happy to have her as our Cooper Landing Office Manager and know that she will do a fantastic job in her new year-round AWA position. During work hours, Melissa loves helping Kenai River Sportfishing Lodge guests to plan their fishing vacation of a lifetime, and outside of work, she can be found skiing, hiking with her dog, Finley, training for her first running marathon, or just curling up with a good book.

Kyle Kolodziejski: Kenai River Sportfishing Program Manager Kyle (aka Lenny) is our Fishing Program Manager and Fishing Guide extraordinaire at our Kenai Riverside Sportfishing Lodge! When asked what brought Kyle to Alaska, as he was born and raised in Toms River, NJ, he replied, "What didn't draw me here? Alaska is amazing!" Indeed, our question was answered! After receiving his BS in Geology, Kyle packed up and headed for the mountains (and rivers!) of Alaska. Kyle's been with AWA for six years, and talk about doing what you love for a living - his favorite way to spend time is on the river! He is truly a fisherman at heart. A close second to Kyle's passion for fishing is skiing, especially heli-skiing in the Chugach Mountains. He does have a soft spot for the occasional escape to a warm climate, although odds are that he could still be thinking about his favorite fishing spot on the Kenai River!