Jon Carter Owner - Operations Director/ admissions Jon Carter was raised on his family farm located near Heart Mountain, Powell Wyoming, and the current home of Heart Mountain New Beginnings. He had many responsibilities as a young boy from irrigating crops to caring for livestock. Jon has always been an outgoing individual and was involved in many extracurricular activities. He was the president of his 4-H Club, Wyoming State Sheep Showman, wrestling team captain, and a four-year letterman. Jon has worked with youth his whole life, from 4-H junior leaders in High School; to coaching five to eighteen year olds in USA wrestling for nineteen years. Jon is a Bronze Certified Coach with the National Coaches Education Program. He has been a substitute teacher in the local Junior High School, and has been actively involved in the education of his own three children. After receiving his JC degree from Northwest College in 1978, he married his wife Gael and took over the family farm in 1980. During his fifteen year farming career, Jon hosted and mentored several young men through the Work Exchange Abroad Program. He taught young men from Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Poland and Ireland. Jon has raised and worked with horses for most of his life. He has extensive experience riding and packing horses in the surrounding mountains. Jon is always looking for an opportunity to educate and can identify an abundance of flora and fauna in the surrounding areas. He is an avid learner and a jack of all trades. He has knowledge of mechanics, welding, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, concrete, and is a talented horse trainer. Jon found his calling when he was employed by an area youth program. He lived with the boys on a daily basis and soon discovered he could make a difference in the lives of the young men in his care. Although the job was very demanding, Jon found it to be incredibly gratifying. Although very satisfied with the rewards of the work, Jon felt there was more he could do for the boys and their families. With this in mind, he started Heart Mountain New Beginnings where he can focus on building men of integrity through education, teaching trade skills, work ethic, Christian values. He can support parents through extensive parent education, and help insure success with a unique aftercare program. jon@wyoboys.com Gael Carter Owner - Equine Program Director Gael was born in Cooperstown, NY and grew up in the rural community of Oneonta, NY. Gael had an early love of horses and began English riding lessons at the age of six. Her parents gave her a horse when she was twelve years old. Jubilee had to be stabled a mile from her home, so Gael quickly learned the value of a bicycle. Gael was entirely responsible for the care of Jubilee and made the trip daily. This experience instilled within Gael the values of responsibly, dedication and hard work. During high school Gael was a four year member of her schools soccer team. As a senior she was named Most Valuable Player of the team which had a record of 14-1. After graduation Gael headed west to Northwest College in Powell, WY to study pre-veterinary medicine. In 1980 she made plans to transfer to Montana State University, but her plans changed when her soon to be husband asked her to marry. Together they took over the family farm on Heart Mountain. They farmed together for fifteen years and were blessed with three wonderful children. The two oldest children both graduated with Baccalaureate degrees in 2006. Their youngest is seventeen and attends Powell High School. He is an honor roll student and participates in football, wrestling and baseball. Gael believes that the family farm environment provides the ideal setting for raising responsible, hard working, well rounded young adults. In 1980 Gael started J Bar G Quarter Horses with the purchase of her first bred registered mare. It wasn't long before she had a full breeding operation with the purchase of a stallion and several additional mares. At her peak of her operation she managed three stallions and serviced over fifty mares in one season. Gael became a licensed race horse trainer in the late eighties and raced horses in Montana. In 1992 she owned and raised the Champion two-year old filly for the state of Wyoming. In 1994 Gael completed her AS degree at Northwest College, and plans on pursuing a Baccalaureates degree in the fall. Gael's passion has always been animals, especially equine; she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and horsemanship skills with the young men attending Heart Mountain New Beginnings. Phil Fulton Executive Director Phil was born and raised on a family farm not far from the current home of Heart Mountain New Beginnings. It is here that the value of a hard days work was instilled in him from an early age. He took this same work ethic with him to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he earned his first degree in secondary education. While in Laramie, God graced him with not only a beautiful wife but a new born son as well. After graduation, he joined the United States Air Force. In 1971 he was commissioned to second lieutenant. A new baby girl arrived in 1972 while they were living in Oklahoma. Phil received his Navigator wings in 1973, which started a 22 year long career flying in B-52 bombers. The dedication and work ethic learned on the family farm, back in Wyoming served him well. He was promoted from a basic B-52 crewmember to a command level evaluator. It was at this time that Phil was asked to teach. He taught in the classroom, in flight simulators and in the aircraft. He spent four years teaching our nations' newly minted navigators to fly challenging B-52 missions. These missions included night terrain avoidance navigation and bombing. Phil then took to the air, flying with and evaluating flight crews all over the globe. When he returned to the States, he became an Air Force Recruiting Squadron Commander. He was responsible for all Air Force recruiting programs in the State of Michigan. In 1985, Phil received his Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from Gonzaga University in Spokane WA. The B-52 kept calling his name, he returned to them when he moved to North Dakota and was made Director of Training for an entire wing. Here he was responsible for all ground and air training for three hundred aircrew members. In 1993, after 22 years of service and with over 5000 hours of flying time; Phil retired from the Minot Air Force Base in Minot, North Dakota at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After retirement, he returned to Powell, Wyoming where he and his wife built there own house and then they started a small farming operation. His passion for teaching and his kind, gentle nature make him an asset to Heart Mountain New Beginnings and the boys in our care. Steve Alexander Teacher Steve Alexander After receiving his BA in Social Science, Steve acquired his California Teaching Credential. This propelled him into a twenty-five year career of teaching and coaching that would bring more joy and fulfillment then he ever imagined. In 1992, twelve of his former students and athletes submitted his name to be placed in the Whos Who Among American Teachers. This was an enormous reward from so many kids who bonded with the one concept Steve taught and lived by: Excellence in every facet of life is worth the effort. Finding a new arena for his love of teaching, he acquired a Wyoming Teaching Credential and began working at a ranch designed to help at-risk youth. For the past few years, he has been head bunkhouse parent, project manager, head educator, cowboy of sorts, counselor and cook. He still receives e-mails from past students who have turned their lives around after graduating from the programs he was fortunate to be part of. Wanting to be in on the building of a program from its inception, he found Heart Mountain New Beginnings to be an exciting and worthwhile project. Imprinting newly born foals, breaking a sweat by tamping gateposts and regaining an enthusiasm for education is his new march to excellence. Playing the fiddle, writing cowboy poetry, fighting twenty to thirty inch trout in the river and having the support of his wife of thirty nine years adds richness to his life. Nathan Cook Therapist Nathan Cook, PCSW – Therapist Nathan was born and raised in Jerome, Idaho, which is located in the south central part of the state. He has always enjoyed the outdoors and sports, which was a must, being the fourth of eight children. Nathan started working with youth his freshmen year of college when he participated in the Big Brother Big Sister program. From there he worked as a frontline staff at a residential treatment center. Nathan enjoyed working with youth and truly found what he wanted to do in life. It was at this point that he enrolled in the University of Utah to pursue a Master’s degree in social work. During his graduate program, he worked at The University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute as a psych tech, in addition to doing his interns at the Division of Child and Family Services and as a counselor in a middle school. Upon graduating, Nathan went back to work at a residential treatment center as a therapist in the Salt Lake City area. He was also trained in equine therapy and high ropes. It was a couple of years later that he and his wife had their first child and Nathan realized that he wanted to raise his children in a small community. Nathan relocated to Powell, Wyoming in October of 2006. He enjoys working with youth and their families. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their two daughters, the outdoors, sports, and tying to find time to just relax. Attended Utah Valley State College – Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, with an emphasis in Psychology. University of Utah – Masters in Social Work Specializes in experiential therapy, individual and family counseling. Chris Gauger Therapist Chris Gauger, LCSW Chris Gauger was born in American Fork, Utah and was raise in Reno, Nevada where he graduated high school. He spent two years In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil doing church missionary work shortly after high school. After his mission, he moved to the Salt Lake City area. He attended Brigham Young University (BYU), where he got his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. While he was attending BYU, he worked with youth in various capacities. He was a “Tracker”, which included working with youth in a mentor-like capacity for about a year. He also worked as a front-line staff with at risk boys and girls at Provo Canyon School, a lock down residential facility, for two and a half years. After graduating form BYU, Chris began his graduate school at the University of Utah School 0f Social Work, where he earned his Master of Social Work degree. He is currently licensed by the state of Wyoming as a Licensed Clinical So9cial Worker. During his graduate school, he worked at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institution as a Psychiatric Technician for two years, providing direct care for adults, adolescents, and children. As a requisite for his Social Work Degree he did two years of internships. He worked doing group and individual therapy with substance abuse issues as well as domestic violence and other criminal behaviors a Project Reality (a methadone maintenance facility for opiate addicts) and ACES (Addiction, Counseling, and Educational Services). After graduation, Chris began working at Provo Canyon School as a therapist for at risk girls. He did specialty work assisting girls in coping with traumatic events. He also worked part time as Changes Counseling as a therapist specializing in working with individuals with domestic violence perpetration issues, criminal behaviors, and substance abuse. He also specialized in utilizing cognitive restructuring to help clients overcome criminal behaviors and substance abuse. Chris moved to Powell, Wyoming in February of 2007 as Nate Cook, the founder of Positive Progressions, L.L.C. recruited him as a therapist. Chris currently works with many adolescents, children, families, and adults in the outpatient capacity. He currently does specialty work in domestic violence for female victims, therapy and like-skills work with adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, and doing individual and family therapy- utilizing cognitive behavioral, experiential, reality-based, and client-centered approaches. Chris enjoys outdoor sports; including football, baseball, basketball, fishing, hunting, golf, snowboarding, and skateboarding. He enjoys working around his yard and making sure his is the best landscaped home on the block. He also enjoys woodworking, gardening, and barbequing. He spends the majority of his free time helping his wife juggle the parenting duties of one-year-old twin boys. With Chris Gauger’s well rounded background in working in the capacity of direct care and therapeutic services, he looks forward to using his skills to help further the excellent care to the young men of Heart Mountain New Beginnings, Herk Albrecht, DNP-c, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC Medical Director American Nurses Credentialing Center - American Academy of Nrse Practitioners - American College of Clinicians Herk is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over twenty five years experience in providing medical care to military and civilian populations. Currently half way through a doctoral program to obtain his Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Herk started Beartooth Health Care to bring affordable health care to Cody and the surrounding Park County area. As a retired U.S. Navy SEAL and an independent duty corpsman with advanced and combat medical training he has an expansive background. Herk has experience treating the young and the elderly ranging from basic sniffles and rashes to extensive health problems. He has a special interest in mental health and has recently implemented a telepsychiatric service with D. Scott Pollard, M.D. who has a practice located in West Virginia. Beartooth Health Care is a small, friendly clinic that offers affordable, high quality medical care to its clients. Herk is known throughout the community for his experience, dedication and quality of care provided in a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Julie C. Kipp Educational Consultant Certifications: Wyoming Teaching Certificate, Exceptional Generalist K-12 Education: 1999 Masters Degree in Education, Lesley College. 1994 Special Education Endorsement K-12, MSU-Billings, MT. 1987 Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, MSU-Billings, MT. Professional Experience: District Special Education Case Manager/Parent Coordinator. Computer Lab Teacher, 10 years as a Special Education Teacher, 5 years as an Elementary Teacher. Professional Teaching Standards Board Portfolio Reader, Council of Exceptional Children member.