For this week’s guide spotlight, who better to spotlight than our new owners? All three started out as guides (or interns) for us here at SEAG, have a long history of guiding in the Wrangells, and will continue to guide in-between management work in the future. Let me introduce: Bryan Kerr, Anya Voskresensky, and Cody Simmons! Friends for 5 years, they’re excited to partner together and work hard to uphold the long-standing tradition of guiding excellence in the Wrangells!
Anya was born in Russia, raised in Minnesota, and discovered Alaska in 2014. She hasn’t looked back since. She brings an infectious energy and extensive history of customer service to the team of owners. An accomplished climber, she excels not only on technical rock, but also is an all-around wilderness gal who has the general grit and toughness required to get from Point A to Point B in the Wrangells. And she’ll do it with a smile, all while cooking up the most delicious food to keep you fueled on your adventure. Among many other duties, she’ll be in charge of the multi-day bookings for SEAG, and is sure to build a custom adventure to fit any traveler’s needs!
Her husband Bryan was born and raised in Ohio, growing up with a baseball bat in his hands before discovering the mountains of Montana (and eventually Alaska). With a background in Finance, SEAG isn’t the first business he’s owned, but it’s definitely the coolest! Bryan shares his wife’s passion for climbing, and particularly enjoys the long, remote alpine climbing that the Wrangells has to offer. He’s savvy, well-rounded, and has a knack for “just getting things done,” which is an important quality to have in the Wrangells (especially when it comes to tinkering with our old vehicles!). Bryan’s business and finance background will be extremely important for making big-picture decisions for the company.
The third member of the team is Cody, from Portland, OR. The son of two accountants, is there any question as to what his role will be within SEAG management? Yep – he’s the numbers guy. In addition to his innate ability to count things, he also has two accounting degrees, so he should keep SEAG’s numbers well in line. In the outdoors, Cody is known for seeking out obscure or rarely done routes within the Wrangells, often combining multiple modes of travel (flying, hiking, packrafting, backcountry skiing, hitchhiking… you name it!) If he’s not crunching numbers or out on an adventure, he’s poring over topo maps and Google Earth or deep in the Wrangells’ climbing archives planning his next big trip. In the office, Cody’s excited to crunch those SEAG numbers (or whatever else it is that accountants do…)
So all in all, we’ve got a pretty fantastic team to take over the business! Even with all their amazing customer service, business, and accounting experience, the best thing about them is their ability to work together (and have a blast while doing so!) They’re excited to pick up the SEAG torch, interface with their customers, and continue to provide once-in-a-lifetime guided adventures in the Wrangells!
