Meet Our Staff Leadership Team
Keri Butkevich, MA, CFRE - Executive Director
(she/her)
Keri’s passion for youth development and providing inclusive and transformative learning and leadership experiences for young people has shaped her executive leadership for 17 years. Her early roots in Northern WI and Upper Michigan exploring the woods and lakes with her family
made Northern California’s mountains, lakes, ocean and forests feel like home. As an avid hiker, camper, and kayaker whose engagement, marriage, honeymoon and young daughter’s early years have all been centered in our National and State Parks and the Bay Area’s amazing open spaces, she’s thrilled to be professionally embracing that love for the outdoors, building empowered leaders, and connecting communities as part of the Girlventures team.
Keri holds a Master’s degree in Voice from San Jose State University, a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive certification. Over 36 years of teaching with organizations around the country deepened her commitment to ensuring equity for young people to thrive. Her executive leadership with ETM-Bay Area, Oakland Youth Chorus and PEBCC brought transformative change, greater financial stability, and inclusive programming to those organizations and 50 Bay Area schools impacting 20,000 children and youth. She is a proud member of the Board of Directors for Oakland Rotary #3 and serves on their DEI committee. In her free time, she’s an aspiring soccer and art mom to a feisty toddler girl, sings a lot of show tunes, takes improv classes, devours travel memoirs, and is always up to explore a museum, garden, new travel destination, trail or anywhere in or on the water.
Tryka Orbin D Tryka, Program Director
(he/him)
Born and raised working class in South Jersey, Tryka decided to take a chance at age 28 and enrolled as a student in an Outward Board course in 2002, where he immediately fell in love with Outdoor Education. He has been working in this field ever since.
During Tryka’s 21 year career in Wilderness Education, he has instructed and directed courses and programs all over the country primarily serving girls and queer young people. Tryka’s experience includes work with the North Carolina Outward Bound School, Thompson Island Education Center, Passages Northwest (Bold and Gold), Positive Adventures and Point Reyes Outdoors. Before starting his position as Program Manager, Tryka was an Instructor and Course Director for GirlVentures from 2004-2011.
Tryka is grateful to have been trained and mentored by some of the best youth workers in Outdoor Education and considers it a privilege to pass on these teachings. He has a deep commitment to social justice work, and to making this field more accessible. When Tryka is not working he’s drinking coffee in the backyard with his Lil Cat, tending his garden and dancing with friends.
Erin Teutschel, Program Manager/GCO Coordinator
(she/her)
Erin Teutschel is an educator, outdoor leadership professional, and program builder whose work is rooted in long-term commitment, institutional memory, and deep belief in the transformative power of youth-centered experiential education. Erin’s relationship with GirlVentures began at age 11 as a full-scholarship participant in the Bay Area, where she spent four years developing leadership, confidence, and a sense of belonging through multi-day backpacking and sea kayaking expeditions. At age 15, she joined staff and began what would become a more than 15-year relationship with the organization. Over that time, Erin has held every role available within GirlVentures—including administrative and logistics intern, assistant instructor, program and logistics coordinator, field instructor, course director, logistics manager, and field staff trainer.
Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Adventure Education and Human Development from Prescott College, with a focus on program development and management. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at Prescott College, mentored adults ages 17–36 in immersive field-based programs, and managed instructional teams serving thousands of students annually. She has taught middle and high school English Language Arts, Social Studies, math, and science; and has lived and worked across the Southwest, Midwest, and West Coast, building programs and teaching in Arizona, California, Kansas, and beyond. She contributes to GirlVentures a rare combination of institutional knowledge, field expertise, and educational leadership. Outside of work, Erin spends as much time as possible adventuring with her two dogs, finding grounding and perspective in wild and quiet places. At the core of Erin’s work is a steady commitment to building spaces where young people are trusted with responsibility, supported through challenge, and invited into deeper relationship with themselves, each other, and the world around them.
Meet the whole team - Visit our seasonal staff page!