Our Team

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General Manager/Setter/Program Coordinator

Johanna is an avid adventurer with a passion for wellness, active living  and building community. Over the past 10 years, Johanna has worked as a climbing instructor, an outdoor educator for NOLS, a guide and a teacher. She  is driven to help make climbing more accessible to people of all backgrounds, identities and abilities through community engagement and lowering barriers to entry. When Johanna isn’t climbing, you can find her trail running with her pup, gardening, creating art or baking. 

Director of Operations/Setter

Morgan was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. He started climbing at a very young age and as a kid growing up in Corvallis regretted the lack of climbing opportunities the area provided. He has continued to follow his passion for climbing, majoring in outdoor recreation, working as a guide, instructor, and route setter, and exploring the worlds climbing areas. All of his knowledge and experience finally bringing him back to his childhood dream of opening a climbing gym in Corvallis. Morgan also enjoys fishing, playing soccer and foraging for wild food! 

Head Setter/Climbing Team Coach

Michael began climbing during his undergraduate studies on steep sandstone in the Midwest. Since then he has been fortunate to work as a route setter, coach youth climbing athletes, and take his passion for outdoor climbing across several countries. Michael has been living in Oregon since 2018; recently graduating from Oregon State University with a master’s degree in Environmental Science.  Michael is passionate about creating an inclusive, equitable, and supportive community around climbing, education, and stewardship.

Floor Manager, Instructor

 Justin has been passionate about sports for as long as he can remember. He used to be a swimmer until he started climbing 2 years ago and has found himself climbing whenever he has the chance. He just graduated with a degree in Biology at Oregon State University with interests in the medical field and marine biology. Oh! And he LOVES to cook and has a weird obsession with making and eating lasagna. 

Team Member/Party Coordinator

Chelsea is passionate about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science, and over the last five years has worked in event marketing to promote natural and organic products. She brings with her a genuine enthusiasm to connect with everyone she meets, as well as a drive to make healthy choices accessible to all. She is a mother of two young boys, and looks forward to introducing them to the rock climbing and outdoor lifestyle. Chelsea is excited to be part of a team providing safe, inclusive and fun climbing for our community. 

Assistant Climbing Coach/Team Member/Setter/Instructor

 Cellina is a 4th year student at OSU. She climbed for the first time when she was five in Portland, and joined the climbing team in middle school. She competed in bouldering, sport, and speed all through high school, and got to travel to cool places like Alaska and Quebec! Her favorite place to climb is Bishop, and her favorite mountain she's climbed is Mt. Hood. She also loves snowboarding, is on the ultimate frisbee team at school, and likes to skateboard on the rare occasion that it’s sunny out. 

Assistant Climbing Coach

Banner fell in love with the beauty of climbing movement in 1998, in Rock Canyon, Utah. Having the opportunity to learn from some of the best climbers in the US, she soon discovered her passion: teaching others the foundation and nuance of climbing technique. Over the years, she has shared the joy of breakthrough moments with many - whether it be helping youths achieve podium finishes in national competitions, teaching new lead climbers as an adjunct instructor at Utah Valley University, or coaxing individual climbers up their first V0’s in private gym lessons. Recognized for her climbing and coaching influence, Banner was selected by La Sportiva to serve as a brand ambassador for nearly a decade. 

Now back in her native Oregon, if Banner isn't wrangling her young sons, you can often find her playing sudoku, puttering in her garden, or running around with their family goats, Oreo and Winnie.

Team Member/Setter/Instructor

  Evan Powers has recently moved to Oregon from the southeast, where he has spent most of his life. He went to college in Tennessee for a degree in audio engineering and music production. While in college, Evan discovered rock climbing, and spent many years enjoying the high quality rock the southeast has to offer. He considers places like Red River Gorge, Little Rock City, and Horse Pens 40 to be his home. He has spent several years managing a gym, routesetting, and leading outdoor trips. Evan is excited to utilize his skills and knowledge with the team to help build Valley Rock Gym into a quality establishment. 

Setter

Justin has three great passions in his life petting doggies, cooking for friends and climbing. Originally from Texas, Justin moved to Oregon back in the fall of 2019 and has been in love with it ever since. When he is not at the gym you will usually find him either out at The Garden or Eagles Rest. If not there he’s probably whacking his way through overgrowth in search of new projects and climbing areas. 

Justin has been climbing for over 15 years now and in his youth was an active part of the Houston competitive climbing scene. With over 7 years of setting experience, he is now looking forward to challenging himself by setting more parkour and comp style boulder problems. Justin’s favorite climbing areas include Horseshoe Canyon, Red Rock Canyon and Hueco Tanks. 

Team Member/Climbing Instructor

 Michael is originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin. He moved to Corvallis in 2017 to study Environmental Engineering at Oregon State, and has since graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2021. He hopes to develop sustainable practices for use in business and industry, or work in water resource management and conservation. Michael enjoys climbing, surfing, camping, cooking, and listening to music. He likes the beach, coconut water, sushi, and taking a siesta after work. His favorite fruit is cantaloupe, and his favorite color is blue.  

Team Member/Youth Instructor

  Taylor started climbing at 11 years old in her hometown of Tacoma, WA where she was on the club team for several years. When she started attending Oregon State in 2018, she was disappointed at the lack of climbing community within Corvallis and was overjoyed to hear that Valley Rock Gym was opening. In addition to her passion of climbing, Taylor also enjoys going hiking with her partner and is currently in her senior year studying Civil Engineering and Sustainability.  

Team Member

Mark Frost is a mechanical engineering student at Oregon State University from Oakland, California. He has a background in construction but his true passions have always involved spending time outdoors. At the end of middle school, he began climbing and has been in love ever since. It is his way to spend time with friends, disconnect from the world, and reset. Additionally, Mark is an avid cyclist, skier, and backpacker. 

 Team Member

Hunter has been climbing for five years, favoring bouldering and multi-pitching when he can climb outside. He is an Oregon native and has been attending OSU as a mechanical engineering major. During his free time Hunter enjoys climbing at Smith Rock, whipping around corners with his trusted Yamaha R6, and dancing on the weekends with friends. He is most looking forward to contributing to the climbing community and to encourage a passion in new and veteran climbers alike.  Hunter’s next goal is to break into big wall climbing, and is looking forward to leading more climbing excursions. If you were to ask him why he climbs, he would say “sharing in experiences with fellow climbers and learning from the challenges that we come across.” Next time you see him around the Valley Rock Gym, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation! 

Team Member

Isabella is currently pursing her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Oregon State University. She is passionate about promoting preventative based approaches in health care and discovering the underlying determinants of disease. She is an aerial acrobat and in her free time enjoys creating art, spending time with friends, climbing, and exploring the outdoors. Isabella is excited to be a part of the Valley Rock Gym community and cannot wait to see the positive impact that climbing has on the community! 

Team Member/ Climbing Instructor/ Youth Instructor

James has been passionate about the outdoors from a young age, whether it was volunteering, spending weekends on outings in the Boy Scouts, or going on whitewater kayaking trips with friends and family. He got into climbing during college participating in the outdoors club at Syracuse University, and has been hooked ever since! When he isn't climbing or adventuring around the Northwest, James loves to cook and has fun trying recipes from food cultures around the world!