Meet The Team
Peter Galloni
Peter founded Backyard Journeys in 1996 after completing the Outdoor Leadership Program at Greenfield Community College, transforming a lifelong passion for the natural world into a career devoted to experiential learning. He began by facilitating team‑building programs and leading multi‑day adventure trips, guiding groups through challenges that strengthened resilience, communication, and trust.
In 2002, Peter expanded his focus to include professional development for colleges, corporations, and nonprofits. He is known for crafting and delivering engagement experiences that emphasize collaboration, clear communication, and intentional planning. Over the decades, he has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of organizations across the United States and Canada, supporting teams as they clarify roles, deepen alignment, and work together with greater purpose.
Peter’s work is grounded in the belief that shared experience — whether outdoors or in the workplace — has the power to transform how teams relate, problem‑solve, and grow. His programs reflect a thoughtful blend of structure, challenge, discovery and fun, shaped by years of guiding people through both wilderness environments and organizational landscapes.
At home in New England, Peter finds joy in the woods, rivers, lakes, and mountains. He lives there with his wife, Stephanie, their four boys and four dogs continuing to explore the natural world that has informed and inspired his life’s work.
Court Booth
Court is an experienced K–12 and university educator whose career spans experiential education, community learning, and non-profit leadership. Holding an M.Ed. and pursuing doctoral work at Northeastern University, he currently teaches in the university’s leadership program, where he supports emerging leaders in developing thoughtful, practice‑based approaches to their work.
Throughout his career, Court has been committed to creating meaningful learning experiences that strengthen communities and expand access to education. His professional path includes early work with the New Games Foundation — a formative era in adventure‑based education — and continues through his contributions to community organizations, including service on the Concord/Concord‑Carlisle (Mass.) School Committee.
Court’s involvement with Backyard Journeys reflects his long-standing belief in the power of experiential learning to cultivate collaboration, insight, and personal growth. His work bridges academic rigor with real‑world application, inviting individuals and teams to engage more deeply, think more creatively, and build stronger, more connected learning environments.
Dee LaMay
Dee brings more than 35 years of experience designing and leading programs in team building, communication, conflict resolution, and leadership development. She has facilitated workshops, retreats, and orientation programs for corporations, colleges, nonprofits, government organizations, and U.S. military families. A graduate of Springfield College, she holds a B.S. in Community Leadership & Development and Psychology.
In 1999, Dee founded Innovative Teambuilding, LLC, creating engaging and effective programs that help groups learn, collaborate, and lead with confidence — all while maintaining a sense of fun. For the past decade, she and Peter have partnered to deliver impactful, customized experiences for a wide range of teams.
Outside of her professional work, Dee enjoys traveling, kayaking, backpacking, wine tasting, reading, coaching, photography, sprint triathlons, and participating in community service projects. She lives on the Queens River in West Kingston, Rhode Island, with her husband.
Jeff Ilg
Jeff’s work in experiential education began in 2004 at East Stroudsburg University, where he studied exercise physiology and recreation leadership. His introduction to the university’s ropes course sparked a deep interest in the experiential learning process — an interest that has guided his career for nearly two decades.
Since then, Jeff has served as a physical education teacher, ropes course manager, adventure guide, and facilitator of leadership development programs in both higher education and corporate settings. His approach to teaching is grounded in a “less‑is‑more” philosophy, creating space for participants to learn through experience, reflection, and purposeful challenge. He is guided by the principle, often attributed to the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Jeff’s work with Backyard Journeys reflects his belief in the transformative power of hands‑on learning to build confidence, strengthen communication, and cultivate genuine connection. His facilitation style balances structure with exploration, inviting individuals and teams to engage fully and discover new possibilities for growth.
Melissa Churchard Hannon
Melissa is a leadership development consultant with more than 25 years of experience supporting executives and teams as they strengthen performance, dismantle limiting beliefs, and lead with greater clarity and confidence. She partners with organizations to cultivate inclusive, high‑trust cultures where people feel empowered to contribute, collaborate, and grow.
A dedicated member of the International Coaching Federation and the Experiential Training and Development Alliance, Melissa brings a deep commitment to continuous learning and ethical practice. She also serves on the board of Unlimited Possibilities, a global nonprofit focused on advancing social justice and expanding access to opportunity.
Beyond her professional work, Melissa is a competitive equestrian, a mother of four, and an active volunteer. She offers support as a survivor advocate alongside her therapy dog, Belle — a partnership that reflects her steady presence, compassion, and belief in the healing power of connection.
Melanie Nichols
For more than forty years, Melanie has partnered with hundreds of organizations to design experiences that deepen connection, strengthen teams, and support lasting personal and professional growth. Known for her ability to listen deeply — to both what is said and unsaid — she co-creates workshops, retreats, trainings, and coaching engagements that clients often describe as “exactly what we needed.”
To help teams carry their insights forward, Melanie offers practical follow‑up support, including ongoing check-ins, in‑person and virtual team‑building, assessment tools, and individual and group coaching.
A Certified Presence-Based® Coach with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Applied Social Relations and a master’s degree in counseling, Melanie brings a rich blend of expertise from her work as a consultant, facilitator, educator, trainer, therapist, leadership development practitioner, Certified Home Funeral Guide, Emergency Department Assistant, and parent.
Grounded in the belief that everyone has the capacity to grow, she helps individuals and teams develop awareness, strengthen interpersonal skills, and create greater alignment in work and life.
Melanie lives in Falmouth, Maine, where she enjoys the beach, gardening, volunteering, time with friends, and exploring the natural world.
Brian Barclay
Brian brings more than 30 years of adventure leadership and experiential education experience to his work. His career spans backcountry trip leading, campus ministry, and program design, all guided by a commitment to creating purposeful growth experiences. Known for his grace, honesty, and steady humor, he helps individuals and teams build connection, deepen awareness, and strengthen effectiveness.
Flexible, relational, and compassionate, Brian leads with careful listening and a belief in the transformative power of experience. He also designs custom spiritual retreats that integrate reflection, metaphor, and time in nature.
Brian holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. His areas of focus include sensory awareness, environmental sustainability, spiritual metaphor, ADHD, and cross‑cultural skill development. He enjoys building and fixing things, and spending time outdoors with his wife and their two children.
Glenn D'Avanzo
Glenn has been a high school wellness educator since 1987 and has facilitated team‑building and challenge course programs at The Warren Center since 1992, working with corporate, college, adult, and youth groups. He holds a B.S. in Physical Education and Wellness from Springfield College and a Master’s Degree from Framingham State College.
Throughout his career, Glenn has led a wide range of adventure‑based programs, including rock climbing, challenge courses, water activities, and outdoor leadership at several summer camps. His passion remains rooted in teaching outdoor skills and guiding student clubs in mountain biking, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, and peer leadership.
Glenn’s work reflects a long-standing commitment to experiential learning and the belief that challenge, adventure, and community create powerful opportunities for growth.
Bart Crawford
Bart brings more than 40 years of experience in individual and group development, professional training, and organizational consulting. His work centers on intentional collaboration, engagement strategies, work‑life balance practices, and thoughtfully designed reflective exercises. He creates custom workshops and train‑the‑trainer programs that blend experiential learning with a coach‑approach to unlocking human potential.
Bart began his career in experiential and adventure‑based education, working with high‑risk youth to build problem‑solving and communication skills. Over the decades, he has expanded his practice to include adult learners and has partnered with thousands of educators, counselors, executives, and consultants worldwide. His clients span diverse sectors, including municipalities, nonprofits, corporations, schools, universities, and small businesses.
Known for integrating experiential methods with proven human resource practices, Bart helps individuals and teams tap into their strengths, work more authentically, and cultivate a culture of learning, innovation, and meaningful collaboration.
Melisa Gillis
Melisa is a seasoned consultant and executive coach with more than 30 years of experience in team building, strategic planning, and organizational development. Guided by a deep curiosity and a strong belief in possibility, she partners with leaders and organizations to strengthen culture, support change initiatives, and create environments where people thrive. Her work has delivered meaningful results across manufacturing, finance, academia, the military, healthcare, and the pharmaceutical sector.
She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education, along with multiple certifications in coaching, online simulations, leadership development, and team and individual assessments. Melisa is a member of the Experiential Training and Development Alliance and an affiliate of The Table Group.
Outside of her professional work, Melisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring creative pursuits, learning continuously, and embarking on adventures near and far. She is also deeply committed to service, contributing her time and expertise to communities locally and globally.
William "Sully" Sullivan
Sully brings more than 45 years of experience in the experiential education and adventure field, working as a facilitator, trainer, instructor, and guide across a wide range of ages and communities. For the past two decades, he has served as a program director and trainer, focusing on the design and delivery of technical skills, facilitation practices, group process development, and risk management awareness.
His early professional years were shaped by rock climbing and mountaineering, where he developed a deep commitment to adventure and safety. As a co‑owner of a full‑service climbing operation, Sully taught thousands of participants and helped develop curriculum for a variety of programs. His climbing experience spans extensive travel throughout North America.
Sully’s work is grounded in a long-standing belief in the power of experiential learning to build confidence, capability, and connection, and he continues to share his knowledge with clarity, depth, and enthusiasm.