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NARR Staff

Here's a chance to get to know our friendly staff - a diverse and talented group of people who make NARR a FUN place to be! NARRtians are listed alphabetically by first name.

A-S • S-Z



Brian Jennings Position: General Manager/River Operations Manager/River Guide Hometown: Fayetteville, WV What year did you start at NARR? 1999 Favorite NARR memory? All of the amazing friends I have met because of this place (staff and guests) and the good times we've shared. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? From age 4-8, I wanted to be He-Man. From then on, all I knew was that it had to be fun and involve talking to people...I guess I succeeded :)



Bryon Fortney Position: River Guide Hometown: Chagrin Falls, OH What year did you start at NARR? 2004 Favorite NARR memory? Too many to choose! As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Growing up I wanted to be an Airplane Pilot, and I have! I'm just not licensed.



Jenna Swann Position: River Guide Hometown: Blacksburg, Virginia What year did you start at NARR? 1990 Favorite NARR memory? I love our all female raft guide trips on the Upper Gauley. We all wear tacky prom dressed, make-up, and jewelry. We even take off our baseball caps and fix our hair. If we are lucky we can dress up our video boater or a male raft guide, who may have gotten added to our trip at the last moment. I do not, however, like falling in the Gauley River with a dress on!!! As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? If I had known about white water rafting at the time, I would have wanted to be a guide... but I didn't discover rafting until college. I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, and that is what I am, a fifth grade teacher.



Josh Burton Position: River Guide Hometown: Bryson City, NC What year did you start at NARR? 2000, but I've got pictures of me guiding when I was 10 years old. Favorite NARR memory? When my dad came rafting on the Upper with me last season. He's an old school raft guide and he'd never been in my boat as a guest. We had a blast, but he was trying to throw in strokes the whole way! As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I grew up around rafting, kayaking, and skiing, so I had my heart set on being a raft guide and a kayak instructor in the summer, and then do ski patrol in the winter. I've got the first two, and I'm working on the third.



Katie Summers Position: River Guide Hometown: Harrison, TN What year did you start at NARR? 2006 Favorite NARR memory? I can't tell you how much I love telling people that I sleep in my truck for Gauley season. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always thought that toy/game/candy tester would be my calling.



Katie Woods Position: River Guide Hometown: Scott Depot, WV What year did you start at NARR? 2006 Favorite NARR memory? So many to pick from! But I'd say flipping my training class (2006) at Upper Railroad at 5 feet. "Right! All back! Wait, Oops!" As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Some kind of animal... either a horse or a tiger.



Scott Kitchen Position: Transportation/Equipment Coordinator Hometown: Hudson, FL What year did you start at NARR? 1996 Favorite NARR memory? There are so many, but if I had to pick one. It would be the last year that Doug Butler was General Manager, we must have had at least 5 staff parties that year. The best was just before Gauley Season. We had a Driver's Rodeo with lots of food and drinks, and a band in which Lyle Carte played. It was an awesome night. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I was too busy playing in the dirt of WV. If I remember correctly, a Fireman was on the list.