Catherine Freer Wilderness
Albany, OR

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Catherine Freer Recognizes Paul Smith

After 22 years of outstanding service to the Catherine Freer Program, Paul Smith has chosen to resign as Program Director in order to pursue new endeavors. During his tenure at Freer, Paul was instrumental in shaping our organization into what it is today. We applaud him for his leadership, expertise, creativity, level-headed decision making and his dedication to our mission.

We would also like to acknowledge Paul's many contributions to our industry on both a national and state level. He was actively involved in the creation of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC), he held the position of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) Board President, and he served on the Joint Commission of Accredited Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO) professional technical advisory committee. He continues to serve on the Association for Experimental Education's (AEE) accreditation council. Paul should also be commended for his role in the formation of the Oregon State Outdoor Youth Program Board. His contributions will positively impact our industry for years to come.

Wilderness Program Director Kirk Shimeall, MBA, will now fill the role of Program Director. Kirk began working at Freer as a wilderness guide in 1992 and has worked as the wilderness program manager since 1996. He has 18 years of experience with our organization and is nationally recognized for his risk-management expertise, currently serving as the chair of the OBHIC risk management committee. Executive Director Rob Cooley, Ph.D. will continue to provide the organization with vision and clinical expertise.

We will all miss Paul, he was both a friend and a colleague, and we are thankful for his many gifts to Freer and to our industry. We wish him all the best and will miss his contributions to our program.