Meet the Crew: Sam Glew, staff

We're thrilled to share that longtime outdoor specialist Sam Glew has a new role with the Crew -- support and engagement specialist!

Sam joined our weekend staff in 2021 and has since proven himself to be "a dedicated hard worker who consistently brings a positive attitude to everything he does," said Program Director Paige. "He has a genuine love for sharing his passions and interests with students. Sam has a natural ability to connect with students, always finding meaningful ways to engage and inspire."

Never fear, you'll still find Sam out adventuring with our teens as a lead outdoor specialist. But when he's not out with the kids, he'll be helping the Crew behind the scenes, providing critical support for our events (particularly our largest community event, Ohio River Paddlefest) and operations.

"My desire to pursue this new position was to be able to work for an organization whose mission aligned so closely with my personal beliefs," Sam said.

Sam's background includes working as a naturalist, high adventure specialist and educator. "I have done everything from running zipline courses to propagating coral reefs and teaching elementary school," he said. "A love of nature has driven my career, as has my desire to share it with others.

"Eventually, in all of my outdoor experiences, I realized that there were groups who were not being served," he said. "My goal became to make sure that everyone had the best opportunity to experience all the things that I had grown to love."

So when he found out about Adventure Crew, he was excited to join the team in support of that mission.

Sam's favorite outdoor activities include scuba diving, skiing and rock climbing. "But the thing that has followed me most is birding," he said. "My birding life list is currently at 248 different species!"

Although he grew up in West Chester (spending his free time playing in the woods and going to summer camps), Sam has also lived in Southeast Ohio, West Virginia, Dayton and The Bahamas as an adult. Today, he lives in West Walnut Hills with his fiance (they're planning a May wedding), their dog and their three cats.

Thank you for being part of our Crew, Sam!