Meet the Team

Lettie

Lettie was born in Whitehorse, Yukon but the exact details of her early life are unknown. She came to Haines in 2014 and joined RGA right away. She is in charge of security and public relations. In her free time, she enjoys chewing on sticks and taking walks.

Michelle Zeiger

Michelle, the General Manager for Rainbow Glacier Adventures, was born and raised in Washington State.  She received her BA in Psychology and Sociology from Linfield College where she met her husband, Mark. They lived in several states before coming to Mark’s native state of Alaska in 1992. Over the years Michelle owned and ran a Licensed Home Child Care, worked as a Special Education Para-educator, a Case Manager for a local counseling center and homeschooled her daughter at the family’s off-the-grid log cabin home near Haines. On a typical day she commutes to work by hiking a mile through the woods and crossing a tidal basin in rubber boots or with a kayak to get to her car to drive past the Rainbow Glacier on the way to town. Michelle has worked at RGA since 2015.

Nikki Aledo

Nikki, our Assistant General Manager, is originally from Utah, where she earned a degree in Veterinary Sciences and Medicine from Utah State University. Over the past five years, she has traveled extensively around the world, which sparked a deep love for photography. Each summer, she returns to Alaska, where many of her passions come together, including photography, backpacking, and mountaineering. You can almost always find her with a camera in hand, exploring deep into the Alaskan wilderness.

Holden Pierce 

Holden Pierce is our Skagway Manager and photography guide. He also is a seasoned professional videographer with a deep passion for adventure. With a decade of experience in capturing moments and stories through the lens, he has honed his skills to bring life’s most incredible moments to the screen. From breathtaking landscapes to heartwarming human interactions, he believes in the power of visual storytelling to inspire and connect.

Libby Kanupp

Libby was born, raised, in the foothills of the East Coast and graduated from Lees McRae College with a degree in Medical Science. She also attended Western State University Colorado where she received a certificate in Accounting.  After an early retirement, she moved to Alaska to escape the humidity and stop lights. Haines has been her home for well over a decade, where she enjoys seafood, wild game, mountains, and the ocean. In her spare time, Libby enjoys watching HGTV, the Food Network, experimenting with different recipes and quilting.

Aurora Alten-Huber

Aurora grew up in Haines, Alaska. She recently completed one year working for the Chilkoot Tribe in Haines through Americorps. Her responsibilities included leading children’s activities for their summer Tlingit Language class. Aurora works in the Rainbow Glacier Adventures office and guides the occasional walking tour for RGA. In her free time, she enjoys baking and gardening.

Chad Soiseth 

Chad earned a BS in Zoology from North Dakota State University and a MS in Aquatic and Population Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He spent more than thirty years in Southeast Alaska as a federal fisheries biologist with the National Park Service in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. There, he monitored fisheries harvest; aquatic species, and assessed human impacts to park ecosystems. Youth education and outreach proved to be one of the most rewarding aspects of his career. Hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing, paddling, rowing and power boating in Alaska have consistently reaffirmed the power of connection to the natural world as a critical component of the human experience. Chad enjoys learning, sharing his natural and cultural history knowledge, and showcasing the wonder and beauty of Haines with our guests.  

Garrett Shively 

Garrett earned a degree in Environmental Science from Western Washington University in his hometown of Bellingham, WA. He spent a decade wrenching on boutique mountain bikes and even more time outdoors riding them. While working for a camera resale business, Garrett got the opportunity to play with a lot of cameras and lenses. It’s easy to see how guiding wildlife and photography tours in Haines became a perfect fit. Garret also spent the last year working with a disaster relief non-profit in Louisiana and Florida, responding to Hurricane Ida and Hurricane Ian. He is very glad to be doing a much less stressful job here in Haines. 

Jim Jurgeleit 

Jim lives in Haines with his wife Anna. Maintaining our vehicles is Jim’s top priority with Rainbow Glacier Adventures. Jim was born in Juneau, and then moved to Haines with his family while in high school. After graduating from college he worked as a licensed engineer aboard the Alaska Marine Highway system for 26 years, retiring in 2011. He now works part time for RGA. Jim likes to play banjo, ride motorcycles, and travel with his wife.

John Crowley

John Crowley was born in Arizona and grew up with a profound love of the Grand Canyon. He started his hiking adventures there at the age of ten and never seems to grow tired of its presence in his life. He’s been boating in that “big ditch” for over thirty years. John counts himself fortunate that his river guiding experience has allowed him to continue his boating adventures in Utah and Alaska. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona where he graduated from NAU and raised two amazing daughters with his artist wife, Jo.

Karla Kennedy

Karla was born and raised in rural Illinois, where she gained a deep appreciation for nature. Karla is a yoga instructor, retired dental hygienist, and now guides photography and nature tours for RGA. Karla attended Daytona State School of Photography which broadened her knowledge of photography, lighting, and even the business aspects of photography. Traveling, meeting other wanderers, being in Alaska, and working for RGA is a dream come true for Karla.

Katherine Stollberg 

Katherine is originally from South Florida, where she graduated with an MBA in marketing and business administration. She worked at a wetland leading tours focusing on Florida native flora and fauna. After visiting Southeast Alaska with her family, she knew she had to come back. Katherine guides RGA’s nature and wildlife viewing tours and also helps in the RGA office. She is very happy to have the opportunity to share the unique beauty and history of Haines with our guests.

Pat Kennedy 

Pat, a life-long Floridian, retired from law enforcement after 38 years. He came to Skagway on a cruise in 2022 and went on a photography tour with Rainbow Glacier Adventures. During the tour, he learned of a photo guide position opening and made a monumental shift to came to work for Rainbow Glacier Adventures in 2023.  Photography has been a favorite interest of Pat’s for 16 years. He loves to share his artful expertise, connecting RGA guests with Alaska through wildlife, micro, and small landscape photography.

Richard Cook

Richard is a California native that first came to Alaska with the Coast Guard over three decades ago. After traveling around the State, he decided that Haines was the place to be and moved to Haines. Based in Haines, he worked a full career as an Engineer with the Alaska State Ferry system. Now retired, Richard stays quite busy on his small homestead and enjoying the great Alaska wilderness. Richard leads rafting and sightseeing tours for RGA. 

Steve Daly

Alaskan river enthusiast Steve Daly spends every chance he can out on the local rivers. Steve is comfortable in a raft or canoe. When not working for Rainbow Glacier Adventures, Steve guides extended wilderness trips in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Steve recently retired from a career with the US Postal Service.

Steve Ritzinger  

Steve has over 22 years experience guiding raft tours in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. He has spent seven winter seasons in the Alaskan Arctic.  Steve enjoys exploring the wilderness by by canoe, backpack, and cross-country skiing

Steve has a BA in Music Performance/ Education Focus from Minnesota State University has been teaching and performing music for the last four decades.