Board of Directors

Journeymen is fortunate for its dedicated board of directors, all of whom support Journeymen with personal contributions.

Colin is the owner and president of Colin Newkirk Builder, Inc., a general contracting firm that specializes in residential and commercial renovations. Colin is our board president, and has consistently staffed our weekend rites of passage experiences for more than three years.

Colin Newkirk

Board President, Journeymen Asheville

Don has been in Asheville since his retirement in 2014 from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. At RIT he served as director of the Counseling Center, dean of one of the colleges, and as professor and director of the Center for Quality and Applied Statistics. He has consulted with many organizations on process improvement and quality. Don has served on numerous boards, including being president of a board of education. Both as a youth and adult he was active in the Boy Scouts of America. Don currently serves as Treasurer of the Journeyman Board.
Don Baker

Board Treasurer, Journeymen Asheville

Greg has been in Asheville since 2007 and is passionate about working with youth. He believes in seeing youth thrive and championing them as they pursue their goals. During his time at UNCA studying Psychology he gained initial experience working in mental health as a Residential Counselor at a group home for teen boys. Greg seeks to inspire others through his lived experiences but also be inspired and gain knowledge by people that he encounters hearing their stories. In 2017 he moved from a direct mental health focus into education. The journey of inspiration for Greg continues as he currently works for In Real Life After School. Greg also works side by side with young men in Crafting Passages engaging in STEAM projects and recently staffed his first wilderness solo in April 2021.
Greg Hall II

Board Member, Journeymen Asheville

Inspired by the mythologist Michael Meade, Duncan has been active in men’s work for more than twenty years. He publishes a resource list of over twenty-five gatherings and support groups for men in the Asheville community. Originally from San Francisco, his many years of clinical social work expertise in health care and hospice has honed and strengthened his commitment to cultural diversity, competence, and humility, which he brings to his current full-time work with women under incarceration. Duncan has consistently staffed our rite of passage weekends for two years, and is also a regular mentor in our ongoing program.
Duncan Tam

Board Secretary, Journeymen Asheville

In 2015 Richard moved to Asheville from Alabama where he practiced for thirty years as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Prior to that, he functioned as Director of Pastoral Care and Counseling at a medical center in Birmingham. He has been involved in men’s work for over thirty years as both participant and staff. He has experienced the benefits of male initiation process in a culture devoid of positive male initiation rites and is committed to providing these opportunities to young men in the Asheville area.
Richard Pyburn

Board Member, Journeymen Asheville

Jon is the President of Jameson Construction; an Asheville based general contracting firm specializing in historic restoration and renovation. Jon served as board member from October 2011 to March of 2016, and as board Treasurer for much of that time, and Journeymen has welcomed him back as a full board member as of 2020.  Jon continues to staff and assist in the coordination of each rite of passage weekend.

Jon Pulsifer

Board Member, Journeymen Asheville

Brent has taught for twenty-six years at universities and craft programs across the country, such as Penland, Arrowmont, Anderson Ranch and Peter’s Valley, and since 2007 at UNC Asheville as Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Craft Studies. Brent also ran his own studio for eight years, and his work has been shown extensively across the U.S. and internationally.

From 2007 to 2015, Brent served as a board member for the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, and from 2007 to 2014 for Craft Emergency Relief Fund. Brent regularly staffs our weekend rites of passage experiences and participates in our ongoing mentoring program.

Brent Skidmore

Advisor, Journeymen Asheville

David Wynn is a licensed therapist and outdoor guide. In addition to staffing ROPAWs for the last three years, he has taught ancestral skills, guided whitewater, and led backpacking expeditions throughout the Southeast for over a decade. Currently, David resides in Hot Springs NC where he owns and operates Llamas of Hot Springs. David is a proud father and excitable wild food forager.

David Wynn, MA

Advisor, Journeymen Asheville

Since relocating to Asheville in 2011, Sekou Coleman has dug in deep, showing up with support, participation, and leadership on countless initiatives aimed at building a more equitable community for all people. He is the project manager for Southside Rising, a community-driven collaboration involving legacy residents from the historic black neighborhood of Southside Asheville and organizations based in or working for the benefit of the Southside community. Sekou also holds the role of Facilitator of Strategic Collaborations for Word On The Street/Voz De Los Jovenes, a program that centers the strengths and interests of youth of color in the production of a bilingual online arts and culture magazine. In addition to devoting time and talent to working with Journeymen, he is a board member for Bountiful Cities, an urban agriculture nonprofit and also a member of the core leadership team for CoThinkk, a giving circle that invests its time, talent and treasure to accelerate positive changes in communities of color in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Sekou’s son initiated with Journeymen in 2013 and is a regularly staffing J-Man to our ROPAW weekends. Both father and son have since been moving into more leadership roles with Journeymen, passing the torch to the next generation.

Sekou Coleman

Ex-Officio Board Member, Journeymen Asheville

Journeymen is currently seeking additional board members with a passion for serving adolescent boys during their critical time of transition into manhood, and a willingness to give of their time and resources for the growth and development of the Journeymen program. Please email journeymenasheville@gmail.com if you are interested in exploring board membership with us.

Fall 2021 ROPAW

Enroll a boy or sign up to staff our autumn rite of passage event running October 22-24.

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Journeymen is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, our programming is made possible primarily through the generous support of individuals like you. 

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