Faculty & Staff

Sam grew up on an island in Maine, spending most summers in his teens and early 20s on canoe expeditions in northern New England and the maritime provinces. He first joined HMI in 2007 as math faculty, teaching in Semesters 19 through 26, before returning in 2023 as Head of School. In the intervening years, Sam held a variety of teaching and leadership roles at schools in Montana, Maine, and Vermont, serving most recently as Executive Director of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, his alma mater. Outside of school, he enjoys mountain biking, backcountry snowboarding, and hunting for wild mushrooms. Sam volunteers on the finance committees of Lake County School District and the Association of Colorado Independent Schools, and serves as a team member and mission coordinator with Lake County Search and Rescue.

Tate, an alumna of Semester 27 and apprentice in Semester 44, returns to HMI as Semester Director of Academics & Faculty. For nearly a decade, she has served as Director and Executive Director of Tumbleweed Day Camp, an ACA-accredited summer camp in California, mentoring dozens of employees and overseeing programming for hundreds of campers daily. Previously, Tate has designed, led, and coordinated leadership and educational programs for Adventure Learning Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, managing a staff of 50 over a wide variety of programs and activities. Tate holds a B.S. in Education and a M.Ed. in Counseling, as well as Wilderness EMT and teaching certifications. In her free time, Tate loves adventuring with her dog, Dodger, golfing, sailing, and trivia.

Originally from the East Coast, Em has lived in Colorado since 2003. Her HMI journey began as a Semester student, continued as a Semester Apprentice, and led her to working on HMI’s admin team from 2008-2010. Since then, she has had an entrepreneurial work life with experiences ranging from managing a startup co-working space, owning an art gallery, managing a real estate team, and most recently, running a health & wellness private practice. When she’s not working, you can find Em spending time with her family, adventuring with her two dogs, Bones & Koda, or out for a run, hike, or ski.

Sergio, our Semester Director of Students & Residential Life, comes to HMI most recently from White Mountain School in Bethlehem, NH, where he taught, served as a dorm parent and coach, and chaired the school’s DEI efforts. Previously, Sergio has served as Activities Director at a large international school in Dubai (where, somewhat incredibly, he founded a competitive ski team), taught and coordinated outdoor education at a school in Chile, and worked as a mountain guide and field researcher in the Andes. Sergio holds a B.S. in Environmental Science, is a certified ski, surf, and WFR/WFA instructor, and holds numerous certifications from NOLS, AMGA, and other outdoors organizations.

Ray joined HMI as a staff member in 2015 and hails from Brooklyn, NY. He is a proud alumnus of HMI Semester 15 (fall 2005). Ray served as the Director of Admissions & Financial Aid for eight years before transitioning into the role of Director of Development in 2023. His passtimes include volunteering on the board of the local nonprofit Full Circle of Lake County, trail running, and playing chess. He is based in Denver.

Ray Habla Español

Justin joined the team at HMI in 2006 and is originally from Storrs, Connecticut. Before coming to HMI, he spent six years working for the National Outdoor Leadership School based in Lander, Wyoming. When he isn’t busy planning expeditions, you can find Justin doing fun outdoor activities with his children Evelyn and Eliot.

Originally from Baltimore, Erin has spent the past sixteen years at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Texas, where she served as a science teacher, coach, and athletic administrator.

Erin is thrilled to bring her passion for education, student development, and the outdoors to HMI. She holds a B.S. in Kinesiology and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and brings more than 20 years of experience in education to her new role. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys trail running, mountain biking, triathlon, hiking, nordic skiing, and exploring the mountains with her dog, River. She is excited to call Leadville home and honored to join HMI in its mission of inspiring students through challenge, adventure, and transformative learning.