RYLA Staff 2024

Meet the RYLA 2024 Staff! These volunteers hail from across the region and bring with them a wealth of experience and dedication to service. See you at RYLA!

Kevin Sharrai
Senior Staffer, Group A
Rathdrum, ID, USA

  • Graduated High school in Orofino, ID and attended the University of Idaho; graduating with a BS in Communications-Public Relations/Marketing and minor in Political Science.

    My past work experiences include Logging, forest firefighting, construction, Alaskan long-line fisherman, cable television technician, Telecommunication Manager, Western Region Sales and Project Manager in Telecommunications, twelve years as General Manager of Homeowner’s Association and Golf Course. I recently retired in December (2022) from my last position as Safety and Maintenance Manager at Riverfront Park in Spokane.

    I Love to snow ski and I have skied across the Western US, Canada and in Alaska. I enjoy golfing, and when I was a bit younger loved playing soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball. Also, I love to escape the crowds to enjoy nature while camping and fly-fishing.

    Music Preferences

     Blue Grass and acoustic music

     But I like all types of music

    • Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown

    • The Immortal Irishman, by Timothy Egen

    • The Big Burn, by Timothy Egen

    • Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson

    • Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh

    • Good To Great, by Jim Collins

    • Even Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey

    • Speed of Trust, by Sean Covey

    • Golf in the Kingdom, by Michael Murphy

    • K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain, by Ed Viesturs

    • Into Thin Air, by Jon Krackuer

    • Into the Wild, by Jon Krackuer

    • Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

    • To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    • All the Harry Potter Books, by J.K.Rowlin

    • Anything that Simon Sinek writes or produces

    • From Forrest Gump… “I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze; but I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at he same time.”

    • Non-Fiction Quote—“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”… Maya Angelou

Maggie Russell
Junior Staffer, Group A
Sandpoint, ID, USA

  • Hi! My name is Maggie, and I'm a junior staff at this ycar's RYLA. I'm super excited to get to know you all! a

    I am a student at University of Idaho studying elementary education, and 1 attended RYLA last year. I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again this year as a staff member!

    I'm from Sandpoint, and I was first introduced to Rotary through my high school's Interact club.

    I hope to be a teacher after I graduate, and I've been working at a daycare to pay for college. It's made me super excited for my future career, and I've learned a lot!

    Hobbies: I love crocheting and making crafts, and I will almost definitely bring a project to RYLA with me. Feel free to ask me what I'm working on! :)

    I also have been getting more into biking and swimming lately, and have been focusing on going longer distances for both. I did the Long Bridge swim last August, which is a 1.76 mile swim, and I don't think I would have ever done it if not for RYLA. I plan to do it again this year and improve my time!

    Movies: Dirty Dancing, Legally Blonde, School of Rock, Mamma Mia

    • Where the Crawdads Sing

    • The Hunger Games series

    • Mysteries and thrillers in general

    • "There are to ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." -Edith Wharton

    • "A ship in harbor is safe- but that is not what ships are built for." -John A. Shedd

    • "It is only failure if you give up."

Gail Greager
Senior Staffer, Group B
Richland, WA, USA

Neeraj Utgikar
Junior Staffer, Group B
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Mike Cassidy
Senior Staffer, Group C
Grand Forks, BC, Canada

Jaden How
Junior Staffer, Group C
Nelson, BC, Canada

Stacey Cassidy
Senior Staffer, Group D
Grand Forks, BC, Canada

Corey Krzan Matta
Senior Staffer, Group D
Pasco, WA, USA

  • Husband, dog/dragon-dad, RYLA alum, professional silly goose, and oxford comma aficionado.

    Corey first attended RYLA in 2007 after graduating from Hanford High School in Richland, WA. He returned in 2008 as a junior staffer and attended International RYLA in Montreal, Quebec in 2010. He is beyond excited to be back this year as a senior staffer!

    Back home, Corey is a procurement attorney for the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site. He also drills as a US Navy reservist in Spokane, WA and San Diego, CA. Prior to joining the Hanford team, Corey was an active duty Lieutenant in the US Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. His most recent assignment was serving as a capital defense attorney at the Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions in Cuba.

    Corey obtained a juris doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, and a bachelor of arts in French and Polish from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Corey hopes to one day teach legal courses at the undergraduate or law school level.

    In his free time, Corey enjoys playing rugby and volleyball, weightlifting, and hiking. He loves foreign languages, learning how to play the guitar, and spoiling his nieces and nephews. A day without music doesn't count - you can often find Corey blasting Zach Bryan, Maluma, Tyler Childers, Bad Bunny, and Karol G.

    Corey and his husband, Jaime, are fathers to three beasts: Bo (a labrador), Sierra (allegedly a husky, but likely a coyote), and Ricky (a bearded dragon).

    • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    • The Good Rain by Timothy Egan

    • When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

    • The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle by James C. Hunter

    • Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

    • The Shack by William P. Young

    • “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

    • "Sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whiskey and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind but falling in love and not getting arrested.” - Hunter S. Thompson

    • "Be brave now." - Kings TV Show

    • "Get some discipline in your body and FITFO!" - Senior Chief Madelena

Zac Dockins
Junior Staffer, Group D
Euless, TX, USA

  • Hi all! My name is Zac Dockins, and this is my 5th time at RYLA! I currently live in Euless, TX, but I grew up about 15 minutes away in Potlatch, ID. I actually just left my job, but I served as the Assistant Director of Admissions for a medical school in Texas. I live with my amazing girlfriend and our 2 ninety pound dogs, and we love to be outside as much as possible. I’m excited to get to know more about you all over the week!

Gabe Turner
Senior Staffer, Group E
Boise, ID, USA

  • I grew up in the small town of Orofino, ID before moving to Boise, ID for University, graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering. My first year at RYLA was in the summer of 2016 as a camper, after which I’ve assisted as both junior and senior staff. I love RYLA! I LOVE to read, garden, camp, CrossFit (and sports of all kinds), and go to the movies.

    My Wife, Bryton, and I still live in Boise with our two dogs and are expecting a little girl in August of this year!! I currently work as a Civil Engineer overseeing the placement and testing of construction materials (asphalt, concrete, aggregates, etc.) throughout the northwest.

    I’ve been participating in RYLA ever since the summer of 2016 and am so excited to see what this year holds! Go RYLA!!

  • My favorite book series of all time is the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (later finished by Brandon Sanderson) and am currently reading the Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown. A list of some of my other favorite books include:

    • Warhammer (multiple authors)

    • Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson)

    • Boys in the Boat (Daniel James Brown)

    • Mistborn Trilogy (Brandon Sanderson)

Andrew Menning
Junior Staffer, Group E
Kamloops, BC, Canada

  • My name's Andrew Menning and I am from Kamloops, BC where I work as a traffic engineer-in-training. I have been involved with RYLA since 2018, when I attended as a camper. The year after that, I got the opportunity to return as a junior staff member and loved the experience even more! In my free time, I love to go rock climbing, hiking, disc golfing, and also have the occasional trivia or games night with friends. RYLA this year is gonna be a blast and so I can't wait to see you all there!

Debi Dockins
Retreat Director
Senior Staffer, Group D
Viola, ID, USA

  • Family:

    • Wife to Scott, 28 years

    • Mom to Kelly (married to Tasha 7 years), Kyler James (3)

    • Mom to Katie (married to Ryan 18 years); and

    • “Nina” to Brenton Joseph, (17) and Brynlee Nicole (13)

    • Mom to Zachary, Boise State University & Northern Texas university grad living in Texas

    Work:

    • Retired

    • 2017 from Medical Center in Moscow Idaho after 17 years as Director of Volunteer Services

    • Worked as a alcohol & drug prevention educator for the State of Idaho until 2020.

    Rotary:

    • Involved in Rotary since 1987  

    • Became a member in 1989

    • Was Club President in 1998-1999 & 2022-2023

    • Became involved in RYLA in 1993 as Treasurer and have been back every year!  30th year this year.

    • Has been Senior Staff at 4 International RYLA’s, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles & Montreal, Quebec

    • Was Assistant Governor for the District, 2017-2020. 2021-2023.

    • Co-Chair of Ethics Committee, DEI Committee, and was District Trainer for 3 years.

    Other Stuff:

    • She enjoys working with all generations and LOVES RYLA.

    • She likes to sing and tries to play the guitar and piano and was inspired by a camper to learn the ukulele. (you know who you are)

    • She looks forward to getting to know each of you during this week!

    • All three of her children attended RYLA more than once and are Paul Harris Fellows (you’ll learn more about that!)