Vantage Point by Aspiro - Owners and Administration Staff
(801) 349-2740
Vantage Point has a visionary leadership team who have taken the strengths of outdoor behavioral therapy programs and addressed many of the weaknesses of the industry as well.
The Vantage Point Team consists of a wide range of backgrounds and years of experience.
Chief Executive Officer - Randy Oakley
Randy grew up in Kansas City, Missouri where he loved team sports, journalism, canoeing, and exploring the Ozark Mountains.
After spending a couple of years in France and Switzerland, Randy began in 1987 working as a home parent in a residential treatment facility. Within a few months, his interest was perked by the Recreational Program Director who was taking young men on 20-day wilderness survival trips.
"I saw the students work hard to improve their life on campus and then I saw the powerful changes that took place in the outdoors on these 20 day trips. At a very young age I could clearly see the power of working with students in the outdoors," said Randy.
After some additional training and work, Randy moved to Maui, Hawaii for three years where he was the Chief Operations Officer for a large youth program. He moved to Utah in 1992 to be the Program Director of another prominent residential treatment program. Throughout Randy's career, his specialty has been running adventure therapy programs. "I love seeing the light in students’ eyes when they have just accomplished something they didn't think they could," said Randy.
Ever since Randy started working in the industry of "at-risk" teens and wilderness adventure therapy in 1987, he has dreamed of founding a state-of-the-art program to help teenagers in need. Aspiro's program began as an outgrowth of the vision of Randy and others, but the program design effort included researching the experiences of many teens over the years and hiring a team of adventure therapy professionals to become part of the design effort.
With children ranging from elementary to college age, Randy and his wife Christina enjoy traveling in their motor home, staying home and playing family games and teaching the kids new things.
Randy completed his college education in youth leadership and recreation management and is fluent in French.
Director of Business Development - Brian Church
Brian Church brings a wealth of experience to Aspiro’s management team in the area’s of marketing and admissions. Brian’s father was one of three original founders of the SUWS adolescent program. As such, Brian grew up in the industry.
Soon after graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications-Public Relations emphasis, Brian became the admissions director (pre and post Aspen), and subsequently, the national Marketing Director for SUWS.
After leaving SUWS Brian was the Admissions/Marketing Director for a leading Therapeutic Boarding School.
Brian is fortunate to have a wonderful wife and four great children, two boys and two girls. He loves spending time with his family and their many different sports and theater interests. Brian loves to travel (which is a good interest to have in his line of work!) Brian loves all sports, especially golf, baseball and football… and looks forward to involvement with Aspiro’s high adventure activities.
Brian is excited about working in such a dynamic atmosphere where a truly unique program has been created.
“I love the flexibility, the pricing, the scholarships, and the fact that kids actually enjoy the program,” said Church.
“The program is full of original thinking, and is not just a “re-run” of another program. It’s exciting to be a part of such an outstanding team of people that get it.”
Gordon L. Day, Ph.D.
Creator and Director of the Vantage Point by Aspiro
Director of Clinical Services, The Aspiro Group of Programs
Dr. Day, a recognized expert in the assessment and treatment of adolescents with neurodevelopmental and other learning and processing issues, joined the Aspiro team in April of 2008.
His vision and passion has been to create dynamic, individualized outdoor therapeutic programming. He has pioneered outdoor therapeutic approaches specifically tailored to the needs of adolescents and young adults struggling with complex learning and emotional issues. Over the years, Dr. Day has grown to deeply appreciate the healing and changing power of the outdoors.
Outdoor therapeutic programming provides rich assessment and treatment opportunities that are not available in traditional settings. Dr. Day enjoys the challenge of identifying individual strengths and needs and focusing on the development of resilience, self-efficacy, positive coping skills, academic success and improved family relationships. He loves the outdoors and enjoys a warm rapport with teenagers and families that quickly puts them at ease. Dr. Day grew up on a family farm in rural eastern Idaho. There, he enjoyed many outdoor activities; including kayaking, fishing and camping.
He participated in wrestling throughout junior and senior high school. After high school, he spent several years in the Air Force and enjoyed his work as a physical therapy technician.
After the Air Force, he worked in California as a Physical Therapist Assistant in geriatric, acute, residential and rehabilitation hospitals while pursuing his undergraduate education in Psychology.
During his undergraduate training in psychology, Dr. Day conducted honors research on adolescents and children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. He also gained experience in school settings, in mentoring programs for youth and as direct care staff in a group home for adolescent males.
Dr. Day graduated with honors and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with a Minor in Family Relations from California State University, Chico.
Dr. Day completed graduate studies in Clinical Psychology at Brigham Young University. He had extensive clinical training in research, psychotherapy and assessment. His dissertation research involved confirmatory factor analysis of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and its’ use in inpatient mental health settings. His area of emphasis in his clinical training was child, adolescent and family psychology. Dr. Day’s graduate training included a variety of settings, including the Utah State Prison; the Utah State Hospital working with adolescents and adults; private practice clinics working with adults, adolescents and families; residential facilities working with at risk youth and in public and private schools where he conducted psychological and educational evaluations. Dr. Day also worked in organizational behavior and industrial/organizational psychology. He was the project manager for the software development division of a national, accounts-payable auditing firm.
He received training and experience in software development and rapid development methodologies.
It was in these settings that Dr. Day developed a love for project work and team leadership.
He has also taught Organizational Behavior classes at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Day interned with Valley Mental Health, a large community mental health organization with many sites in urban and rural Utah. Valley Mental Health serves adults and children with severe and persistent mental health issues. At Valley Mental Health, Dr. Day worked with adults in outpatient drug and alcohol treatment and in other outpatient settings. He also worked with at risk adolescents in residential treatment. He also conducted neuropsychological screening evaluations at the University of Utah. Dr. Day was introduced to the incredible transforming power of outdoor treatment models through his work as a psychological evaluator in various programs. He has worked with adolescents and their families in a therapeutic boarding school in Montana.
Dr. Day also served as a primary field therapist in a wilderness therapy program in Utah before coming to Aspiro. When not working with children professionally, Dr. Day enjoys spending time with his family.
He and his wife are the proud parents of five children. They enjoy outdoor activities such as backpacking, camping and fishing. His favorite pastime is watching his own children grow and participate in activities like track, skiing, snowboarding, band, wrestling, soccer and baseball.
Director of Admissions - Josh Watson, LCSW
Email: admissions@aspiroadventure.com
(801) 349-2740
Josh has over eight years of experience working with adolescents, young adults, and their families.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University.
He also earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia.
Josh is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Utah and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. His graduate research focus was in child and family development, psychiatric assessment of children, and the integration of solution-based behavioral approaches into the public school sector.
Josh served for two years as in internal and field research analyst for the Great Schools and Families Research Project funded by the CDC through the University of Georgia.
He also has experience working for community service boards, inpatient psychiatric hospitals for adolescents, and private practice. His areas of clinical expertise are in interpersonal relationships, leadership skills, assessment, and resource allocation. Josh was a collegiate wrestler and scholarship recipient. He has been a wrestling coach and facilitated multiple summer wrestling camps for adolescents. Josh enjoys the outdoors, sports (especially wrestling, skiing, and golf), traveling, politics, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Since 1999, Josh has worked with at risk teens and young adult populations. As an original member of the Aspiro Leadership Team, Josh has been a Therapist and Admissions Director serving families at Aspiro since 2006.
Business Operations - Christina Oakley
Christina was raised in Chicago and later moved to San Diego before making her home in Utah.
"Next to taking my own children on outdoor adventures, the thing I love most is taking a group of students through the canyons of Southern Utah. I love seeing them work as a team as they see some of the most awesome places on earth," said Christina.
Christina started working in the industry in 2003, has been a program director of another "at-risk" youth program in Utah, and has been a guide for Aspiro.
"Running the business operations is fun and exciting but doesn't allow me to be with the students as much. I miss not being out there like I used to be!" Christina expressed.
Christina is a member of the original Aspiro founding team. In addition to the outdoors, she loves going to the theater, traveling with her family, volunteering in her children's classrooms at school, and reading books.
Janet Robinson - Executive Assistant
Janet discovered her passion for working with youth and their families over thirteen years ago. After working in various youth programs as a youth counselor and a home parent of 14-18 adolescents Janet wanted to become more involved with families. Her work as a Peer Parent, providing support and education to parents in one-on-one situations, increased her desire to do even more.
Supported by her husband and children, Janet returned to school at the University of Utah and graduated at the top of her class receiving a Bachelors of Social Work with an emphasis in child welfare. Janet continued her work with families as a Child Protective Service Worker for the state of Utah where she ensured the safety of children by protecting them from abuse and helped support families in crisis. She and her husband also became foster parents and opened their home to adolescents. Years of having these struggling teenagers in her home has given Janet understanding and empathy for both parents and youth.
The most important thing to Janet is her family. She and her husband Justin have four wonderful children. She enjoys spending time with them and being involved in their lives. She volunteers in their classrooms and actively participates in the PTA. She enjoys camping, hiking, boating and just being with her family.
Janet is excited to be a part of the Aspiro team as she understands the calming and healing powers of nature. She loves being a part of a program that builds on the strengths and accomplishments of the student to encourage them to make positive changes in their lives.
Ariana West - Administrative Assistant
Moving into her fourth year with Aspiro, Ariana has loved serving in both trail and administrative positions.
A recent graduate of Weber State University she plans to continue to develop her skills in Non-Profit Business Management. Ariana loves working with adolescents and young adults and has done so in multiple settings including adventure therapy, inner-city development programs, university student involvement, and teaching music and dance as part of service outreach programs. Ariana also loves to fill her time with singing, art, and a whole lot of her incredible husband Morgan.
