Our Team
The PIVOTPoint Team is made up of powerful, compassionate humans. We all have top level wilderness safety & group facilitation experience. Learn more about the backbone of our work.
Matt Nannis
Founder
I moved to Asheville, NC in 2013. After about 12 hours, I wanted to leave. This was not how I pictured experiencing mountain town life. This was not the way I figured a new town, fresh start reset looked – moving into a halfway house straight out of treatment wasn’t part of the plan. I couldn’t see it then. It took a while. But slowly, things shifted. I went with it. I met genuine people, hopeful people. Most of the shift came with time outside – outside of comfort, outside of my room, outside of my head. And the people around me seemed to be shifting, too. I decided that I’d invest in myself and in something that would eventually become PIVOTPoint WNC. I continue to be impressed. I keep finding inspiration. I want to bring Mary Oliver’s Instructions for Living a Life to others: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
- Stories From the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
- Conversations with Red Cedar Transitions
- Hopestream: PIVOT Points – Recovery Is For Those Who Do It
- Exceptional Parents, Extraordinary Challenges
- Nature Untold: Finding Your Pivot Point
- Stories From the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
- Mix 96.5 Asheville Area Focus Interview
Tai Kulenic
Program Director
Tai Kulenic, MPS, LCMHC, ATR. Tai has been a licensed psychotherapist and Registered Art Therapist for 20 years. Her work has included spending 2 summers in Africa doing art therapy with ex-child soldiers, as well as working in Sri Lanka doing crisis intervention work immediately after the deadly 2004 Tsunami. She believes that you cannot find the answers to life outside of yourself. She is passionate about creating spaces that encourages others to brave their truth and be the alchemist of their own story. Tai is currently training to be an Ordained Animal/Eco-spirituality Chaplain and believes that when we look at nature, it also looks at us, and she wants to cultivate that relationship in others. When she isn’t working, you will find her either hiking in the woods with her two English bulldogs, getting lost in the creative process, or exploring backroads.
Loui F. Lindsay
Community Liaison
Loui (he/him) is a native east coaster who was born with a passion for adventure and healing in the outdoors (land+water).
In 2021, Loui received his MS in Clinical Mental Health and Adventure Based Counseling from Prescott College. During his graduate studies, he focused his research on providing validating mental health care for adolescents in the LGBTQ+ community. Loui completed his internship rotation locally at SUWS of the Carolinas while working closely with the Seasons group (ages 10-14) in the Pisgah National Forest.
His approach involves being genuinely curious, gentle, and kind while also leaning deeply on the natural world as a catalyst for change. His repertoire of experiences is no mistake as he has intentionally cultivated and values each one. He’ll also be the first to share that out of all of his different roles in life, the most important ones to him are being a great Dad to his son and loving partner to his spouse.
Sean Haggerty
VP of Donor Relations
Hi! Thanks for reading a little bit about me. “Build Relationships” is a core mantra of mine and I even have that on a sign above my desk to remind me! I truly believe all of life’s challenges can be improved through relationships and connection. Reach out and prove me wrong. Yes, this is a trick to help us connect. Reach out anyways. Connection with others and connecting others.
When we are a part of these things, our world often feels safer, better, stronger–CONNECTED. These values matter to me and having harmony in an organization with my same values is a core personality to know about me. PIVOTPoint WNC brings those same values to the work we do with the youth we serve which connects us all in purpose and support of the next generation. I have spent over 30 years helping support adolescents in their development to ready them for productive adulthood. These relationships all matter to me.
As the VP of Donor and Public Relations for PIVOTPoint WNC, I get to build relationships with so many like minded and giving people. Together, we will positively impact the future of this next generation. I am excited to get to know you.
Reach out at my Calendly link below, or call/text me: (828) 243-1427. Let’s build a relationship and make an impact together.
Mo Fitzgerald
Lead Guide
Mo (she/her) is an energetic, grounding, and charismatic individual! She believes that connecting in a wilderness based setting can truly open up one’s sense of values, self worth, and own self identity. Mo’s leadership style is more nurturing based – believing that in order to create healing and fun there needs to be a sense of attunement, consistency, and security. She believes when these values are met that we are able to explore oneself while stretching out of our comfort zone. Mo received a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with a minor in Outdoor Leadership at Western Illinois University in 2017. After graduating, she volunteered as a Peace Corps Volunteer and spent two years in Senegal, West Africa. When she returned home, she began developing her passion for mental health by being a Wilderness Therapy Guide. Since working in wilderness therapy, Mo has devoted her work to being as growth mindset as possible. She is investing her time in creating new ideas, connecting with individuals, and opening her heart to her own personal growth. In her free time, Mo enjoys singing, cooking, doing yoga, running, and hiking with her dog!
Kyle Bishop
Guide
Kyle graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in leadership development in 2015. After graduating, he moved around from Colorado, Kentucky, and North Carolina, working with students in various outdoor environments.
He has been consistently impressed by how nature allows students to step out of their comfort zones, open up, and grow. In 2016, he started working in Western North Carolina on and off, leading backpacking trips and working in Outdoor Education. He fully moved into the area in 2023. From his experience working with students and his own personal journey, he has seen firsthand how important nature and adventure are for growth and healing. He spends his free time running, hiking, climbing, traveling, and reading.
Dan Horseman
Guide
Dan has a BS in Outdoor Education and Psychology, and he is a Certified Professional Life Coach. He worked in the Wilderness/Adventure Therapy field for almost 15 years, primarily working with teens and their parents. Dan loves using the natural world along with experiential and adventure-based activities to help his clients learn, grow, heal, and connect. Throughout his time working in mental health treatment programs, Dan has held a number of leadership positions including Program Director, Adventure Therapy Director, and Transitions Coordinator. He strives to build strong relationships with his clients that are based on trust, compassion, empathy, and providing
a non-judgmental space for his clients to be their authentic selves.
He spends most of his free time with his wife, two young boys, and their dog. He is an avid whitewater kayaker but loves all sorts of outdoor activities. Fun Fact: He hiked the entire
Appalachian Trail in 2013.
Dave Shelton
Guide
My name is Dave and I would like to introduce myself and let you know what has drawn me to this line of work. Working at a Summer camp was what first let me realize how much I appreciate the healing aspect of nature. I found that, for me, the best way to help people grow is to surround them with balanced and organic stimulus while introducing new concepts. After undergrad, I began working in the field, starting with a wilderness therapy program, then progressing to a therapeutic boarding school for adolescent males. It was at this point in my journey that I decided to continue my education, choosing to focus on clinical mental health counseling. Working at PIVOTPoint has allowed me to grow in a tremendous way while also allowing me a space to use the skills I have developed over the years I have worked in the field. My guarantee to anyone who is in a shared space with me is that I will provide a safe space to talk about who we are, who we want to be, and what we want to leave behind.
Mackenzie Strong
Guide
Mackenzie (she/her) is an Atlanta native with a down-to-earth, nurturing, and creative spirit. She is passionate about embracing individuals wholeheartedly and uplifting them on their journey of healing and self-discovery. Her own mental health journey has given her a sincere approach of compassion for those she works with. During her teenage years, she attended various treatment centers, where seeds were sown. These seeds flourished when she was ready and willing to embark on her healing journey, realizing that the foundation of healing lies within and thrives when met with compassionate care. In 2022, Mackenzie received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies at Kennesaw State University where she interned at substance abuse and behavioral programs and shortly after graduating became a field instructor for a wilderness therapy program. Mackenzie believes in and holds deep appreciation for the unconditional healing space and power of nature and the treasures offered to all who seek and participate in the experience. Outside of work, Mackenzie enjoys hiking with her dog, traveling, doing yoga, rock climbing, creating art, and dancing to live music.