Meet the TRC Staff
Triangle Rock Club was started by two former Marines with one vision: Andrew and Luis. Their military and mountaineering backgrounds have led them around the world and back again. They’ve enjoyed ascents of Mt. Whitney (CA) via the Mountaineer route and multiple ascents of Mt. Hood (OR), and Mt. Shasta (CA). In the winter, They’ve ascended Mt. Fuji, (Japan) several times as well as the Tetons (WY), Chair Peak’s North face (WA), and Mt. Rainier’s Liberty Ridge (WA) to name a few. In between those trips, they had extensive ski mountaineering experience in the Sierra Nevada Mts. (CA), Norway, and Japan.
Intrigued? Stop by the gym and learn more about the rest of our staff. The TRC family is comprised of climbers of all ages and abilities – all happy to help introduce you to the sport and help you grow.
Andrew Kratz
Managing Partner
Andrew is a big participant in adventure races, placing 3rd in Oregon’s Gorge Games in 2002 and a 2nd place finish in the 2006 Tidewater Traverse, VA. His other notable adventure races include participation in one of the most difficult expedition distance races, the Southern Traverse in New Zealand and the Endorphine Fix race in West Virgina. He’s the crazy type that enters marathons and triathlons. He likes to skydive, scuba dive, mountain bike and road bike. When he’s not on the road, he’s also an accomplished whitewater kayaker (we can’t lose him, even in the class IV+ rapids). His most recent adventure was a successful climb of El Cap via “the Nose”, Yosemite’s classic big wall.
Luis Jauregui
Managing Partner
Luis is both a climber and workaholic. When he’s not climbing or working, he’s a DOD Certified Anti-Terrorism instructor, black belt martial arts instructor/trainer, sky diver, and a scuba diver. He’s has been awarded numerous decorations and awards during his service in OEF and OIF. After multiple overseas deployments and combat action, we’re making every effort to transition him from public to private service. If you want to learn to climb and be a general bad*ss, Luis is the guy to talk to. Stop by the gym and help keep him around before he heads overseas (and back to work) again!
Joel Graybeal
Managing Partner
So you think it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to run a climbing gym? Well, we think it just might. Joel Graybeal joined Andrew and Luis in 2012 as a Managing Partner of TRC. You’ve probably seen Joel around the gym over the past 4 years. He lives just down the street and has been climbing here since our inaugural Intro Class back in December of 2007. With deep dedication to family and community, Joel has become a valued mentor to many of us, and we are thrilled that he joined our leadership team!
Mike St. Laurent
Club Director
Mike is THE original TRC employee. He grew up in western MA, but started climbing shortly after moving to North Carolina in 2006. Mike joined the TRC team in November 2007, about a month before our doors opened. These days Mike has his finger on the pulse of almsot every project going at TRC. He coordinates classes, programs, and group sales. He also assists with Triangle Rock Guides, TRC’s outdoor guiding service. If you’ve got a question about TRC, Mike either knows the answer or knows who can give you the answer!
Dan Ryan
Programs Manager
Born and raised in the great state of Wisconsin, Dan graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2006 with a degree in Recreation Management. Since then Dan’s put that education into practice as a Youth Director and Camp Director in WI, CO, CA, and here in NC. Passionate about the outdoors, Dan got his first taste of climbing in college. This past year, however, Dan became more serious about climbing when when he had a chance to help introduce rock climbing in Indonesia. Currently, Dan uses his years of experience helping with TRC’s ever-growing schedule of Camps, Classes, and other programs.
Ryan Kibbee
Camp Coordinator
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ryan’s first love was camping and hiking in the White Mountains. There in the Presidential Range, Ryan began climbing snow and ice during High School and discovered technical rock climbing while at the University of New Hampshire. Graduating from UNH in 2006 with a degree in Kinesiology and Outdoor Education, Ryan has worked as an instructor and behavioral specialist in non-traditional, alternative educational settings. Don’t let Ryan’s mountain man background and muscular physique fool you. Ryan is an artist at heart and when he’s not climbing or teaching, he enjoys creating both art and music. Before coming to NC, he took a break from the Northeast and spent a few years enjoying the Caribbean. Now here at TRC, Ryan is excited to pass along his passions to the next generation.
Scott “Skinny” Eney
Facility Manager
Special Events Coordinator
Skinny, as we all know him, came to TRC through Eldorado Wall Company as a part of the original crew that built TRC. If you get a glimpse behind the walls here, many of those are his welds. As TRC approached opening day and it became apparent that Andrew and Luis didn’t know the most about running a climbing gym (but plenty about being motivated and hard-working), Skinny volunteered to stick around for a while. Eventually, Skinny left us to be a jet-set hired gun for Eldo (walk the wilds of the world), but now he’s back as our Facility Manager and Special Events Coordinator. We’re thrilled to once again have his wealth of knowledge on staff full time.
Scott Gilliam
Marketing Director
Head Routesetter
A native of the NC mountains, Scott moved to Triangle before discovering climbing. Scott has tackled long routes in Tuolumne, the High Sierras, the Central Cascades, the Tetons, the Wind Rivers, and Vegas’s Red Rock Canyon. With a love of steep gear routes, Scott has spent numerous days cragging in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington State, and Wyoming, as well as his native Southeast. After ten years in management and marketing in the tech sector, TRC is Scott’s second life. In addition, Scott is a longtime climbing advocate and serves on the Board of Directors of the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition as the current President.
Samantha Baughman
Membership Manager
As TRC’s Membership Manager, Sam brings an attention to detail (and statuesque beauty) that was honed at the front desk. It’s her job to make sure our member base is well cared for. If you have questions about our membership program, want to freeze or terminate, or need to change your billing info, please drop Samantha a note.
Alex Neighbors
Team TRC Head Coach
A native North Carolinian, Alex started climbing with his family at age 14. These annual family outings sparked his love of climbing. While getting his degree in Parks and Recreation Management and Instruction with a concentration in Outdoor Leadership, Alex competed in the College Climbing Series and was the WCU Rock Climbing Team president for two years. Currently, Alex takes a lead role here at TRC as the Head Coach of our youth climbing team and is excited to kick start the adventures of others through the our Camp programs and Triangle Rock Guides.
Devin Doyle
Team TRC Coach
Devin hails from BloNo. That’s Bloomington-Normal, IL, for those of us not in the know. Devin loves climbing, and that’s fortunate because he’s really not coordinated enough to do anything else. All jokes aside, though, Devin is an inspiring climber, and we’re glad to have him as a Team TRC Coach and routesetter.
Alex Vinson
Team TRC Coach
Routesetter
Positive, conscientious and highly motivated, Alex is the newest addition to our Team TRC coaching staff. Ales grew up in Greensboro where he started climbing there at age eight. Yep, that’s E I G H T, eight. Alex climbed competitively with the team from The Ultimate Climbing Gym at Tumblebees and even did some coaching there. We’re psyched to enlisted Alex as a Team TRC Coach and a routesetter while he’s studying Biological Engineering at NC State. And we hope to keep him here as long as possible.