DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENT

Doug began canoeing in 1964 through the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in Terrace Park. He canoed in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina. In 1966, he joined Morgan’s Canoe Trails for a two-week Daniel Boone canoe trip in Kentucky and he became an Eagle Scout in 1969.  These activities, along with family camping trips helped set the direction for his career in the outdoors.

Doug’s first rafting trip on the New River was in 1970 while in high school and he would later start guiding raft tours on the New and Gauley Rivers in 1977. He was a founding owner of Class VI River Runners, Inc in Lansing, WV in 1978. Doug coined the name “Class VI” after the classification of the rapids, which exemplifies the quality, service and products he has believed in offering since its inception. His primary responsibility was finance and accounting, risk management and raft operations. As one the founding members of Adventures on the Gorge, LLC, located in Lansing WV, Doug assisted with his specialty areas of risk management and human resources from 2008-2015. In 2012 he was given a 35-years of Exemplary Service Award from America Outdoors in the outfitting industry.

Doug volunteered his time to the Fayette County Transition Team (county zoning and planning) from 1999-2013; he served as Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Board member in 1998, Vice President in 1999, President in 2000 and Past President in 2001. He served on the Board of the Directors of the New River Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1999-2001 as well as President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer of WV Professional Outfitters from 1999-2008. Doug worked with youth as a coach from 1995-1999 and volunteered as a leader with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts between 2002-2014.

Doug has run rivers in Alaska, Chile, Costa Rica, Texas, Canada, Colorado River, in the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon, the Green River in Utah, Middle Fork, Main Salmon, Lower Salmon and Selway in Idaho. He has rafted most of the rivers in West Virginia and the Eastern United States.

Doug attended Terrace Park Elementary School and graduated from Mariemont High School in 1973. He obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business and Accounting from Wittenberg University in 1977 and is now one of the founding owners of Selway River Adventures, LLC rafting on the Selway River in Idaho. He started this company in 2018 and still loves guiding river trips, as he has done for 45 years! Selway was one of the first rivers included in the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.  He currently resides in Stanley, Idaho, with his wife, Cathy.