Leadership Team
Peter Mayfield
Founder / Executive director
Peter has been a successful leader, pioneer and innovator in mountain sports programs for the last 35 years. He has started three innovative businesses: CityRock, Yosemite Guides, and Gateway Mountain Center, through which he has designed and delivered creative and successful outdoor educational programs for thousands of California youth. Peter has served as Chief Guide for the Yosemite Mountaineering School, and as Chief Examiner for the Professional Ski Instructors Association (Far West). As the founder and General Partner of CityRock Gym, the first large urban climbing gym, Peter was a catalyst for the growth of indoor climbing in North America. As a consultant Peter has designed and developed adventure programs for Disney, Discovery Communications, and Posades Resorts. As a creative mountaineer Peter has succeeded on first ascents on Yosemite’s El Captain and Half Dome, climbed new routes in Peru, Patagonia, and the Alaska Range, and pioneered difficult snow board descents. In addition, Peter has competed in sport climbing World Cups, Cross Country Skiing US Nationals, and performed for ten years with the aerial dance/climbing troupe, Project Bandaloop.
Alex Humenetskyj
Chief Operating Officer
Alex developed his love for the outdoors growing up in New York’s Catskill Mountains. After completing his psychology graduate program in 2007, Alex immediately put his skills to work as a clinician at Northeast Parent and Child Society. It was at NPCS that he found a disconnect in the traditional approach of on the couch indoor therapy. Soon after, Alex convinced the agency to approve bringing youth into nature - to encourage them in opening up while exploring the natural world. He went on to create and develop an outdoor experiential learning program for NEPCS. Longing for more adventure, Alex moved to Tahoe in 2008. He continued his career as the Director of Therapy at Nouveau VIe, a residential treatment center for youth with eating disorders. In 2010, Alex became the Program Director of Hand Up Homes For Youth (HUHFY), a specialized residential therapeutic treatment facility for at-risk youth in Reno, NV. He managed daily operations, leading a diverse team of skilled psychiatrists, consultants, MFT’s, and mental health associates. Alex joined the Gateway Mountain Center team in 2022 and is excited to help lead this innovative nature-based organization to its full operating potential. When not in the office Alex can be found adventuring with his wife Alison and daughter Abigail or running along the local trails. Alex is an accomplished ultra-runner who enjoys pushing the limits of human potential. He has completed five prestigious 100-mile endurance run events in the U.S. and abroad.
Kate Frankfurt
Director of Philanthropy
Kate has spent her career addressing pressing social issues through the development of healthy systems, particularly as they relate to children and families. With a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College in New York City, and post-graduate institute training in Family Systems from the Ackerman Institute Kate gained her early experience working in New York’s South Bronx in areas related to substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and youth development. Seeing the negative impacts of poorly functioning systems Kate turned her problem-solving skills farther ‘upstream’ serving as the founding Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for GLSEN and ultimately as an Advocate in the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. Kate has served as a philanthropic consultant to numerous non-profits, and as Chief Development Officer for the San Francisco Zen Center, Safe&Sound, Truckee Donner Land Trust and Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation. She has been a board member at the Mind Body Awareness Project and currently serves on the board of the Shane McConkey Foundation. Kate moved to Tahoe in 2018, and can be found hiking, mountain biking and doing yoga in her free time.
Lisa Hussar
Administrative Director
Lisa Hussar comes to Gateway Mountain Center as the Administrative Director with a career of experience in youth programs ranging from Aquatics to Residential Camping for both Non-profit and for profit organizations from the midwest to her home here in the Sierra Nevada. From program development, implementation, management, and administration she has been involved in recreation and nature based organizations at every level. She is excited to use her skills and experience to make a positive impact on the youth and staff alike of Gateway Mountain Center. Her passion for people, especially young people, and the power of nature to connect us to our common source and make us aware of our common connection made Gateway a natural fit.
Nancy Minges
Four Roots Method & Wellness director
Spanning all aspects of the organization since 2008, Nancy has infused Gateway with her boundless faith in human potential. She is the co-author of Gateway’s innovative “Four Roots for Growing a Human” method, theory of change, and its acclaimed “Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies” therapeutic mentoring program. She collaboratively embeds these, along with SEL Wellness, across the organization. She designed the 4Roots Wellness Center, including a self-care par course, and has authored over a decade of customized programs and curricula for local and visiting schools or faculty training. She incorporates flow state learning into Gateway’s Recovery Treatment services, and executive produced Gateway’s youtube Wellness Drops. She’s currently building an onboarding training process for taking the method to scale. Her MA in Holistic Health Education holds specializations in somatic, counseling, and transpersonal psychology, and trauma treatment. She is certified in multiple healing and recovery modalities, and has been a student and teacher of embodied awareness for 40 years ~ with intensive study in mindfulness, sound healing, and systems thinking. Nancy believes the path of self knowledge relinks us with our fundamental innocence, wholeness, and intrinsic joy.
Crystal Cunning
Whole Hearts Program Director
Crystal Cunning brings over 30 years' experience working with children and their families to her role as Program Director for the Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies Program at Gateway Mountain Center. She has been an educator, program developer, training mentor and student of developmental youth and has a passion and heart for teaching, training and assisting children in every capacity. Her time as lead director of two schools saw them thrive under her guidance. Incorporating her love of nature, she has led wilderness hikes and crafted educational programs aimed at teaching children to appreciate the world's beauty through their own unique lenses. Raising five children in the Truckee-Tahoe area forged a powerful connection to her community and a commitment to helping it in every way she can. A lifelong learner, Crystal is continuing her education in the field of psychology, with a keen interest in play therapy. When she is not at work, you can find her tending her garden, working her beehives or coasting Donner Lake on her paddle board.
Denise Manandik LMFT, RYT
Whole Hearts Clinical Director
Denise believes that the unfolding of the human being is most effective when rooted in connection to the natural world. Both professionally and personally, she integrates a holistic approach as a lens for facilitating self knowledge. With over 15 years experience in the mental health community in California, Denise is well-versed in its multiple facets having served as a volunteer, a practicing clinician, Program Director, Quality Assurance Director, and Director of Clinical Operations for both adult and children’s programs. Her experiences as well as her enthusiasm for supporting and training clinicians led her to earn her American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor Designation and become a co-trainer for the AAMFT Transformed Supervisor training. In 2012 she established ownership of a private practice and, most recently, she served as the Clinical Program Planner for a program that provides funding for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and a Lead Therapist for an adolescent residential treatment program. Denise’s appreciation for embodied practices is reflected through her experience as a Teacher Trainer for Cloud Nine Yoga, as well as her long standing love for dancing Hula. As an avid hiker, world traveler, and advocate for Earth’s creatures big and small, Denise is thrilled to be a part of the Gateway community.
Cali Fraser
Sierra Experience Director
Cali is an energetic forest enthusiast who spends her time exploring various ways to enjoy her environment. After graduating from UCSB with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Literature, she traveled extensively throughout the world before settling in the beautiful Tahoe Basin. In her free time, Cali enjoys hiking the Sierra Nevada, which she calls her home while looking for new potential spots to rock climb and bike in the summer and possible mountains to ski for winter adventures. During winter months, she has worked as an EMT Ski Patroller at Sierra-at-Tahoe. During summer seasons, she has guided youth groups for Gateway Mountain Center and taught yoga outdoors.