Thom Powell is a career science teacher, spending his entire teaching career in one oppressively small, poorly appointed, 1950’s era, converted kindergarten classroom at Robert Gray Middle School. Upon completing college with an honors degree in Environmental Education, Thom immigrated to Portland, Oregon, where he guided tours on rivers in California, Oregon and Idaho, while also teaching environmental science at a series of outdoor education centers around Portland. He responded to the lack of local river safety instruction by establishing his own kayaking school about the same time that he was hired as a science teacher for Portland Public Schools. His operation of River City Kayak School led to the acquisition of property along the Clackamas River in rural Clackamas County, outside Portland.