Raymond “RJ” Stapell

RJ is a leader who has been tested in a wide variety of life and professional situations. Each time, he has used his remarkable leadership skills, acquired and tempered through life experience, to exhibit grace under pressure and secure the best possible outcome in challenging situations.

Mr. Stapell holds the following certifications:

• Wilderness Emergency Medical Technical
• International Four-Wheel Drive Trainers Association
• Nationally Certified Fire Service Instructor
• PDIC Certified Dive Instructor
• Certified Specialist in High Angle Rescue
• Technical Rescue and Training Officer – Amherst High Angle Rescue Team
• Licensed Guide – Federal Bureau of Land Management
• Emergency Vehicle Operations

Mr. Stapell is Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Counsel of NOCO Energy Corporation. NOCO is a diversified energy delivery company providing a wide variety of energy related products and services throughout the northeast and Canada.

Mr. Stapell is also a partner at the law firm of Harris Beach PLLC and was the managing partner of the Buffalo office for over 20 years.  He also serves on the board of directors of various public and private companies and lectures on leadership to various businesses and MBA candidates

In addition to his extensive legal career, Mr. Stapell is an avid outdoorsman and pilot. He has spent considerable time in remote locations and on multiple excursions in the Rocky Mountains and desert southwest, and shares his insights through these intense training programs in which he utilizes some of the roughest terrain in the country as his classroom to teach critical leadership and teamwork skills.

Paul Stapell

Paul, a recent college graduate, has been actively involved in virtually all of the off road training activity at High Trail Expeditions and has extensive experience in backcountry travel. In past years he has guided for the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado where he was responsible for the planning, provisioning, and training of “hard” skills for a 2-week leadership-backpacking trip.  In addition, he was also a member of a search and rescue team to find fifteen students who became lost in the San Juan Mountains.

Paul has also been an instructor and leader of various outdoor trips on behalf of St. Lawrence University’s Outdoor Program in the Adirondack Mountains in upper New York State and has planned and lead a 2-week wilderness trip exploring New Zealand’s South Island.

Paul holds the following certifications:

• Wilderness First Responder
• Avalanche Safety I
• Backcountry skiing-white water canoeing-backpacking certification, SLUOP

Paul Coen

Paul has been enjoying the outdoors and off-roading since he bought his first Jeep almost 20 years ago. His experience as an Army Officer and in Federal Law Enforcement, have taught him the value of team oriented leadership, adaptability, mission focus, and common sense. His professional experience has taught him the importance of developing team members, and creating an atmosphere for success. His positions in the Army and Law Enforcement have enabled him to continue to experience the outdoors and successfully meet any unexpected challenge. In his current position Mr. Coen has traveled across the US and around the world, working with both local law enforcement and the US military. He has experience in cold weather and desert environments, as well as climbing and scuba diving.

Mr. Coen holds the following certifications, and has completed the following courses:

• Wilderness EMT / EMT-B
• Rappel Master
• Instructor Development Course
• Tactical & Emergency Vehicle Operations Course

Mr. Coen continues to enjoy all things outdoors. He has spent considerable time in the Rocky Mountains, the desert southwest, and the Blue Ridge mountains. Although he would prefer to travel in his Jeep, he and his wife have also explored the backcountry by foot, by snow machine, and most recently by motorcycle.

Owen Jones

Owen’s love of the outdoors developed early with a family used to exploring the wildest part of Europe by foot, kayak, sail and bicycle. His early career as an engineer at Rolls Royce encouraged his interest in building better sail boards in his garage.  Moving to the States with his young family simply expanded the horizon and the possibilities with his career moving into the leadership of international companies. The endless possibilities of the Great Lakes region led to his interest in mountain biking, winter and water sports.

Shortly after arriving in Colorado he met RJ Stapell who with little effort caused Owen to fully embrace the opportunity to explore the high country and adopt a Land Rover Defender. Moving leadership development from the workplace to the wilderness with off-road team expeditions proved to be particularly effective – and fun. Owen leads expeditions and supports HTE teams with his leadership development, mechanical skills, and genuine delight in people.