Deb Follo Caughron, Woodberry's director of outdoor education and leadership development, will become board chair of the North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) in January. She has been a board member since 1999.

Deb, a 1974 Woodberry graduate, earned a B.A. in history from Meredith College in 1978. Her experience in outdoor education includes twelve years as a field instructor, course director, and program administrator for the Colorado, Voyageur, and North Carolina Outward Bound schools. An avid sea kayaker, backpacker, climber, cyclist, and photographer, she has led and participated in expeditions throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Siberia, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, and Costa Rica. She is also a former director of outdoor programs for the Lawrenceville School. She and her husband, Michael Follo, have been members of the Woodberry faculty since 2000.

At Woodberry, Deb's responsibilities include direction of the IV Form Leadership Development Program, a yearlong initiative for Woodberry sophomores that kicks off with a four-day wilderness expedition in the mountains of western North Carolina in the fall and culminates in a day of community service in the spring term. She also oversees the school’s ropes course, Rapidan and cycling programs, Outing Club, and summer expedition scholarships.

“Deb is an outstanding educator and leader who has had years of in-depth experience with our organization,” said Whitney H. Montgomery, executive director of NCOBS and a 1983 Woodberry graduate. “Her election affirms our board’s deep commitment to education.”

North Carolina Outward Bound is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to inspire individuals to discover and develop their potential to care for themselves, others, and the world around them through challenging experiences in unfamiliar settings.