The staff at Beartooth Mt Ascent are all committed to one goal, and that is helping every young man reach his full potential to lead a healthy productive life. Our young adult drug rehab transition program is headed by gifted individuals whose main objective is to guide young men to the right path through positive behavior improvement and character building through reality therapy and life enriching activities.

Tom George – Executive Director

Master of Arts Degree in Education with a focus on Religious Studies. Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physiology, Certified Marriage Mentor.

Tom George has made it his life mission to serve God in the Catholic Church. Along with his wife Susan and their ten children, he has served the Catholic Church in mission to God’s people as a lay missionary member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) for over twenty years. Tom worked for six years as the International Regional Director of SOLT, directing the activities of Priests, Religious and Lay faithful within the Society. Tom has also served as the Director of Formation for families preparing for service in the SOLT foreign missions, providing him with invaluable experience in family and youth apostolate. In addition to this experience, Tom has been director of a family life apostolate outreach for the SOLT community. Tom and his wife Susan are both Certified Marriage Mentors.

Being a gifted teacher, Tom is often a featured speaker at youth seminars, and retreats. Speaking to young people from a Christian faith base, he talks about character formation, healthy relationships, substance abuse, and abstinence. Tom imparts moral truths in a way that teens can understand and relate to easily. The gift he brings to our troubled teen program is his example as a husband and father, and as a man of God. In this way he is able to give the young men in our program a powerful example of Christian manhood. Through honest hard ranch work, Tom leads the young men in establishing a work ethic that has helped many of the young men discover their true potential. The young men on the ranch really look up to Tom and view him as a role model of a man who truly lives his faith in God.

Tom brings many other very valuable experiences and skills to the program. His many personal accomplishments include serving at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a strength coach for the Olympic athletes. Tom coached in the areas of boxing, judo, twenty six mile marathon, and Lugar. Prior to his experience at the Olympic Training Center, Tom was an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. Tom also taught school at St. Joseph School in Beeville, Texas, sharing his gifts as a teacher in the subjects of Science, English and Religion. He also brings ten years of experience as a carpenter, and over eleven years of experience in ranch work to share with the young men in the Program.

Susan George – Director
Certified Christian Counselor. Family Life & Abstinence Educator.

PSSP Certified Breakthrough Parenting Instructor (in training). Certified Marriage Mentor. Home schooling mother of eleven children.

Like her husband Tom George, Susan is dedicated to living and teaching her Christian-Catholic faith. She is a trained Family Life, Abstinence, Breakthrough Parenting, Relationship & Communication skills instructor. Susan is gifted at imparting a deeper understanding and respect for the gift of their sexuality to each of the young men who come to Beartooth Mt Ascent. Susan teaches the credited Life Skills courses every Monday to all of the young men who come to Beartooth Mt Ascent. Her classes are eagerly attended and respected by the young men.

Previously Tom and Susan worked for over eight years as formators for the religious order; The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT). This is an order of Priest, Religious and Lay faithful, who serve together on teams. Tom and Susan were responsible for the training of the laity to prepare them to go out into mission. They were also responsible for the formation of families and the family life apostolate outreach for the SOLT community. Tom and Susan are also Certified Marriage Mentors.

Matthew Schneider – Co-Founder of BTMA

Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. Certified Mandt Trainer (Conflict Resolution, De-escalation methods). Boxing Coach. Ranch Owner. Twenty-three years experience as a mountain cowboy.

Raised on the very ranch, that has become Beartooth M Ascnet, Matt knows the values that can be learned from a real working cattle ranch and the hardships involved in the cycles of ranching and how it can be utilized in helping troubled youth. Matt has the unique ability to apply life lessons that he learned growing up here to the lives of the young men that are arriving at BTMA today.

Matt has been boxing since the age of eight, and has won numerous state and regional boxing titles. He is an experienced boxing coach and enjoys passing this and all knowledge onto the young men. Matt is a devoted husband and the proud father of five.

Penny Gifford – Addiction Therapist. Professional Counselor.

Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Licensed Addiction Therapist, Master Addiction Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Penny is a Wyoming native who was raised on a cattle ranch near the Big Horn Mountains. She completed her Master's degree at MSU-B in Billings, Montana. During her final year in college she became employed as a drug and alcohol counselor at Yellowstone County Mental Health in Billings, Montana. In 2000 she returned to Wyoming to work as a drug and alcohol counselor at Cedar Mountain Center. While employed there she obtained her license as a mental health counselor. She currently works in private practice in Powell, WY serving adolescents and adults with behavioral health and drug/alcohol problems. She is also working toward her PhD in psychology.


Julie Ley- Office Manager/Admissions Coordinator

A.A.S. Office Technology/ Administrative Assistant. Certificate Degree in Microsoft Word. Graduated with honors.

Julie has not only had adequate experience in office technology/office administration, but also in the care of children. She ran her own licensed childcare business while providing care for her own two children. She loves customer service and has a lot of experience, including working as a customer service representative at a very busy international call center. Julie feels her job as the Office Manager/Admissions Coordinator is fulfilling in every way. "I am able to help parents during a very emotional and difficult time in their lives as well as run the office."


Mark Schneider – Ranch Manager. Vocational Educator.

Experienced mountain cowboy, farmer, and business owner/operator.

Mark is truly the vocational “rock” of Beartooth Mt Ascent. His experience comes both from the classroom, and from the field. Born and raised on the ranch, it is in his blood. From early morning feeding to late nights on a tractor, Mark knows how to work. He has to, as the success of the ranch is on his shoulders; and he humbly carries the load. He quietly and patiently teaches the young men that come to Beartooth Mt Ascent, how to work, and they see through him that work will make them happy. They learn the value of a job completed, and find that a job is only done, when it is done right.

After the ranch type work is completed, Mark might be found coaching the young men on boxing, which he has been doing since the age of eight. He is the proud father of two, and devotes himself to his family. Mark's vocational knowledge reaches beyond the ranch and he is able to teach the young men many more trades. Having owned and operated a successful drywall business, Mark understands construction and the inner workings of a business. Through him, the young men have this knowledge and experience available to them as they make their career choices.


Nancy Woolard – Part-Time Administrative Assistant;

Nancy brings her experience from owning her own business and working as a secretary for a fabric company toBeartooth Mt Ascent. Nancy and her husband started their own successful trucking business and were on the road together for thirteen years before deciding they were ready to stay in one place.

Nancy really loves being able to do such a variety of things for the ranch. She enjoys working in the office, talking to parents, as well as being around the boys and seeing them improve on a daily basis. Nancy says “God has really opened up doors for me to be able to work at MTC. It is like it was meant to be and really a dream come true for me”.

Do you know an at-risk teen? Call Mount Carmel Youth Ranch for more information on our Wilderness Program and School for Troubled Teens. We can help!
www.mtcarmelyouthranch.com
Admissions Office 1-866-971-3322

Reach us by email at admissions@mtcarmelyouthranch.com

copyright (c) 2008 Beartooth Mt Ascent. All rights reserved

Bear Tooth MT Ascent- A Life Changing Experience for struggling young men, parents and the entire family.