Home / Leadership / Meet Our Leaders
SUOC runs on leaders! You may be thinking- ‘Wait, I’ve already read that on the Becoming a Leader Page!’ and you’d be right! But SUOC doesn’t run solely on trip leaders!
SUOC has a whole slew of different leadership positions for which members can run!
When you think of the people who run every single aspect of the club, you’re thinking of Executive Council; our President, Vice President, Treasurer, DEIA Chair, Secretary, and our Equipment Room Chair- they make up ‘Exec’.
Then of course, our trip leaders themselves, who lead and run trips for the activities they can, and the Activity Chairs, who spearhead everything related to their activity and give new leaders their leaderships!
Or maybe you’re wondering who types out our websites (fourth wall break hehe) and who runs our social media; Those people would be our Members at Large.
Many SUOC Leaders hold leaderships in several groups mentioned above, so this place is the one-stop-shop to find out a bit more if you’re curious about someone who is leading your trip!
There are many different kinds of leaders in SUOC, and this page is dedicated to all of our current and official ones!
E-Board
Emma Covey
President
(she/her)
Graduating: 2026
From: New York City
Club Leadership Involvement:
Current: President 2025-2026
Mountain biking chair 2025-2026
Trip Leadership(s):
Mountain Biking!
Bio:
Hi! My name is Emma, and I love all things outdoors! Recently, I’ve been biking, climbing, and caving. I am so excited to get to be SUOC president this year. SUOC has showed me that there’s so much living to do! Say yes to everything what you thought you never would, and get outside! Hope to see you at the meetings 🙂
Josie Smith
Vice President
(She/Her)
Graduating: 2027
From: Bridgeport, Conneticut
Club Leadership Involvement:
Current: Vice President 2025-2026
Assistant Eroom Chair 2024-2025
Trip Leadership(s):
1 Backpacking Ghostlead, 1 Backcountry Skiing Ghostlead (no leadership yet lol)
Bio:
I love doing rad stuff outside with friends. I’m a skier, hiker, biker, sometimes a climber, and a yoga instructor. I try to live by the motto: “you can do hard things.” If you can’t reach me, I’m probably on a mountain.
Sofia Self
Treasurer
(she/they)
Graduating: 2027
From: Dover, New Hampshire
Club Leadership Involvement:
Treasurer 2025-2026, & Publicity Chair 2024-2025
Bio:
Hi! I’m Sofia-I’m an avid paddler and caver! I grew up outside and I’ve been there ever since!! SUOC is my home away from home and I can’t wait to continue to serve this wonderful community.
Diya Bardwell
DEIA Chair
(she/they)
Graduating: 2026
From: Washington, D.C.
Club Leadership Involvement:
DEIA Chair 2024-2025
Bio:
Hey! My name is Diya and I am currently serving as the DEIA Chair. This is my second year in SUOC and my goal for this year is to go on at least one trip for every activity! Although I am excited to try everything, my favorite activities include backpacking, caving and climbing. As DEIA chair, I am working to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in our trips. I am excited to work with chairs, leaders, and the club as a whole to advance DEIA initiatives!
Orly Zuckerman
Secretary
(They/Them)
Graduating: 2027
From: Northbrook, IL
Club Leadership Involvement:
Secretary 2025-2026, Webmaster 2024-2025
Trip Leadership(s):
Horizontal Caving
Bio:
Howdy!! I’m Orly, the current Secretary of SUOC! When I’m not writing meeting notes, you will probably find me in a tree on the quad, drawing, climbing, caving, or animating! I have been in the outdoors for as long as I can remember, and I want to be outside for as long as I can be! If you want to join SUOC but are nervous to do so, please reach out to me!!! 😀
Ben Zangas
E-Room Chair
(He/Him)
Graduating: 2027
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Club Leadership Involvement:
E-room chair 2025-2026
Trip Leadership(s):
Backpacking and climbing
Bio: What’s up! I’m Ben, a SU sophomore and the current e-room chair! I love hiking, climbing, biking and all sorts of fun—types 1, 2 and even 3. Other things I enjoy include chilling, kicking back and taking it easy. If you like these things, catch me at the e-room!
Members at Large
Sylvia Prehmus
First Aid Chair
(She/Her)
Graduating: 2028
From: Littleton, Colorado
Club Leadership Involvement:
First Aid Chair 2025-2026
Bio:
Sylvia is a green penguin. When she is not under or above ground she is a grad student in chemistry and likes painting, knitting, and Formula One. Her natural habitat is Jahn Lab or occasionally out looking for other bird species along Onondaga Lake.
Mia Feinberg
Webmaster
(She/her)
Graduating: 2028
From: Highland Park, Illinois
Club Leadership Involvement:
Webmaster 2025-2026
Bio:
Hi I’m Mia! I’m a rising sophomore at Syracuse majoring in illustration! I love backpacking, hiking, backcountry skiing, and hanging out with cool people 🙂
Owen Sailus
Budget Chair
(he/him)
Graduating: 2027
From: Newark Valley, New York
Club Leadership Involvement:
Budget Chair 2025-2026
Trip Leadership(s):
Caving
Bio:
Owen is a rising junior in chemical engineering here at Syracuse University. His first experience with the outdoors was backpacking and hiking with his family when he was small. Now Owen is either underground, on the water, doing work, or hanging with suoc!
Activity Chairs
Omi Wolfe
Leadership and Paddling Chair
(She/her)
Graduating: 2026
From: Los Angeles, California
Club Leadership Involvement:
Publicity Chair 2023-2024
Trip Leadership(s):
Paddling!
Bio:
Hi! I’m Omi! I’m from California, and all my life I’ve grown up on the water and in the outdoors. I’ve been on countless paddling and camping trips both whitewater and Flatwater in canoes and kayaks. One of my favorite things to do is carry a boat on my head—portage. There’s a peacefulness that comes with the eb and flow of the water, the fire cooked meals, the special bond you form with your boat partner (s). I long for that feeling and by being a paddling leader I take out trips and go on trips that make me feel like this. Currently I am abroad in Australia but I am excited to bring back my newfound knowledge from aussieland. See you in the spring!!
Leah Rossow
Backpacking Chair
(She/Her)
Graduating: 2026
From:
Club Leadership Involvement:
Trip Leadership(s):
Backpacking
Bio:
Hi! I’m Leah and I’m the Backpacking Chair this year. I spend most of my free time hiking or backpacking. I love seeing new mountains and can’t wait to explore more of the ADKs with SUOC!
Jonah Schneiderman
Caving Chair
(he/him)
Graduating: 2025
From: Bridgewater, New Jersey
Club Leadership Involvement:
Caving Chair 2024-2025
Trip Leadership(s):
Cross-country Skiing, Horizontal Caving, & Vertical Caving,
Bio:
Hello hello! I’m stoked to be your caving chair! I transferred originally from Rutgers New Brunswick (RUOC anyone?) and am an ESF student and past Ranger School graduate studying forestry. I am most excited to continue the work of past caving chairs to improve the safety and fun of horizontal and vertical caving for the club. I’ve been caving and leading trips from NY to GA with SUOC since I joined in fall 23′ and I hope to get more new people involved with this fantastic sport. I also enjoy backpacking and am working to bring white water kayaking back to the club!
Ian Davis
Climbing Chair
(He/Him)
Graduating: 2026
From: Norwood, Ohio
Club Leadership Involvement:
First aid Chair Fall ’23- Spring ’24, Climbing Chair Winter ’25 – Present
Trip Leadership(s):
Toprope & Sport Rock Climbing, Horizontal Caving, XC Skiing
Bio:
Ian is an avid outdoorsman and habitually cooky teacher of all sorts of things that SUOC loves to do! Ian grew up in the scouting program and has had a years of intermittent experience primarily caving, climbing, paddling, and camping. He’s also involved with multiple other clubs (ESF & SU alike), and will gladly talk your ear off about edible and medicinal plant species, genetics, and anything else mildly interesting about the world!
Emma Covey
Mountain Biking Chair
(she/her)
Graduating: 2026
From: New York City
Club Leadership Involvement:
Mountain Biking Chair 2025-2026,
President 2025-2026
Trip Leadership(s):
Bio:
Mountain Biking:
My name is Emma Covey, and I love mountain biking! I started biking with SUOC a year and a half ago, and I got hooked. Outside of biking, I’m a chemistry major and I love to cook!
Grace Miner
Ski Chair
(she/her)
Graduating: 2026
From: Wayzata, Minnesota
Club Leadership Involvement:
Ski chair 2024-2025 & Vice President 2023-2024
Trip Leadership(s):
Cross-country Skiing
Bio:
Hey! I’m Grace and I’m studying Architecture and Sociology at SU, and this will be my fourth year in the club. I do a bit of everything, but of course skiing is my favorite, as its the only thing to do where I am from (I’m practically a Canadian🥸). I’m abroad for fall semester in Florence, but I’ll see everyone in Spring!
Trip Leaders
Grace Bedford
(she/her)
Graduating: Fall 2024
From: Waconia, Minnesota
Trip Leadership(s):
Horizontal Caving
Bio:
Outside of SUOC, Grace studies Conservation Biology at ESF, plays the mellophone in the SU marching band, and reads lots of books (especially poetry). Her current favorite insect is an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper!
Jordan Russell
(he/him)
Graduating: 2027
From: Chittenango, New York
Trip Leadership(s):
Backpacking, Winter Backpacking, Horizontal Caving
Bio:
I go to SUNY ESF and major in Landscape Architecture. I enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities such as running, mountain biking and caving!