Our Team
The Bronze Chapter is built by and for our community. We bring together outdoor expertise and our own personal histories to make sure the natural world feels like a safe harbor for everyone. When you’re with us, you’re with leaders who care deeply about your safety and believe in the simple power of sharing skills across generations.
Being BIPOC-led means we’re here to help you find your own rhythm with the land and water. We know that when you feel safe and joyful outdoors, you naturally become a protector of the environment. Everything we do is rooted in cultural connection, making space for the Global Majority to get outside with power, purpose, and a real sense of belonging.
Denice Rochelle (she/her) - Founder | Director
I’ve always had a reverence for the quiet power of the natural world—the way a sunset feels on your skin or how the mountain air can clear your head. I learned to walk on the shifting sands of Washington’s beaches, and that early connection to the land and sea shaped everything I am today.
As a biracial woman navigating outdoor spaces that haven’t always felt like they were “for me,” I’ve spent my life rewriting the story of who belongs outside. What started as guiding friends on their first camping trips grew into something much bigger: The Bronze Chapter. My mission is to help our community unlearn fear and reclaim confidence in nature and the natural world. I’m not just teaching people how to pitch a tent; I’m inviting them to experience the liberation, health, and joy that comes from a deep connection to nature and the natural world.
My path hasn’t been a straight line. It’s taken me from the halls of legal and real estate firms to decades spent under the glow of my aunts’ legendary Seattle restaurant, FranGlor’s (where the jukebox was as soulful as the food). Today, I use that lifetime of community-building and adventure to lead with curiosity and safety. Whether I’m navigating coastal waters on a sailboat, sleeping under the stars, or teaching wilderness first aid and other skills, I’m focused on creating a “home away from home” for BIPOC families and individuals to grow, heal, and lead.
View Denice’s Technical Toolkit & Certifications
Medical & Safety: Wilderness EMT, Wilderness First Aid Instructor, CPR, AIARE 1 Avalanche Safety.
On the Water: Advanced Open Water Diver, ASA & US Sailing (101, 103, 104).
On the Land: Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor.
Recognition: 2024 Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club Youth Programs Future Thrust Award.
Stacy Sarver (she/her) - Board Member
For a long time, I told myself, ‘I didn’t grow up doing outdoor stuff.’ But I’ve realized that wasn’t true—my journey just looked different.
My first outdoor mentors were my parents. My mother, an immigrant from the Philippines, taught me how to dig for clams and crab in our local waters. She showed me how to care for the land because that’s where our food came from. My childhood was filled with the salt air of the Philippines, fresh mangoes from the tree (I was lucky enought to visit as a child), and bike rides through local parks and neighborhoods. It was a life lived outside; it just wasn’t the ‘traditional’ PNW recreation I saw on TV.
That shift in perspective is why this work is so close to my heart. After attending The Bronze Chapter’s first-ever BIPOC-centered Wilderness First Aid course in 2021, my life changed. I finally found a community where I could develop high-level skills in a safe environment without leaving my identity at the trailhead.
When I’m not helping manage the ‘9-5’ as an accountant or volunteer-teaching at camp, you’ll find me chasing warm oceans and alpine peaks. Whether I’m trad climbing in Leavenworth or snowboarding at Stevens Pass, I’m living proof that you can reclaim your place in the natural world and outdoor recreation at any age. I’m here to help you bridge the gap between your own roots and your next great adventure.
View Stacy’s Technical Toolkit & Certifications
Stacy believes in the power of “skill-building as liberation.” Her technical training allows her to navigate the most rugged terrains with confidence:
Climbing & Technical Skills: Single Pitch Instructor Course (AMGA), Trad Climbing, Multi-Pitch Rescue, Self-Rescue, Map & Compass Navigation.
Snow & Land: AIARE 1 (Avalanche Safety), Backpacking & Alpine Trekking.
Safety & Medical: Wilderness First Aid (WFA), First Aid/CPR.
Professional: Career Accountant (Expertise in budgeting and financial stewardship).
Henrik Brameus (he/him) - Board Member
Growing up in Sweden, my relationship with the natural world was defined by a single, powerful concept: Allemansrätten—the Freedom to Roam. In Swedish culture, we believe that nature belongs to everyone. As long as you don’t disturb or destroy, you’re welcome to wander, swim in any lake, pitch a tent for the night, and harvest berries or mushrooms from the earth. To me, nature was a place with no barriers and no limitations—only respect.
Moving to the United States was a wake-up call. For the first time, I realized that the freedom I took for granted wasn’t a universal reality. I saw how communities of color are deeply underrepresented in the outdoors, and I began to learn about the historical barriers and systemic racism that have kept people from these spaces for generations.
I helped form The Bronze Chapter because I wanted to be part of the movement toward a more just and equitable outdoors. I believe everyone should feel the same ‘Freedom to Roam’ that I felt as a child, regardless of their background or skin color. I’m here to help build pathways to the beauty and wellness found in nature and the natural world, making sure anyone who wants to can find their place in the life that surrounds us.
When I’m not supporting our mission, I lean into my background in leadership and community service. Whether I’m navigating the complexities of board governance or practicing outdoor skills, I’m dedicated to building a sustainable, safe, and joyful community for every adventurer who joins us.
View Henrik’s Technical Toolkit & Certifications
Safety & Medical: Wilderness First Aid (WFA).
Leadership & Governance: Former Elected Cemetery Commissioner (Skagit Cemetery District 4); Various leadership roles within Toastmasters International.
Cultural Expertise: Swedish outdoor ethics and “Freedom to Roam” (Allemansrätten) stewardship.
Fernando Cuenca (he/him) - Volunteer Coordinator
I was born and raised 9,000 feet up in the Bogotá Andes. As a kid, I spent plenty of nights in a tent, thanks to my grandfather who took me outdoors in the forests near my hometown. I was a cub scout and later a boy scout, but I stopped most of that when I went to college and moved to the U.S. for graduate school. When I moved to Washington in 2008, I started hiking and backpacking again and realized how much I’d missed it.
I’m part of The Bronze Chapter because I’m a firm believer in community building. I was lucky to learn at an early age that I belonged in the outdoors, and I want that for everyone. I know the learning curve can seem steep and it might keep people from going outside, so I’m here to share what I’ve learned. I think knowledge sharing is one of the most important ways to help others feel empowered and ready to explore.
What I enjoy most about nature is that it always gives you back the effort you put in tenfold. I’ve never been on a trip and returned thinking it wasn’t worth it. It renews you in a way that feels like a very long meditation session—I especially like solo backpacking for that reason. It’s just me and my thoughts, and I don’t even have to use my voice. I’m teaching these same lessons to my son now, taking him camping and backpacking since he was three so he grows up with that same connection to nature I had.
During the week, I’m a structural analyst in the aerospace industry—or as I like to tell people, I do physics homework problems for a living. Since 2019, I’ve also added rock climbing to the list of ways I enjoy the outdoors, from sport to multi-pitch trad climbing. Whether I’m on a mountain or teaching skills, I’m focused on building a community where everyone knows they’ve got a place in the natural world.