Meet the Sure Foot Team

Jonah McDonald, Founder & Lead Guide

Jonah McDonald grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned his love of the south, barbeque, and the blues. Upon graduating from college with a BA in history and religion, he decided to embark on a pilgrimage–hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. After six months and 2,172 miles on foot, Jonah completed the Trail and settled in Atlanta and became a Montessori middle and high school history teacher. He soon developed an integrated wilderness program at his school, teaching wilderness skills and leading day hikes and backpacking trips for teens. After five years of teaching, Jonah decided to set out on his own, starting Sure Foot Adventures. He now helps schools around Atlanta develop their own wilderness programs and leads trips with all ages.

Jonah is trained as a Wilderness First Responder and is certified in Wilderness First Aid and Professional CPR. Since the Appalachian Trail, he has gone on many adventures, including two multi-week trekking expeditions in the Alaskan Arctic, bicycling the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain, and hiking the Colorado Trail, the Bartram Trail, and the Benton MacKaye Trail.

Jonah is also a professional storyteller and is an active member of the Southern Order of Storytellers. He loves throwing boomerangs, reading, and bicycling. Together with his wife, Dana, he raises chickens in his backyard and exults in nature, exercise, and playing basketball.

Dana Goldman, Outreach Director & Lead Guide

Dana Goldman spent her youngest years camping with her family under California redwoods. Since then, Dana’s kept a foot outdoors and a foot in the city. She received her BA in Religious Studies and worked as a teacher and journalist for 6 years. Dana’s now a psychotherapist and works with folks of all ages.

Dana has extensive experience facilitating groups of adolescents and adults in various settings, including the outdoors, juvenile detention centers, neighborhood organizations, universities and schools, and nonprofits.

Nancy Smith, Logistics Assistant

Nancy Smith was born in St. Louis and grew up in the midwest, where she enjoyed camping with her family in Michigan and the Missouri Ozarks.  After moving to Atlanta, she had two children.  Nancy is a behind-the-scenes, administrative assistant-type person who has worked in non-profits, libraries, and social service agencies.  She enjoys shopping, volunteering, cat- and chicken-sitting, baking bread, reading, google-ing, traveling (especially to Asheville, San Francisco, Guatemala and Cumberland Island), and living in a co-housing community.  Nancy is looking forward to beginning her degree in Grandmothering this January.