To whom it may concern,

My name is Chris Stakich. I was the Bus+iness Development Director for Rustic Pathways from September 2001 – October 2006, a time when the company grew from $800,000 in annual revenue to $8.2 million in annual revenue. Rustic Pathways provides international community service, adventure touring, and language immersion programs for high school students. My job responsibilities were to open new markets, design new programs, and create all the marketing material for new programs. I was also the Costa Rica Country Director, responsible for hiring and training over 50 summer staff, responsible for 200 students in Costa Rica every week during the summer, and managing all year round operations in Costa Rica.

In my time working in Costa Rica, Walter Brenes was one of the best employees we ever had. Walter is very responsible, diligent, organized and he solves problems. Walter is the type of employee that every manager dreams of, very productive and effective, and someone that doesn’t need to be managed. I wish we could staff Walter for every program in Costa Rica as well as the other 85 worldwide programs.

When I initially investigated Bahia Ballena as a destination for students, Walter was the first local I met. I remember being comforted by his unlimited kindness, impressed with his English language skills, and generally confident in the area based on Walter. Throughout the week of setup, Walter continued to impress me. He took me around his village, introduced me to community leaders, suggested locations for students to eat and sleep, and generally helped design the program.

For the first year of operations in Bahia Ballena, we naturally asked Walter to be the community manager of the program. Throughout the summer Walter satisfied and exceeded goals we set for him. Walter made sure the students were always safe, the construction projects were scheduled, and supplies and materials were delivered on time.

Since leaving Rustic Pathways I founded an organization called Thinking Beyond Borders. As an entrepreneur, I can honestly say that I would love to have Walter work for me, or at the very least, find “Walters” in any area where I have operations. I highly recommend Walter Brenes for any position. He has the natural skills of leadership and management. Walter is organized, motivated, and someone who produces results. If you have any questions about this letter of recommendation please feel free to contact me at the e-mail and phone number listed below.

Kind Regards,

Chris Stakich
Co-Founder Thinking Beyond Borders
chris@thinkingbeyondborders.org
(502) 558-6340