Who We Are

Chris Gragtmans

Chris Gragtmans is a former professional kayak and standup paddleboard athlete. In his decades of competition and international travel, he has been fortunate to compete on both the US and Canadian National Teams in several paddlesports disciplines, run multiple 70+ foot waterfall first descents, partner with Fortune 500 sponsors, speak from the TED stage, and manage the Dagger Kayaks Pro Team. Chris’s life in the present tense is different but no less intense. He is a husband, father to three young daughters, a commercial real estate broker and investor by trade, and still loves to throw down in nearly every outdoor sport.

As Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Board Chair of Bright Shadow, Chris brings experience in human and financial capital stewardship and growth, passion for mental health adoption and acceptance, and a deep well of loss to Mother Nature.

Sommerville Johnston, LCMHC

Sommerville is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, wilderness guide, yoga instructor, founder of Aspen Roots Collective and Co-Founder of Bright Shadow. She has worked in the mental health field since 2010 and in the outdoors since 2000, incorporating curiosity, humor, deep compassion, and respect into her various roles.

In her role as Clinical Director of Bright Shadow, she is able to weave together the many tributaries of her life experiences, not only the professional but also her personal knowledge of loss, adventure, and soulful connection with nature. She acts as a guide into the depths of grief, equally into the accompanying expansions of heart and spirit.

Board of Directors

  • Micah Pulleyn

    (Vice Chair / Secretary)

    Micah is an artist, catalyst, mother, and community weaver devoted to creating spaces where truth, tenderness, and transformation can take root. With over 18 years of experience in experiential design, strategic partnerships, and large-scale event production, she brings both a systems lens and a sacred one—holding the tension between logistics and mystery with grace.

    As a founding board member of Bright Shadow, Micah helps steward offerings that reconnect us to the wisdom of the natural world, to one another, and the power of collective grief. Her work is guided by a fierce love for equity, belonging, and the beauty that unfolds when we allow both shadow and light to be seen.

  • Dr. Bob Swoap

    (Treasurer)

    Dr. Bob Swoap is a husband, father, nature-lover, and community builder. A professor of Psychology at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, he brings decades of experience in clinical, health, and sport psychology - with a focus on resilience, mindfulness, and healing in both individuals and communities. His work has explored the psychological impact of stress, exercise, and mindfulness-based practices, including with first responders and in group psychotherapy settings. Bob also serves as a sport psychologist for athletes and national teams, including the U.S. Table Tennis Team.

    Beyond academia, Bob is active with the ecstatic dance community and with the Center for Conscious Living & Dying, supporting end-of-life care grounded in meaning, service, and community. A passionate advocate for mental health and the transformative power of nature, he brings a blend of professional insight and heartfelt presence to his work. Bob earned his doctorate in clinical and health psychology from the University of Florida and completed post-doctoral training in behavioral medicine at Duke University.

Join Us

We are so fortunate to have a growing crew by our side… leaders, co-conspirators, dreamers, doers, outdoor enthusiasts, fundraisers, elders, mental health gurus, adventure athletes, experienced non-profit stewards, connectors, teachers, and those committed to tending their own bright shadows.

If you feel inspired to join this movement in a service leadership capacity, please REACH OUT. We look forward to hearing from you!