|
|
 |
The California Native
In 1983, while climbing Ayer’s Rock in the Australian outback,
Lee Klein contemplated his life thus far. Lee, a native-born Californian
and an MBA, had spent two decades serving as a corporate manager
and college professor. Prior to that he traveled quite a bit, first
with the U.S. Navy, then roaming around the world on his own—an
adventure which included living in the temples of India and Nepal,
hitchhiking across the deserts of Iraq and Iran, and working passage
on a banana boat in the Persian Gulf.
As he ascended the sandstone monolith, he began to question the “American
Dream.” Was he really happy with his career? He decided that
if you are not having fun, then you are doing the wrong thing.
Money is not the real measure of success—enjoying what
you are doing is. And if at the same time you can bring enjoyment
to other people, then you are truly successful.
Shortly after returning home, Lee put the corporate and campus
worlds behind him and founded The California Native. That was back
in 1983, more than a quarter of a century ago, but we never lost
sight of the goals which Lee set at the beginning—to have
fun and bring enjoyment to our clients by providing excellent service
at reasonable prices. |
Meet the California Natives: |
 |
Lee Klein: Founder and President of The California Native.
Lee is an MBA who dropped out of a career as a corporate manager
and college professor for a life of travel and fun. |
 |
Laurie Kraft Pepitone: Our Operations Manager, Laurie, has been
keeping our trips running smoothly since 1993. She is also a certificated
travel consultant. |
 |
Dave Klein: (Lee’s son) Tour coordinator and musician,
when he's not working with our clients or improving our web site,
Dave performs throughout the world. |
 |
Lori Klein Del Rosario: (Lee's daughter) Lori has led California Native
trips for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology
and two Master's Degrees in the areas of education and recreation. |
 |
Ellen Klein: (Lee's wife) Ellen serves as an international
representative and scout for The California Native. Her background
includes teaching, theater, and business management. |
 |
Fred Grote: Fred, who has lived, taught and worked as
a business consultant in Latin America, holds a Master's Degree
in ESL and has led groups throughout the world. |
 |
Marcia Schultz: Marcia, who holds a Master's Degree in
ESOL, has traveled extensively through Latin America and loves
sharing her knowledge of the people, culture and history. |
 |
Wyatt Wells: Wyatt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in
Sociology, has traveled extensively through Latin America and Europe,
and co-owns and operates a permaculture landscaping company. |
 |
Robert Konicek: Robert holds a Master’s Degree in
Linguistics, has traveled extensively throughout the world, and
has taught at colleges in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Saudi Arabia,
and Korea. |
 |
Lynn Reinecke: Lynn, who holds a degree in Anthropology,
has been working with Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians and leading
California Native trips for more than 15 years. |
 |
Jessica Jerman: Jessica has worked with social, educational,
health and environmental organizations in the U.S. and Central
America. She holds a B.A. in Spanish and Sociology and has traveled
throughout Latin America. |
 |
Rob Aikins: Rob loves traveling in Mexico and gained many
great experiences while researching and updating guidebooks as
a writer for Fodor's Travel Publications, including several years
writing about the Copper Canyon and Northern Mexico. He holds a
B.A. in Political Science. |
 |
Bogart: Bogart is in charge of customer complaints. He
is very lonely because business in his department is almost nonexistent,
so he contents himself with eating bananas. |
 |
Lauren: (Bogart’s wife) Lauren is in charge of keeping
Bogart happy and making sure that his bananas are peeled (Bogart
is very fussy). |
|