Meet our team!
Rob Whiteley, President and founder of WDO, is a retired US Army Sergeant Major and disabled veteran, serving 28 years in many diverse assignments. Rob is a graduate of US Army Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Pathfinder School, Basic Military Mountaineering, the Assault Climber Course, and many more. One of his most unique assignments was as the senior enlisted leader of the Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC), in Alaska.
There, he fell in love with rock, ice and alpine climbing, as well as alpine touring. He completed the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) Alpine Skills Course, Single Pitch Instructor Course and certification, Wilderness First Responder Course and American Avalanche Association's courses. Rob has climbed and toured extensively in Alaska, New Mexico, Washington, Texas, Arizona and of course, in many areas of Utah.
Following retirement from the Army, Rob and his wife moved to the SLC area. He then served as a federal law enforcement officer for an additional three and a half years. His continued love of all things rock, ice and alpine led Rob to decide to give back to the military and first responder community, founding Wasatch Defenders Outdoors.
In addition to numerous military and alpine courses, Rob holds a Bachelor of Science in Leadership, a graduate certificate in Emergency Management and a Masters of Science in Homeland Security. He and his wife Aracely live in Layton and enjoy all of the outdoor opportunities the beautiful state of Utah has to offer.
Vanessa Clark (Nessa), Vice President of WDO, was born and raised in Johannesburg South Africa until she immigrated in 1994. She enlisted in the U.S Army serving 6 years active duty as a 19 Delta - Combat Arms MOS and is a disabled veteran. During her time abroad, she worked on various contracts in the Private Sector for the U.S Department of Defense, and U.S Department of State. One of her most unique assignments was working at the U.S Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq serving on their Emergency Response Teams (ERT) as Personal Security Specialist (PSS), and a Deputy Detail Leader (DDL) for multiple locations. This included the training of all ERT members on Standard Operating Procedures for the Weapons of Mass Destruction and First Responder Programs.
Following her return to the U.S, Nessa worked for the U.S Department of Treasury under the Facilities Management Security Services (FMSS) Division, before transitioning to her current role in Federal Law Enforcement. Nessa currently resides in Salt Lake City Utah and is an avid outdoor enthusiast and supporter of mental health, growth and development, and networking with like-minded individuals. Recently she acquired a huge interest in sport and traditional climbing, along with hiking, mountain biking and anything outdoor related.
Nessa holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a Master of Science Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency management (MSHLS), and a Graduate Certificate in Emergency & Disaster Management. She has many certifications from F.L.E.T.C, AZPOST, and CALPOST relevant to a background in firearms, emergency response, instructing, and speaks several languages. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experiences of global travel and work with everyone she meets, especially in the beautiful outdoors that Utah provides.
William Burns (Bill), Treasurer of WDO, was born and raised in Utah. He is a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, working for agencies in Box Elder County, Utah and Uinta County, Wyoming for 16+ years prior to joining the Federal Reserve Bank Law Enforcement Unit in 2016. He is currently an Operations Sergeant and Senior Instructor for the Federal Reserve, specializing in firearms, tactics, and emergency medical response.
Bill is a state licensed Emergency Medical Technician, beginning his career in pre-hospital medical care back in 2002. During his time as an EMT, Bill helped organize and was the Chief of the Perry City, Utah First Responder Unit, and was a member of the Uinta County Fire Department from 2007 until retiring from full-time service in 2019. Bill has a passion for teaching and instruction. He has over 1,000+ hours of instructor experience throughout his law enforcement and medical careers.
He currently holds numerous national certifications from the National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association, Texas State University, Simunition, TCCC Prehospital Trauma Life Support, American Heart Association, and the American Safety & Health Institute. Bill and his wife, Elizabeth, currently reside in Magna with their 3 dogs, 6 chickens, and 11 rabbits.
Araceley Whiteley is the Secretary and co-founder of WDO. Originally from Los Angeles, she worked with several non-profits, including administration for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for many years.
As a child, Aracely always wanted to climb and ski. When she met Rob, he enabled her dreams to come true, and she started both skiing and climbing in 2017. She was able to push past that fear and developed and avid passion and love for both!
After to moving to Utah when Rob retired from the US Army, she fell in love with the area and being able to support the military and first responder communities
