Our HQ Staff

Motts Mueller

Owner + Director

While Motts became Broadreach’s owner in 2021, he’s been a part of the Broadreach family since the very beginning. Motts was a student on our very first trip – the “Umiak Voyage” around the British Virgin Islands in 1993. After working seasonally as a dive instructor, skipper and Caribbean director for several years, he joined the full-time team in 2002 as an international program coordinator. Over the years, he worked his way to director and most recently became the owner of Broadreach.

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Motts’ love of travel, sailing and scuba diving was instilled from a young age. From sailing camp at Lake Thun to family holidays in the Caribbean, Motts was raised in a family of sailors and world travelers who valued experience and exploration over material objects. He is excited for the opportunity to share these values with Broadreach students and families.

Motts has a B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy from Grinnell College and an MBA from NC State University. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his wife (also a former Broadreach student and staff member) and two kids. When he’s not busy running Broadreach, he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, gardening, cooking, and passing on his love of sailing and exploration to his children.

Claire Hughes

Caribbean Operations Manager

Claire hails from across the pond. It was her travels while attending the University of Glasgow in Scotland that ignited her passion for teaching, leading her to spend her summers at a camp for teens in the U.S. Following university, she traveled around the world (twice) and discovered her passion for scuba diving and the underwater world. Claire has been leading and directing Broadreach dive programs for more than 10 years and currently oversees the St. Martin-based Caribbean voyages. When she’s not diving, you can find Claire outdoors running, hiking, camping or exploring new places.

Carley Hill

Senior Enrollment Advisor

Carley is an avid traveler and mother of two passport-toting little boys. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English and Corporate Communications from Elon University, Carley became a travel agent for STA Travel for more than six years. She then put down roots in Raleigh and began her adventure with Broadreach in 2013. When she’s not traveling, Carley is outdoors with her family and her golden retriever, Bonnie. Recent family travels include Northern Ireland, Denmark, Quebec, France and Iceland, but her happy place remains  Sonoma, C.A. on a sunny September day.

Fran Jackson

Program Coordinator

Fran is a Broadreach Program Coordinator and oversees many of our diving and marine biology programs. She fell in love with the underwater world on family diving vacations and this passion took her to Indonesia to become a PADI Scuba Instructor and later earning her RYA Yachtmaster in Gibraltar. Fran first joined Broadreach in 2015 as a Caribbean Scuba Instructor and has been part of Broadreach ever since. When she’s not diving or sailing, Fran loves to travel, cook, garden, and go adventuring with her dog Bramble

Chelsey Thwaites

Program Coordinator

Chelsey is a Program Coordinator and oversees several of our diving, marine biology and veterinary trips. Born in New Jersey to British parents, Chelsey has lived in 3 countries with her family and another 3 in her professional career. After attending university in London, she traveled extensively and became a divemaster in 2016 in the Philippines. Following her passion for diving she moved to Hawaii to work as a divemaster and eventually accepted a job selling scuba diving holidays! When not traveling Chelsey can be found paddle boarding, hiking, cooking and exploring Raleigh as a new resident.

Katie O'Hara

Program Coordinator

Katie O. first started with Broadreach as a student in Fiji and became a certified Divemaster on our Divemaster Internship program the following summer.  From there, she went on to work as a Broadreach dive instructor in the Caribbean for a few summers. We’re excited to have her now as a part of the Broadreach HQ team as a program coordinator!

Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Kaite received her Bachelor of Science in marine biology and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Charleston. She is currently working on her Master’s in marine science. Previously, Katie ran the conservation department at a sea turtle hospital and ocean conservation center in Florida for five years where she focused on developing conservation initiatives to address human-caused threats to ocean ecosystems.

Outside of work, she loves to dive (especially to look for nudibranchs), tries to travel as much as she can, and loves hanging out with her dog, Hushpuppy, and cats- Barnacle and Squid.

Bethany Remington

Marketing + Communications Coordinator

As Marketing + Communications Coordinator, Bethany oversees Broadreach’s marketing efforts and is the face behind our social media accounts. Bethany became passionate about international education after a high school trip to Costa Rica awakened her love of experiencing new places and cultures.  After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill, Bethany worked as a teacher and study abroad coordinator in Spain for eight years. She returned to North Carolina in 2017 to complete a master’s degree at NC State with her husband and pup, Rosita, in tow. Her experience in a university study abroad office led her to Broadreach, where she is thrilled to continue promoting opportunities for students to explore the world and discover themselves. In her downtime, Bethany enjoys hiking, indoor cycling, traveling, and eating. She is also the momager for budding doggie influencer Rosita’s Instagram account.

Katie Payne

Enrollment Support

Katie is our Enrollment Support Coordinator and helps our students get prepared for their summer excursions! After studying Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University, she returned to her hometown of Raleigh and worked at a local coffee roastery for a few years. Katie has always loved to travel and is a former Broadreach student herself. She decided to transition her career path to help students with their international trips! When Katie is not in the office, you can find her working on all sorts of arts and crafts, cooking, or doing yoga with friends.

Liz Houde

Hiring Coordinator

Liz is originally from New Jersey and moved to North Carolina in 2015 to lead a youth kayaking program. Liz has a degree in public relations from Rowan University and spent summers throughout college working at a YMCA summer camp. She specialized in teaching kayaking and canoeing and led environmental education programs for student groups with a focus on ecology, team building and outdoor recreation. More recently, her experience has been in data entry and recordkeeping and she is excited to connect students and staff to experiential education programs to explore the world around them. When she’s not at her desk, you can find Liz volunteering, geocaching, exploring the state parks of NC and testing out all the local ice cream places.

Patrick Brydon

Study Abroad Coordinator

Patrick is a Broadreach Study Abroad Coordinator and oversees many of our marine biology, biology and custom programs. Originally from New Jersey, after graduating from the University of Richmond with a business degree, he became a Certified Financial Planner. Inspired to explore more, he left his desk job and became a PADI scuba instructor and lived in Mexico, BVIs and Hawaii teaching educational programs and diving. Patrick has led many different Broadreach programs and loves a good knock-knock joke.

Nicole Silvernail

Accounting + Finance

As a Broadreach staff member AND Broadreach parent, Nicole brings a unique perspective to our office. Nicole oversees the accounting and financial aspects of Broadreach, ensuring HQ and our programs run smoothly. Nicole is the favorite of all the dogs in the office as she keeps a jar of treats on her desk. Nicole has over 30 years of technology, finance, software product/project management experience.  She has a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Pace University and an MBA from Meredith College. When she’s not making sure our vendors and staff get paid, Nicole can be found on a hiking trail, in a swimming pool, working in the garden or cooking and eating fabulous food.  Nicole is married to Brad; they have two daughters, Irene and Audrey and Wally, their rescued Great Pyrenees mix pup.

Ann Frances White

Gear Manager + Office Assistant Intern

Ann Frances is our Gear Manager & Office Assistant Intern here at Broadreach. She helps in organizing, packing, and processing gear for our Caribbean, World, and Partnership programs. Ann Frances is currently studying Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at NC State University here in Raleigh. GO PACK! While in high school Ann Frances got to experience a 12-day backpacking trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM as a Venture Scout. After hiking that summer, Ann Frances started to seek adventure through learning and exploration wherever she went. Some of her favorite places to travel are Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and Hawai’i just to name a few! When she’s not gathering gear, you’ll find Ann Frances cheering for the Pack, visiting family or friends, and more than likely hanging with her dog Josie!

Helen Abbott

Marketing and Office Assistant Intern

Helen is originally from Asheville, North Carolina, and is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She’s working towards a degree in Global Studies and has minors in Italian and Art History. Helen’s love of travel began during a high school summer exchange program in Sardinia, Italy, and inspired her to take a gap year after graduation. During this gap year, Helen traveled to 10 countries and was inspired to pursue a career in the travel and experiential education field. In her free time, Helen loves to spend time outdoors, cheer on Carolina basketball, craft, and plan future trips.

Carlton Goldthwaite

Founder

Carlton grew up with a passion for the outdoors, the ocean and adventure. At the age of 19, he became a PADI Master Diver Instructor and by 23, he had earned his U.S. Coast Guard Masters license. From a young age, Carlton knew he wanted to explore the world, and left a corporate job on Wall Street to pursue his passion. In 1993, Carlton founded Broadreach with a desire to educate students through travel and experiential learning, wanting to design courses that took students out of their comfort zones and into the world.

Although the day-to-day operations are now in the capable hands of our director and HQ team, Carlton still provides regular guidance and insight. Currently, Carlton lives in Durham with his wife Gina and daughters Peyton, Baylor and Phoebe.