Andy Casler – General Manager
Andy became hooked on climbing in 2012 while he was working as a newspaper reporter in Ithaca, N.Y. He spent most nights after work at Cornell University’s rock gym and escaped to the Shawangunks and Adirondack Mountains nearly every weekend. During this time, Andy began teaching Cornell Outdoor Education’s most advanced rock climbing courses, instructing students on trad climbing at the Gunks and Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon.
In 2016 he moved near Rumney, N.H. to complete an MBA at Plymouth State University, where he graduated with honors. Andy climbed at Rumney Rocks and Cathedral Ledge every chance that he got — even establishing half-a-dozen first ascents in the White Mountains, and traveling to Yosemite for his second ascent of El Capitan (via the Salathé Wall, having climbed The Nose in 2015). When he wasn’t climbing or studying, Andy volunteered for the Rumney Climbers’ Association as treasurer and a board of directors member. Andy pushed into the grade 5.13 during this time in New Hampshire, completing routes such as Predator and Liquid Sky …and eventually made excuses for all the routes he couldn’t do. Some of his favorite excuses are, “I overfilled my chalkbag!” and “That route was too weird,” or “That route wasn’t weird enough!”
Andy moved from New Hampshire in early 2019 to pursue a career with Central Rock Gym. He is ecstatic to work as a general manager for CRG, to be a part of the gym’s vibrant climbing community, and to continue making illegitimate excuses for all routes that he just can’t seem to put away.
Jae Cho – Coaching Director & Route Setter
On a whim one afternoon, Jae decided to visit the climbing wall at his university’s rec center. And ever since that moment, climbing has consumed his life.
As Jae grew more and more impassioned with the sport, he became more involved with the local climbing community. He joined the rock-wall staff at his university to introduce others to the sport and volunteered his time to set new routes.
After graduating, Jae moved to Amherst, MA. When he wasn’t stuck in a greenhouse working as a research assistant at Amherst College, he spent the majority of his waking hours climbing at CRG Hadley.
All of that climbing time at CRG Hadley led Jae to start working at CRG Glastonbury. When he’s not working at the gym, you can find him climbing there and talking beta with all the other climbers!
Adam Constantilos – Comp. Team Head Coach
Adam is the Head Coach of our Competitive Youth Climbing Team and is also an Elementary Physical Education Teacher at Keeney Street Elementary in Manchester, CT.
Adam has been an avid climber for over 20 years. His favorite type of climbing is sport, but he also spends a large amount of time bouldering, and trad climbing outside.
He travels annually in the summer to climb with his wife Laurie, son Parker, and their two dogs Bella and Fenway. Adam and his wife have climbed all over North America in over 10 different states as well as in Canada. Coach Adam has grown the climbing team programs here at Central Rock Glastonbury significantly since he came on as head coach in 2014, and he is passionate about helping children of all ages achieve their goals by becoming strong, disciplined, and focused climbers.
Emmett DeRome – Youth Club Director
Emmett began climbing in 2017, after finishing a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology at the University of Rhode Island. He caught the bug for rock climbing after starting a job as a summer camp staff member at a climbing gym. Emmett excelled in the position, drawing from five summers of experience with the Camp Hazen YMCA, in Chester, CT. Emmett started at the YMCA camp as a cabin counselor and then moved up to become the camp’s outdoor pursuits director – a position that included supervising 13 staff members.
While spending time with the kids at the climbing gym, and learning different beta tips and tricks from his co-counselors that first summer, Emmett developed a lifelong love for climbing. He also found a strong passion for teaching kids how to rock climb and integrated himself into the Rhode Island climbing community, making many meaningful connections along the way.
Emmett was quickly promoted to supervisor and then program manager at the Rhode Island climbing gym, where he worked for several years.
In the summer of 2020, Emmett returned to his home state of Connecticut with his partner, Amanda, and joined the CRG Glastonbury team. Emmett is excited to continue teaching climbing to kids of all ages and abilities. His favorite type of climbing is bouldering, though he does force himself to sport climb on occasion! When he is not climbing, Emmett is likely spending some quality time with one of the many animals in his life.
Brent Quesenberry – Head Route Setter
Brent started route setting in the early 90s and as been route setting full-time since 2002. Formerly the Head Route Setter for Peak Experiences in Richmond, VA, Brent moved to Connecticut to join the CRG organization’s growing team in the Glastonbury location in August of 2013.
Brent’s experience is not limited to route setting, he was formerly the Head Coach, for Peak Experiences and the Head Coach for CRG Glastonbury until passing the reigns to current Head Coach Adam Constantilos. Currently, Brent is involved with a multitude of special projects for CRG. These projects range from designing and producing the volumes used in all of the CRG facilities and custom-building campus boards to wall additions. Setting has been Brent’s primary focus and passion for years and years, and he loves to use in construction background to help create interesting and fun things for the gyms.
When he isn’t doing those things, he tries to find time to share his vast experience with both youth and adult climbers, in private lessons — or he’s off riding is mountain bike!
Mitch Willsey – Retail Manager & Rec. Team Coach
Mitch began climbing during his senior year of high school, spending most of his afternoons learning the ropes at CRG Glastonbury. After his introduction to the sport in high school, Mitch continued climbing through college, frequently venturing to Rumney and Shagg Crag as a respite from his Chemistry studies at Bates. Mitch graduated from Bates in May 2020 with BS in Chemistry, and he completed a year-long honors thesis in the synthetic studies of Linderofruticoside A. His concentrations included math, physics, and globalization.
As an active member of his campus climbing community, Mitch worked hard to welcome new climbers to the sport and the outdoors by maintaining and setting the school’s bouldering wall, teaching climbing P.E. classes, and leading countless beginners on climbing trips throughout Maine and New Hampshire.
Mitch spends most of his time bouldering or sport climbing, but he is getting the hang of trad climbing, too! He especially enjoys using his emerging trad skills to seek out more ambitious adventures. Some of his recent exploits include topping out the Eaglet, Cannon Cliff, and the Grand Teton. When he is not at the crag or in the gym, Mitch can usually be found skiing, hiking, or playing with his dog.
