Summer Camp Staff

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Jake and Kerry Labovitz, Directors
Jake’s dream of owning and directing an overnight summer camp dates back to his early years as a child at overnight camp in New Hampshire.  Jake, a native of central Massachusetts, has a great love for the camp experience and strongly believes in the role of camp in the growth and development of children.  A graduate of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, Jake took the long road to Windsor Mountain when he graduated from Boston College Law School and became a lawyer.  He would not have had it any other way, as law school is where he met his wife, Kerry.  Kerry grew up in the Midwest, attended camp as a child and has always loved summer camp life. 

Jake and Kerry love working with children and have lots of experience doing so.  Together they have participated in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs, worked at Boys and Girls Clubs, ran an after-school program for middle school students, coached softball, served as mentors for students, and participated in a children’s literacy program.  In addition, they have been active in a successful minority charter school for lower income students in Roxbury.  After starting their own family, Jake and Kerry knew the time was right to follow their dream.  As parents of two young children, they are keenly aware of the enormous responsibility bestowed upon them by camp parents and take the safety, happiness and well-being of every camper very seriously.  Jake and Kerry are looking forward to sharing great camp experiences with the entire Windsor Mountain community.

Sarah Herman: Summer Camp Director
Sarah is a lifetime alumni of Windsor Mountain beginning as a camper, then as an LIT, Windsor Mountain Student Travel participant and leader, and ISC staff member. She received a degree in Spanish from the University of New Hampshire, spent semesters studying at Universities in Puerto Rico and in Chile, and then traveled extensively in Cuba, Bolivia and Peru. After completing her Masters degree in Elementary Education at Bank Street College, while teaching Bi-lingual Elementary and Spanish in New York City public schools, Sarah returned to Windsor Mountain full time.  After 8 wonderful years this will be her last summer as she gracefully passes the torch to Jake and Kerry, Windsor Mountain’s new owners. With support from a stellar team, she directed Windsor Mountain Student Travel and the International Summer Camp based in New Hampshire. (International Summer Camp '91-'97 Cuba Exchange '02-'03, Travel Program Manager '04, '05, Organizational Director '06, '07, ’08, ‘09.)

Danny English, Summer Camp Co- Director
2010 will be Danny’s fifth summer helping direct Windsor Mountain International Summer Camp and he is proud to help pass the torch to Jake and Kerry.  A veteran Windsor Mountain staff member, Danny came to us from England in 2001. Previous to being Co-Director, Danny has taken on the roles of Cabin Counselor, Sports Department Head, and Cabin Coordinator. Danny has always had an interest in sports and health and as a lover of the outdoors and challenges, you can often find Danny out long distance running, hiking, biking or kicking a soccer ball around the sports field.  When not sporting, Danny spends his free time travelling and in the last five years has explored North America, Central America, Asia, Australia and much of Europe.

Ron Furst, former owner and director of Camp Hawthorne
Ron Furst comes to us as the former director and owner of Camp Hawthorne in Maine, a non-competitive camp with a very creative atmosphere and a relaxed family environment.  Ron has over 35 years of camping and trip leadership experience, a master's degree from Boston University in psychological counseling and is a graduate of the Outward Bound School's Instructors Program.  Ron is married to Diane Taylor Furst, a teacher and children's librarian. They have two children, Asa and Peter.  Ron has a deep love for children and the life-changing experience that is summer camp.  We are thrilled to welcome Ron and his family and many of the Camp Hawthorne campers and staff to Windsor Mountain this summer. 

Deidre Tobey: Summer Camp Administrator
B.A. Psychology, Keene State College, Specialization in Personality and Social Psychology, Minor in Management.
Although her name is Deidre, some people call her Dreidee, Didere or even Dre. She answers to anything close to her name, and if you want to keep it simple you can just call her D. 2010 marks Deidre's 6th summer with Windsor Mountain. Deidre enjoys swimming, running, country music, traveling, people watching and just about anything chocolate. She has a soft spot for stray animals, and Sysco, her cat, is sure to be seen wandering through camp during the summer months. If you can't find Deidre in the office this summer she's probably swimming the triangle to prepare for her fourth relay triathlon in the fall. Deidre is eager for the summer to begin and to meet all the amazing staff and campers who will make Windsor Mountain's 50th season one to remember! Here's to a fun summer!

Renee Blinn, Marketing Director
Renee first came to Windsor Mountain in 1975, and worked in various capacities year round as gopher, camp counselor, dance teacher, office staff and head chef.  She then spent several years traveling with her husband and two children with the State Department, working in Mali, Turkey and Toronto, before returning to New Hampshire, where she worked as Administrative Director at Andy’s Summer Playhouse, a youth-based summer theatre, and at the Moving Company Dance Center, as dance instructor, choreographer and production manager.  Renee learned graphic design while serving as Artistic Director of Northern Lights Dance Theatre, and, now retired from dance, she has brought her graphic design and office management skills back to Windsor Mountain.

Pam Butler, Financial Manager
A graduate of the Thomas Secretarial School, Pam came to Windsor Mountain in 1978. The mother of three daughters and the grandmother of Ayden, Pam does an excellent job balancing family life and the Windsor Mountain budget. She oversees the student enrollment process among many other things.

Bob Cleland, Maintenance Director
Bob keeps camp in one piece.  If something is broken he is your go-to person.  Over the years he has left his mark on camp.  Recently he built the beautiful post and beam camp store (built in 2007) from wood he harvested and milled straight from the Windsor Mountain campus. 2010 campers will enjoy a brand new Cabin 6, built in the same fashion! When Bob's not at camp he enjoys hiking – we can’t count the number of peaks he summitted this past winter!

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Below are bios of some of our 2009 Summer Staff:

BEN OKIN  is absolutely thrilled to be returning to camp this summer for his second year as a counselor. He has just finished his sophomore year at Earlham College and is majoring in Psychology. Ben used to attend Windsor Mountain as a camper for several years before becoming and LIT, and he loved every day of it. He is super excited to return and keep running classes and teaching kids some of his unbelievable diabolo skills. He hopes you've all had a wonderful year and are ready for an incredible summer!

ERIN ALLEN  is a sophomore studying Animal Science at Cornell University.  Erin is very excited to be a first year counselor at Windsor Mountain International Camp with the rest of the Green Team.  After a hard year at school, she cannot wait to spend a summer in New Hampshire and is busy brain storming new fun ways to get covered in mud, play with animals and cook up lots of delicious food!

KATIE MARTIN (South Africa) is a young energetic and creative South African who is excited about spending the summer in America. Katie has a passion for water, sport, and the outdoors and loves to be creative in the kitchen and behind the sewing machine. When Katie is not in the pool or at the beach soaking up the sun she can be found with friends and family. Katie has just finished school in South Africa and is going to miss her dog, Benjie, but is excited to learn about the American culture and to meet new people. Katie is keen to spend the summer outdoors and become part of the Windsor Mountain team.

TRAVIS RUBURY After a year of traveling to photograph snowboarders, Travis Rubury is looking forward to spending the summer leading three day trips with the Tripping Department. During Travis’ last year of college, he worked on a year-long photographic project of snowboarding.  When he was not traveling around the United States looking for the shot, Travis was dreaming of warmer days when he could jump in his kayak and paddle down rivers. Now, about to graduate from Bard College, Travis is excited to spend the summer adventuring with campers around New England finding the best summing holes, amazing rock climbing, and maybe even taking the exploration into underground caving.

KATIE BROOKOFF just graduated from the University of Chicago, where she spent four years trying to make finger painting an approved major. She loves getting messy, going on crazy adventures, and playing dizzy bat. This is Katie's fifth summer at Windsor Mountain, and while she hopes to spend it getting to know camp's down-the-street-neighbor, 14th U.S. President, Franklin Pierce, she is most excited about doing art with campers.

CINDY HARTIGAN comes to Windsor Mountain from Chicago, IL where she is a professional Actor, Choreographer, and Fine Arts Instructor.  She received a BA in Musical Theatre from North Central College just west of Chicago and has been performing and teaching ever since!  This will be Cindy's second year at camp and she has been waiting to get back all year!  Here at camp Cindy is the head of the Performing Arts Department and she is eager to introduce both beginners and veterans to the exciting world of outdoor theatre!  She will additionally be taking on the job of the Dorm Living Unit Coordinator!  Phew!  It's going to be quite a summer!  Outside of camp, Cindy teaches at The School of Performing Arts in both Naperville and Plainfield, IL. www.schoolofperformingarts.com She has been teaching children everything from Tap Dance to Improvisation for close to eleven years and plans to pursue her MFA in Youth Theatre this coming spring.  Cindy is also an active member of the Epic Theatre Company which is based outside of Chicago and is proud to announce that the company recently branched into Epic, jr.--a new version of the original troupe that performs specifically for children. "This summer I am making it my personal goal to learn the name of every single camper at WMI and I challenge you do the same. Bring it on."

MADISON GRABOYES is returning from 4 months spent exploring Europe to her favorite place in the world this summer - camp!  A Philadelphian at heart, she studies politics and anthropology at New York University, where she is currently on a mission to walk every block in NYC and try one food from everywhere in the world.  In her free time, you can find her petting puppies, volunteering in her neighborhood, playing outside, and people watching in parks.  She loves the big city, but can't wait to return to the place she spent her favorite summers growing up and start a new adventure! 

HANNAH KAST By the time she arrives at camp, Hannah will be a college graduate! This spring Hannah will finish her time at The George Washington University and receive a degree in International Relations, with a concentration in development studies and dual minors in history and psychology. Yikes!! While she has thoroughly enjoyed being neighbors with the Obamas in Washington DC this year, Hannah is thrilled to be returning to New Hampshire for another summer of zip-lining, camp fires and hanging out on the deck! Born in raised in the Boston area, Hannah loves all things New England (especially the Red Sox), ice skating, traveling and being outside. After camp, she will be packing her things and moving to Burlington, VT, where she will be attending graduate school to become a teacher! (She really hopes the students there are as cool as the kids at Windsor Mountain!)

NICKY SINGH (India) has been hopping from place to place since she left camp last year..her first stop was New York..and she lived there like a New Yorker..she spent some time in New Jersey and after the reunion at camp left for India. She has been working out of Bangalore since then..but her work is such that she is usually on the train with her rucksack making her way to yet another wonderful camp where she works with kids..and the rest of the time she is with kids building rafts and climbing trees and doing many more fun activities. If not that then she is at home and working on her culinary skills. But all this while she has been missing camp and everyone here a lot and is so happy to spend yet another “Awesome “ summer  at Sweet Windsor Mountain.

SASHA LEVITSKAYA came to the States from Ukraine when she was eight years old and for the past eleven years, has been living the life! She is going into her junior year at Boston University, where is studying child psychology and Eastern religion. When not buying energy drinks by the pound during finals, Sasha loves to get lost in Boston, salsa-dancing, cooking up ridiculous meals (and eating them), and shooting some pool. Sasha’s never been to a sleep-away camp in her whole life, but she can’t wait to get down and dirty, and have what will quote possibly be, the most rocking summer of her life!

S - mall                       
T - alkative                  
E - nthusiastic             
L - aughing                 
L - oving                     
A - nimal loving                                                                                                                                                          
is a 20 year-old, crazy girl from Germany with big brown eyes and positive energy.  She’s studying “Literary, Cultural and Media Studies” in her second semester. Stella loves her 12-year old cat Gina, laughing and talking - just enjoying life. When she’s not studying or working at the local gas station, Stella loves to travel, to meet new people or just to have fun with friends. This will be her first summer in WMI (even her first trip to the U.S.) and she’s very excited to meet all the nice people who are involved in camp and to spend the summer with lots of fun and creativity in the Art Department.

DAN FLEMING (UK) - Back home Dan has just finished his final year at the University of Leeds studying Graphic & Communication Design and will be throwing his graduation bandana in air whilst at camp! Dan is extremely excited for his second summer in ’the bubble’ because he’s eager to teach some new (quirky) art classes and be reunited with the Cabins! Dan is also keen to play some cricket, table tennis and yet another epic game of Camper v. Counsellor Gatorball. 

KATE SCHEFFEY is a rugby playing, a capella singing student with the travel bug. She can often be seen talking to squirrels or saving worms stranded on the sidewalks of the Amherst College campus.  She can't cartwheel or whistle, but she never stops trying.  She loves sunshine and sneezing and she only paints her toenails bright green. 

TAYA WIN has been at camp his whole life and has been a counselor since 2001, bouncing between music, sports, waterfront, theatre, ropes, a few made up departments, cabins, tents and the Hawaiian Islands.  He graduated from Bard College with a degree in music and has spent the last year teaching skiing and being a lifeguard in Stowe, VT.  Taya has also been on a few adventures, traveling around most of his own country as well as some other people’s countries to see what they’re like.  He is a big fan of the four major American sports (baseball, American football, hockey and basketball) and his tetherball skills are only getting stronger.  He does a lot of reading, playing guitar and watching funny things on TV, and enjoys being as deep into the woods as possible.  By the time this summer is over Taya will have been at camp for about half the time that camp has been around.