Assistant Director: Sari Hirsch
Sari has more Chip
pewa years than anyone (This will be her 18th summer). She has a building named after her, she knows camp inside and out and has filled just about every possible role that there is to fill. Currently she is working for us on a year-round basis. She has been extremely valuable to us in and out of the off season.
Activity Director: Val Agnew
Val is back for summer number 12! Last summer she filled a new position for us (Activity Director), and did so with flying colors. She is key to providing a well-organized and smooth flowing daily activity program. This task can be very difficult and requires a special kind of individual- someone who can balance organization, staffing, and concentrated program observation. That person is Val!
Program Director: Samara Orkin
Samara is taking over this summer as Program Director. With 9 years experience under her belt, we have no doubt at all about the kind of job she will do for us this summer. She is a junior at Vanderbilt University and has what it takes to balance the calendar, organize evening programs, set up socials and coordinate intercamps. She is going to be fabulous!
Camp Psychologist: Julie Alitto
Julie brings a new kind of position to the table. Known affectionately as “Camp Good Friend,” Julie worked with both staff and campers to make sure that our Chippies were not just healthy physically, but also emotionally. She worked with homesick campers and kept an open line of communication with our camper parents. She is currently working as a clinical psychologist and we are VERY lucky to have her with us.
Waterfront Director: Lily Dicker
Lily is back for her TEN-YEAR! She will be returning as our waterfront director and we are very proud of her development as a waterfront staff member over the years. A couple years ago she took the helm of our most popular and complicated activity (Waterskiing). She has done a wonderful job in this capacity and we are looking forward to seeing her take her skills to the next level. She will be coming to camp as an American Red Cross Life Guard Instructor and will train our staff during pre camp. She has what it takes to do a great job and we know that she will!
Theater & Arts Director: Whitney Kreiter
Whitney is back for
number 11! You can tell you have a dedicated staff member when they return beyond their Ten-Year. She is a student at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is an extremely talented dancer and has spent much of her life on the stage. Along with Jessica Jaksich she has organized an annual Dance Show during our visiting weekend that has been second to none. She also co-directs our older camper plays, and does so beautifully. Her skill in this arena makes her perfect for this new and important role and we’re excited to see her carry it out!
C.I.T. Director: Emily Dindial
This position is one of the most important in camp. The C.I.T. Director is responsible for helping to groom our new counselors and future camp leaders. Emily has a special rapport with this particular group of C.I.T.S and we know she will do a great job. She is back for her 13th summer and we’re VERY excited to have her.
Colt Village Director: Ashley Ackerman
Ashley will be spending her 12th summer at camp as the Colt Village Director. She is no stranger to our admin staff as she recently filled the role of C.I.T. Director. Ashley is a great counselor and does fantastic with children. She is living in Florida and has just graduated from Miami of Ohio. She brings a lot to the table and we are thrilled to have her leading one of our villages.
Wrangler Village Director: Sarah Steinmann
Operations Manager: James Stapleton
People often don’t realize just what it takes to make camp run as smoothly as it does. The “behind the scenes” of Chippewa might be overwhelming to some. We are lucky to have a guy like James handling many of these operations. Travel, baggage, camp setup and take down, male staff management and flight coordination are just some of the many aspects of this job. He also finds the time to run a VERY popular fishing program! We’re thrilled to have him.
