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Staffing Summit - Recruit & Hire - Oct. 28, 2025

All Available Sessions

Tuesday, October 28

-10/28/2025

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Tuesday, October 28

10/28/2025 8:00 AM
All events will be in Eastern time.
Collaboration Hub 1

Networking -10/28/2025

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Collaboration Hub 1

10/28/2025 11:00 AM
Join the conversation! For Collaboration Hub #1 participants will have a choice of 10 hot topics in staffing to chat about in breakout rooms. This is a great opportunity to problem-solve, share resources, and collaborate with other professionals on staffing.
General Keynote Session: Dan Durbin

Lecture -10/28/2025

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General Keynote Session: Dan Durbin

10/28/2025 11:50 AM
Culture Happens Either Way What is the culture in your home, on your team, at your camp? Are you the number one driver of that culture? Is that culture attracting the staff, campers, and transformation that you dreamed of when you started this journey? Culture happens by default or by design. You choose, but it happens either way.

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Dan Durbin

For Dan Durbin, leadership isn’t just a skill—it’s a calling. As the founder of Durbin Leadership, Dan helps organizations develop leaders who are fully engaged, mission-focused, and ready to grow. His mantra, “Mission First, People Always,” reflects lessons learned from 11 years as a U.S. Army officer—including a 16-month deployment in Iraq.

Dan has led teams in military, corporate, and nonprofit settings, including serving as COO of a multi-state nonprofit organization. Today, he partners with leaders across industries to help them navigate challenges, inspire their teams, and create healthy cultures. 

When he’s not coaching leaders, you’ll find Dan hiking, camping, or running marathons with his wife CB and their three children. He believes leadership starts at home and loves helping others create spaces where people can flourish. Learn more about Dan Durbin at Dan Durbin Leadership.

A Good Staffing Strategy Starts with Balance

Lecture -10/28/2025

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A Good Staffing Strategy Starts with Balance

10/28/2025 1:10 PM
The staffing landscape is shifting, and many camps are starting to reevaluate how they build teams that reflect their mission, values, and camper community. International staff bring energy, global perspective, and cultural richness to camp life. But to create long-term continuity and grow future leaders, it’s just as important to invest in returning and domestic staff. The key is finding the right mix, with clear goals that guide your recruitment strategy. In this session, CampHire co-founders Esther Eisenhard and Aaron Lyon will share lessons from their work with camps across the country. You’ll learn about trends in hiring, data and cost analysis around domestic and international hires, and practical steps for rebalancing your staff over time. The session will cover how to set internal targets, how to strengthen your domestic recruitment efforts, and how to build a pathway for campers to convert to counselors.

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Aaron Lyon 

Aaron is the co-founder of CampHire. Aaron has worked in HR and talent strategy his entire career at Fortune 500 companies before launching CampHire. Aaron met his wife at sleepaway camp and has worked as a unit leader, counselor, and basketball coach. Aaron has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from UMass Amherst.

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Esther Eisenhard

Esther is the co-founder of CampHire. After a career in education, Esther joined Google as a recruiter for Software Engineers. She attended Camp Yavneh in NH and spent four summers on staff as a counselor and unit leader. She also met her husband while both on staff together. Esther has a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University and a Master’s in Childhood Education.

Culture Starts Before the Contract: A Strategic Approach to Staff Hiring

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Culture Starts Before the Contract: A Strategic Approach to Staff Hiring

10/28/2025 1:10 PM
Your culture doesn’t start at orientation—it starts at recruitment. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how to align hiring practices with the staff experience you want to create. From crafting values-forward job descriptions to intentional onboarding touchpoints, you'll walk away with actionable strategies to hire with clarity, retain with purpose, and build a staff culture that sticks—before your new hires even step foot on camp.

Kelly Ireland

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Kelly is a nonprofit consultant and founder of Cloverphase Solutions, where she supports camps and youth-serving organizations with strategic operations, hiring systems, and team development. With over 15 years of experience in the field, she brings a grounded, collaborative approach to building mission-aligned culture from recruitment through retention. Kelly is known for turning big ideas into actionable plans and helping teams connect the dots between values, systems, and people. Her work is rooted in curiosity, coaching, and a deep belief in organizational clarity.

First Impressions and the Art of Building Trust: Hiring the Staff Your Camp Needs

Lecture -10/28/2025

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First Impressions and the Art of Building Trust: Hiring the Staff Your Camp Needs

10/28/2025 1:10 PM
Hiring a skilled summer staff starts with first impressions and quick trust-building. From the online job description to the application to the interview process, potential staff are judging us and our camps and deciding quickly whether they like and trust us. Come learn some simple ways to communicate integrity, demonstrate your camp’s values, and attract and hire the type of staff your camp needs.

Dr. Kelly Jones

Dr. Kelly Jones

Dr. Kelly Jones is a licensed clinical psychologist and Owner/Executive Director of Outpost Summer Camps in San Diego. Her primary roles include staff recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and evaluation. She is passionate about creating a positive organizational culture - from the very first pre-hire interaction - in order to benefit staff and camp families.

From Rookie to Role Model: Exploring the overnight camp staff experience of new vs returning

Lecture -10/28/2025

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From Rookie to Role Model: Exploring the overnight camp staff experience of new vs returning

10/28/2025 1:10 PM
Every summer, overnight camps welcome both eager first-time staff and seasoned returners—each bringing different strengths, needs, and expectations. Following summer 2025, Foundation for Jewish Camp’s annual Staff Satisfaction Insights survey gathered responses from over 3,000 seasonal staff across 90 overnight camps, covering topics such as training, supervision, appreciation, and camp’s personal impact. In this session, we will share findings on how new and returning camper-facing staff experienced camp differently this past summer. We will also highlight the differences between staff who indicated they would like to return and those who said they would not, examining these patterns separately for new and returning staff. Participants will reflect on how their own staffing experiences align—or differ—from the data and collaborate on turning large-scale trends into actionable retention strategies. Together, we will explore how to transform summer 2025’s rookies into summer 2026’s role models.

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Bethany Berger

Bethany is a Manager of Learning and Research at the Foundation for Jewish Camp, where she leads data collection and evaluation efforts to strengthen the field of Jewish camping across North America. She oversees national initiatives such as the Camp Census and Satisfaction Insight Surveys, transforming data into actionable insights for camps, partners, and funders. Bethany holds a BA in International Studies from American University and an MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. With a background in Jewish education, she is passionate about building inclusive, joyful communities and advancing the field through data-driven decision making.

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Henry Weltman

Henry is an Associate Program Manager at Foundation for Jewish Camp, where he focuses on supporting and strengthening the experiences of seasonal staff. As an alum of Perlman Camp, Henry discovered his passion for Jewish camp through his leadership as a Cornerstone Fellow, leading innovative Jewish programming, Shabbat services, and Israeli dance. He earned a BA in Marketing and Economics from the University of Vermont and spent a semester abroad as a Nachshon Fellow, studying in Jerusalem at the Rothberg International School. Henry is passionate about creating training, mentorship, and leadership opportunities that help seasonal staff thrive.

The Leadership Litmus Test: Interviewing for Camp’s Next Great Leaders

Lecture -10/28/2025

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The Leadership Litmus Test: Interviewing for Camp’s Next Great Leaders

10/28/2025 1:10 PM
Too often, interviews default to surface-level questions that miss what really matters; whether someone can truly lead at camp. And when the wrong person gets hired, it doesn’t just hurt the team, it impacts the entire camp experience. This session flips the script on traditional interviewing and equips managers with strategies to identify real leadership potential. From asking sharper questions to spotting red flags, participants will learn how to move beyond “nice” or “reliable” and uncover whether a candidate has the adaptability, courage, strengths and presence to thrive in the fast-paced, unpredictable world of camp.

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Colleen DelVecchio

Colleen is the Founder and Chief Maximizer at Maxady, where she helps individuals and organizations turn their strengths into serious superpowers. As a certified Gallup Clifton Strengths Coach, career strategist, and keynote speaker, she’s known for helping teams ditch burnout, build their superpowers, and lead with confidence. She’s also the co-host of Embrace the Squiggle, a top 10% podcast that uncovers the real stories behind women’s winding career paths—no filters, no fluff, just real talk and inspiration. With degrees in Psychology and Nonprofit Management, and a passion for making people feel seen and heard, Colleen brings heart, humor, and a whole lot of insight to every room she’s in.

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Ashleigh Beadle

As a seasoned Chief People Officer, Ashleigh has led organizations through transformative growth, particularly during high-stakes mergers and acquisitions. With deep expertise in aligning culture, talent strategy, and operational integration, she brings a steady hand, and a sense of humor, to moments of pivotal change. Known for partnering closely with executive teams, Ashleigh helps organizations navigate transitions with clarity, empathy, and precision. From scaling teams to building resilient systems, she delivers strategic vision grounded in real-world execution.

Be the Best Newbie: Top Tips for New Camp Directors

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Be the Best Newbie: Top Tips for New Camp Directors

10/28/2025 2:20 PM
Stepping into a new leadership role at a camp comes with excitement and challenges. The staff may be skeptical as you take the reins at a place they cherish. How do you earn their trust and lead effectively? Drawing on experiences as “the new guy” at multiple organizations, this session provides practical strategies for navigating your first year. We'll explore how to connect with key people, understand the camp's culture, and implement positive change.

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Matt Wilfrid

Matt is a passionate advocate for the power of summer camp, driven by a career-long commitment to fostering growth, inclusivity, and impactful experiences for kids and camp professionals alike. With a diverse background in education and the camping industry, Matt brings a unique perspective to engaging staff and volunteers, creating innovative programming, and refining processes for success.

Food, Facilities, and Front Desk: Recruiting Staff Who Start With a Job and Stay for the Mission

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Food, Facilities, and Front Desk: Recruiting Staff Who Start With a Job and Stay for the Mission

10/28/2025 2:20 PM
For many camps, the hardest roles to fill aren’t counselors — they’re the cooks, property managers, and office staff who keep camp running every day. These hires are usually local, often come to us for a paycheck rather than a passion, and may not see themselves as “camp people” when they start. That’s okay. The challenge — and opportunity — is to recruit staff who have the potential to buy into camp’s mission, even if the job begins as transactional. This session explores how to find those candidates in local networks, write postings that attract reliable and values-aligned people, and interview in ways that uncover potential beyond the résumé. We’ll also cover simple practices during hiring and onboarding that help transform “just a job” into something stickier. Participants will leave with practical tools — job posting templates, interview rubrics, and first-week culture practices — to help build stability in these essential but often overlooked roles.

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Allison Krabill

At 27, Allison landed her first executive job running YMCA Camp Immokalee — a trial by fire she loved so much she came back for round two. In between, she worked with The Summer Camp Society, supporting directors across the country and trading stories about the joys (and chaos) of camp leadership. Now Associate VP of Overnight Camp Services, she’s focused on building staff culture, practicing unreasonable hospitality, and keeping camp the best place in the world to work.

Post Camp Reflections: Student Panel about Recruiting, Training, and Supervising US!

Panel Discussion -10/28/2025

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Post Camp Reflections: Student Panel about Recruiting, Training, and Supervising US!

10/28/2025 2:20 PM
Join this interactive panel discussion that will feature a group of college students who worked at day camps and summer residential camps this past summer. The panelists will share their summer 2025 experiences related to recruitment, training, and the supervision that they received at their respective camps.

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Julie Knapp

Julie Knapp, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Internship Coordinator at Indiana University-Bloomington. She teaches within parks and recreation-focused areas and, in her role as Internship Coordinator, has worked with a variety of summer camps on facilitating internship and practicum experiences for college students. Julie currently serves as a member of ACA’s Staff Recruitment and Retention Committee.

Panelist Names: TBA

Recruiting & Hiring Beyond the Stereotypes: Welcoming a Neurodivergent Applicant Pool

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Recruiting & Hiring Beyond the Stereotypes: Welcoming a Neurodivergent Applicant Pool

10/28/2025 2:20 PM
Today’s workforce talent pool includes an ever-rising number of applicants who identify openly as neurodivergent. How can we recruit, interview, and support these potential staff in ways that honor their strengths and address their needs, without falling into stereotypes or avoidance? This session will explore the unique contributions staff who are neurodiverse can bring to camp culture, where they may need targeted supports, and how to assess if your camp is truly ready to provide those. We’ll also discuss adjustments to the interview process that will set both applicants and camps up for success. You’ll leave with immediately implementable tools, reflective questions, and the confidence to expand your hiring lens in ways that supportively welcomes a - frankly - feared, and therefore remarkably under-valued, sector of the workforce.

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Emily Golinsky

Emily’s sessions are called “definitely not the same-old,” “fun and informative” and “not to be missed – a reason to come to the conference.” Following her retirement from a 15-year role as Executive Director at the therapeutically-based Camp Starfish (NH), Emily founded Bright Moose, LLC (www.brightmoosetraining.com), to provide training, coaching, consultation, and professional development to camps, schools, towns, and youth organizations, guided by the motto “Help Others Shine Bright!” Emily is Vice President for the NHCamps Association and active as an accreditation visitor, NCDW faculty member, and Board Stewardship Committee member for ACA, New England. She is an education advocate for youth with special needs, is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, and is honored to be the recipient of the Peter Kerns Award for the Advancement of Professional Development. She holds a BS (Health Psychology) and MS (Camp Administration & Leadership), and recently completed her Higher Education Teaching Certificate through Harvard. Fair warning: she is also a member of the National Sarcasm Society and an avid collector of terribly awesome puns.

Building Your Behavioral Health Team: A Who's Who Guide to Hiring and Professional Roles

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Building Your Behavioral Health Team: A Who's Who Guide to Hiring and Professional Roles

10/28/2025 3:30 PM
This session is designed to help camp professionals improve their understanding of the various mental health professionals who can support their campers, their families, and their staff. Participants will learn about five different mental health professionals (Licensed Practicing Counselor/Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychologists, Psychiatrists) and their scope and practice. Specific questions on the types of questions to ask during an interview and recruitment techniques will be taught. The impact of integrating mental health professionals within a camp environment begins with a practical understanding of their skills, techniques, and strategies for recruiting them to join your organization.

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Dr. James Rujimora

Dr. Rujimora is currently the Director of Behavioral Health and Wellness at Camp Boggy Creek, a camp for children with serious medical illnesses. James is also a licensed mental health counselor and holds a PhD in Education. Outside of camp, James loves to travel, play with his cats, and try new restaurants.

Fire, Rehire or Performance Manage?

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Fire, Rehire or Performance Manage?

10/28/2025 3:30 PM
What do you do when you’re unsure about a staff member on your team? When should you fire, rehire, or performance manage an employee? Is the person right for the role? As camp people we face these questions all the time. During a particularly tough re-hiring decision our team discovered a great tool that asks you 7 people questions to decide what you should do with an employee you’re worried about. I’ll share insights, stories and the process we used as we walk through each of the 7 questions and apply them to your own scenarios to ensure you are more confident about what to do next time.

Kelly Schuna's photo

Kelly Schuna

Kelly is the Executive Director and Co-owner of Hidden Pines Ranch Day Camp, located in Stillwater, MN. Kelly has a BA in Communication Disorders and MEd in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. She is passionate about creating intentional culture at camp, developing staff as future professionals (and amazing humans), learning, growing as a camp professional, meeting new camp people, driveway dance parties and a good stick on mustache.

Right Fit, Right Now: Mastering Camp Hiring

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Right Fit, Right Now: Mastering Camp Hiring

10/28/2025 3:30 PM
Great camps start with great people, but how do we find them? This session explores effective hiring practices that go beyond resumes and reference checks. Learn how to design a hiring process that identifies not just skill sets, but character, cultural fit, and potential. We’ll look at strategies for spotting teachability, evaluating buy-in, and recognizing leadership capacity, even in candidates who may not check every traditional box. Whether you’re hiring summer staff or year-round team members, this workshop will equip you with tools to build a values-aligned team that’s committed, coachable, and ready to grow. Come ready to rethink your approach to hiring, ask hard questions, and walk away with practical tools you can use to strengthen your team, one great hire at a time.

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Brad Halsey

With 20 years of diverse experience in camps and not-for-profits, Brad has worked with various organizations in three countries and three provinces impacting children, teens and young adults.  
Most recently, he has served as Director of Programming at a not-for-profit and camp in Alberta, Canada, where he has been instrumental in designing and implementing comprehensive training programs, establishing effective policies, and developing mentorship resources. His leadership has focused on cultivating a positive culture and fostering interpersonal growth, ensuring the professional development of staff and volunteers and the overall success of the organization. 

The Hidden Cost of Camp Careers: Stress, Retention, and the Future of Our Field

Lecture -10/28/2025

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The Hidden Cost of Camp Careers: Stress, Retention, and the Future of Our Field

10/28/2025 3:30 PM
Behind the laughter and lifelong memories, year-round camp professionals face long hours, high stress, and mounting pressures that threaten the sustainability of our field. A recent survey of more than 450 camp leaders revealed sobering insights: most experience significant emotional and physical strain, nearly a quarter are considering leaving their positions, and the net promoter score for recommending a camp career is negative. Yet, the same survey shows strong loyalty, deep meaning, and a passion for the mission that cannot be ignored.

David Phillips's photo

David Phillips

David is the Principal of Immersive1st, a firm specializing in fundraising, planning and visioning, governance, program creation, executive recruitment, and acute organizational analysis. A life-long communal professional with a trademark British sense of humor, his passion is doing important things with good people that make a difference. He holds an MSW in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on community organizing and development. He lives in Florida with Karen (whom he met at Camp). They have two adult children and a dog called Murray. David travels the country, causing 'good trouble,' and his not-so-secret passion is football (the real one!).

Your Month-by-Month Map to Staff Who Return

Lecture -10/28/2025

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Your Month-by-Month Map to Staff Who Return

10/28/2025 3:30 PM
Every staff member who returns is one less position you have to rehire from scratch. Yet most camps let that chance slip away. This session shows you a kinder, easier way: small, timely actions that build loyalty all year long. You’ll learn why the pain of staying the same—scrambling for new hires, losing culture, repeating first-week chaos—costs more than making a few intentional changes. We’ll walk through the 72-Hour Contract Window, the First-14 Days Checklist, and a 12-month retention calendar that works even when you’re exhausted.

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Travis Allison

Travis Allison: Camp Innovation Expert. Travis Allison simplifies technology for camp professionals. He reduces director overwhelm. He improves parent communication. He automates time-sucking administrative tasks.His SCAN method ensures staff engage with camp communications. Travis co-founded GoCamp.Pro. He co-wrote the Camper Recruitment & Retention Playbook. He produces 9 podcasts for Camp Pros. Their insights reach professionals in 100+ countries.

Ask an Attorney: Employment Law Questions Answered

Micro-session -10/28/2025

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Ask an Attorney: Employment Law Questions Answered

10/28/2025 4:30 PM
With many camps employing well over 100 people each summer, camp professionals have numerous employment law questions throughout the year. (1) What are best practices for employment agreements? (2) Which questions should we ask on our job applications? Perhaps more importantly, which questions should we avoid? (3) How do we lawfully run criminal background checks? (4) How do we approach reasonable accommodations? (5) What are the key employment laws that govern our relationship with staff? This session provides an open forum to discuss these and other employment law questions with Isaac Mamaysky, the founder/director of a large overnight camp and partner in Potomac Law Group, which has a practice team dedicated to the camp industry.

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Wendy Fischman, Potomac Law Group 

Over the course of her nearly thirty years practicing law, Wendy Fischman has built a successful practice advising corporate, non-profit, and higher education employers on all aspects of the employment relationship.  Wendy has extensive experience developing, implementing, and monitoring internal employment policies and procedures and representing clients before federal and state agencies.  Clients routinely seek Wendy’s advice on negotiating and drafting executive employment agreements; maintaining a diverse workforce; avoiding and mitigating complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage and hour compliance; performance management; terminations; reductions in force; and severance agreements.  To minimize the risk of employment issues before they arise, Wendy designs compliance programs and conducts “train-the-trainer,” workforce, and management-level  training programs.

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Brooke Rotstein, Potomac Law Group 

Brooke Rotstein is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group, specializing in commercial and insurance coverage litigation. She has extensive experience in the storage, transportation, and warehousing industries in addition to the camp and youth program sector.

Attract, Recruit, and Retain International Staff

Micro-session -10/28/2025

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Attract, Recruit, and Retain International Staff

10/28/2025 4:30 PM
Are you looking to step up your camp’s international staff recruitment game? Learn from former participants turned camp directors that now work with hundreds of camps each year on how best to Attract, Recruit, and Retain International Staff. In this session you’ll find out what attracts international applicants to camps based on a survey from our 2025 placed applicants. Learn the tactics and tools to best approach potential international staff members during the recruitment process. Explore unique ways that camps are minimizing staff cancellations and engaging with hired staff members prior to arrival.

Connor Murray's photo

Connor Murray

Conor is an Account Representative for Camp America, specializing in summer camp recruitment and program design. He is a current nominee for the McCarry Leadership Award, which recognizes emerging leaders in the U.S. exchange community. His passion for camping began as a camp counselor and director at Camp Stewart for Boys and Camp RIO in South Texas, where he not only developed a strong understanding of what makes a successful camp program but also built the overnight program from the ground up. He is dedicated to helping camps find the right staff, both international and domestic, and regularly shares his knowledge through virtual webinars on key topics such as camp fair preparation, visa guidance, and staff retention. Conor has also presented at ACA in-person and virtual events as well as smaller events such as Campference in Texas. 

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Kylie Baker

Kylie Baker began her camp career as a Camp America participant and spent the next 12 years directing an all-boys private camp in North Carolina, including a focus on recruiting around 100 international staff each off-season. She brings a wealth of expertise in cultural exchange, recruitment, and camp management, with a particular passion for helping camps build successful, inclusive teams by intentionally integrating international staff. Kylie holds a degree in Education and is currently pursuing an MBA with a concentration in recruitment and HR. She has shared her knowledge at North Carolina Youth Camp Association events, EPIC events, private camp consulting, and more recently spearheaded virtual sessions for current and potential clients at Camp America focusing on how camps can best prepare for, recruit and retain their International staff.

Collaboration Hub 2

Networking -10/28/2025

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Collaboration Hub 2

10/28/2025 4:30 PM
Join the conversation! For Collaboration Hub #2 participants will have a choice of 10 hot topics in staffing to chat about in breakout rooms. This is a great opportunity to problem-solve, share resources, and collaborate with other professionals on staffing.