“Each summer we come here, some things are always new.
Some things don’t change, come what may….”
Change is in the air!
It’s our 100th anniversary, and in addition to looking backward, we’re also looking forward, including to a season of change and transition for the leadership at Alleghany.
Some of these changes have already taken place and I just haven’t yet had the chance to include those changes in a blog until now.
Some of these changes are coming down the pike.The whole transition is very bittersweet as we love the staff who are stepping down, and we equally love the staff who are stepping up!
Each of these people deserves his or her own individual farewell or welcome blog, so be sure to look for those in the coming weeks or in the Fall. But for now, here’s an overview of our Administrative changes.
Facilities & Grounds
In January, Operations Manager Cooper Dawson stepped down to take a new job with Land’s End. We’re so grateful for his year of work on our Administrative Team. It might’ve been one of the most challenging seasons ever to be in that role due to the added challenges that Covid accommodations and staffing shortages forced. Cooper stepped up to the plate admirably! We wish him all the best in his new endeavors, and we’re glad we still get to see him on the weekends at camp, as he’s Office Manager Louise’s husband ☺and my brother and Bonnie and Sam’s son! So he will truly be gone but not forgotten!
Former Facilities Director Garrett O’Dell had stepped away to start his own contracting company, but didn’t step too far away, as Camp Alleghany contracted with him for maintenance services. After Cooper left, Garrett saw an opportunity to officially return to the team, now that his business is a well-oiled machine. Garrett has taken the title of Site Manager, and oversees all things maintenance, buildings, and grounds. He will oversee the Green Team in the summertime as well.
When Garrett returned to the team, we restructured these positions, and added a summertime role called Operations Coordinator, to oversee the Kitchen and Dining Hall staff and operations, as well as camp housekeeping. This role will be filled this summer by none other than Katie Webb Cyphert, long time camp alum and current camp mom (you may also remember her as the 2021 Head of Leaders-In-Training {LIT}!). Katie will also assist Garrett in supervising the Green Team. We’re so thankful to Katie for taking on this new role, and we can’t wait to work with her again.
We anticipate that the new structure of our Facilities and Grounds team will create many new efficiencies and simplified task management arrangements that will serve us all this summer and going forward!
Programming
Program Director Casey Tucker announced a couple of weeks ago that this will be his final summer at Alleghany as Program Director.
We’re deeply sad to lose him, but also so excited for him to pursue his dream of running his own camp in his own style with his own stamp and leadership. He’s going to do amazing things and we’re so proud of him! We’re also looking forward to staying connected and hoping to still work with Casey when possible.
Our big announcement for today is that we are excited to announce who is taking over for Casey as Program Director, and that is our very own Stephanie Astley!
Stephanie is a long time Alleghany alum, current camp mom, current support staff, and current Head of Family Camp. She also took on the role of Head of Senior Camp last summer during Second Term. You can say she has worn a lot of hats at Alleghany!
Stephanie is the perfect fit for this role and is excited to dive right in. This summer she’ll be at camp for the majority of the summer shadowing Casey and learning the ropes of the job. She’s also still the Head of Family Camp (for one more summer!) and has been planning an amazing 100th Anniversary Week of events, and has been instrumental in the planning of our 100th Anniversary Bash on August 13th at Family Camp.
Stephanie begins her new role on October 1. Welcome, Stephanie! (and yes… we will be looking for a new Head of Family Camp come Fall!).
Mini Camp
The time has come for our beloved Mini Camp Director, Beth Anne Clark-Thomas, a.k.a. “BA,” to pass the torch. This will be BA’s 20th season of Mini Camp, and 50th summer at Alleghany. It seems fitting that it’s also the 100th anniversary of camp, and her final summer as Mini Camp Director.
BA has made our Mini Camp program what it is! From 25 little girls back in 2003, to over 75 with a wait list now, and a loyal and dedicated staff, she has grown Mini Camp tremendously.
Our one-week Mini Camp remains one of the strongest programs we have at Alleghany, and is a crucial preparation and feeder program into our 3-week Term Camp sessions. BA has put in countless hours of work and creative effort into Mini Camp, and she will leave huge shoes to fill.
So who will fill those shoes? Announcing… Maggie Webb Meyer! Maggie is yet another long time camp alum and current camp mom who will be promoted from Mini Camp Counselor to Head of Mini Camp this Fall. This summer she will be an instrumental part of Mini Camp, shadowing BA and starting to take on more leadership in general. We’re thrilled to welcome Maggie to our team and excited for the next chapter of Mini Camp! (and yes, she is Katie Webb Cyphert’s sister! This is a family business after all, in more ways than one!)
Marketing
Lindsay Curren of Curren Media Group has been our Marketing Director for over 11 years now, and she will be departing to focus on her vintage fabric business and take some time for health and wellness pursuits.
Lindsay and I have worked together for so many years now, and while it’s been mostly behind the scenes and not many people know her, she’s been instrumental in making our website what it is, taking our blog to the next level, redesigning our graphic design look and feel, and driving our social media while marketing to both new and returning families, and much much much more. Over the years we’ve shared many interests and I’ll miss our talks! I hope you’ll get to meet her at the 100th Anniversary Bash!
Stepping into the role of Marketing Manager is alumna Cami Bresee! Cami has a marketing degree in Advertising and Marketing from the University of Miami, and spent last summer as our Leadership Program Coordinator. Cami will be stepping into the role of Marketing Manager this summer, and then this Fall will be taking on an additional role as well… see below!
Leadership Programming
This summer, we are thrilled to welcome back to the US Verity “V” McVey in our Leadership Program Coordinator role. This will be V’s 5th summer at Alleghany, though it would be more if we’d opened in 2020 or if she could have gotten into the States in 2021! She’s been a counselor, Unit Head, and Head Counselor, and is excited to challenge herself in the role of LPC for 2022. Welcome, V!
When we initially created this role, it was intended to be a summertime only position. However, after Cami left her job to take our on marketing department, she proposed the idea of a year-round Leadership Program Director role in addition to marketing, and we said yes! So this Fall, Cami will officially join us as Director of Marketing and Leadership Programs, and be on our year-round Admin Team. Welcome back, Cami!
This Summer
Many of these staff members will still be around this summer, and we’re excited about that. Maggie will be working closely alongside BA during Mini Camp. Stephanie and Cami will both be on support staff this summer, which provides them the opportunity to shadow and work closely with Casey and V to allow for a smooth transition this Fall. We’re so grateful to be able to have these positions filled, and also grateful to have one more summer with these staff members we love so dearly.
Again, each of these phenomenal individuals deserves their own unique farewell or welcome blog, so we hope in the meantime this scratches the surface and gives you a taste of how we’re ending our first century of Alleghany and starting the next….
Can’t wait to see you this summer!
— Elizabeth Shreckhise, Director, Camp Alleghany for Girls
