Introducing Our Administrative Team

A lot of great staff members are necessary to make a camp run smoothly. Our last several newsletters have detailed the counselors, trip leaders, and support staff who have committed their summers to making camp great. We're proud to introduce the administrative team that will be there to support those staff members and ensure that each of our campers has a safe and meaningful summer of 2010.

CIT Director - Jeff McCormack:
Jeff returns to North Star for his 15th summer and his 6th as our CIT Director. In this role Jeff oversees our Counselors in Training and serves as a vital mentor to our youngest staff members. Jeff grew up across the lake from North Star as his grandparents owned a resort on Spider Lake, but didn't join us until he we needed a senior counselor in the middle of the summer. Jeff hasn't left since. During the off season, Jeff is a special education teacher in Denver, working with young adults. He's also known to play a bit of disc golf from time to time. Most importantly, he's the husband of Kim (our program assistant) and father of Lake.

Waterfront Director - Mandy Stanek
Mandy joins us for her tenth summer. She started out on our maintenance staff and we knew we found a gem when we saw what a great work ethic she has. Mandy is from Cadott, WI, just a few hours away from camp, however she has spent many of the last few off seasons living at camp. She's has a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology and has  worked at the Hayward schools the past few months and for several years has worked with children from newborns to three-years-old with speech and hearing deficiencies. Mandy loves the Northwoods, but is currently interviewing with schools in Colorado. In addition to ensuring that we have a safe and efficient waterfront, Mandy is a certified lifeguard trainer and trains our staff.

Trips Director - Caleb Klima
Caleb joins us for his second summer. He is currently at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is hoping to join the Peace Corps. Caleb volunteers as a youth mentor as well as for Habitat for Humanity. Hailing from Neenah, WI, Caleb loves running and cross country skiing. He is also an avid hunter and fisherman. Caleb joined us last year as a wilderness trip leader, taking out one of our Canadian trips. His work ethic will be a great asset to our trips program and to camp as a whole.


Village Director - Adam Heldman
When the summer of 2010 ended, we knew the odds of Adam returning weren't high. He is graduating in a few weeks from The Ohio State University with a business degree and we knew he'd need to find full time employment. Adam accepted a position with Accenture and was scheduled to start in the middle of the summer... but when he was contacted by the company requesting he push back his start date to August 30th, it was an easy decision for him. Adam hails from Cincinnati, OH, and will be spending his 13th summer at North Star and his 3rd as a Village Director. He is an avid fan of Cincinnati sports (particularly the Bengals), the Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as the Milwaukee Bucks.

Village Director - Jon Kohl
When Jon decided that law school was in his future, we figured that there would be a chance that he'd be back. Jon will be attending Washington University in the fall and will return to camp for his third summer as a Village Director and his 12th overall. Jon's enthusiastic attitude is infectious and he makes life on "The Ridge" exciting for all campers and staff. Hailing from Deerfield, IL, Jon is a big Cubs fan and having spent the last four years at the University of Michigan, he's also an avid supporter of Michigan Wolverine Athletics.

Village Director - Ben Mizel
Ben joins us for his tenth summer at camp and his first as a Village Director. He grew up in Scottsdale, AZ, attending Chapparal High School, and currently is a junior at the University of Chicago. At camp Ben has been a tremendous counselor and has helped oversee our athletics programs over the past two summers. He brings a thoughtful sense of humor and intelligence to all that he does at camp. Ben has worked with all ages as a staff member and has played a big role in planning many of our special programs.


Village Director - Dan Riemersma
Dan joins us for his third summer at camp, all three on staff. A recent graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, he hails from Willard, OH. He started out on staff during the summer of 2008 as a sailing instructor and also became a member of our climbing staff, serving as program head in 2009. Dan brings an upbeat, positive attitude to camp and great sense of humor. He has been accepted into the Masters of Student Development Program at the University of Iowa, and have also has been granted a Graduate Assistantship in Leadership Programs.