The most important consideration in choosing a camp is its safe environment and qualified staff. At O-AT-KA we understand this and have worked hard to build a strong leadership staff.
With decades of camp expertise, our leadership staff strives to provide a caring, supportive and safe environment for every camper. The boys at Camp O-AT-KA are supported and nurtured, as well as challenged and held to a high standard. Accomplishing both of these together is a skill we have refined over decades of guiding boys on their path to being men.
Camp O-AT-KA enjoys a healthy diversity in the backgrounds of our staff. There are many women working in camp in addition to men. And just like the boys that spend their summers here, our staff come from all over the nation, as well as foreign countries.
Read on to learn more about our leadership staff, and to hear what parents have to say about our boy's summer camp.
Executive Director -- Ron Hall
Ron Hall brings a broad range of educational and camping experience to his role with over 35 years of education administration and camp management experience. A camper in 1954, Ron became Executive Director in 1994. In 2000, Ron retired but did not stay away for long! He returned to camp as the Executive Director in 2006. In addition to his camp and school work, Ron has held numerous leadership positions with the Maine Youth Camp Association and the American Camp Association. He currently serves on the ACA-New England Board of Directors.
Service Master -- Bob Courtney
Bob Courtney, has spent 50 summers at O-AT-KA. He began his O-AT-KA career as a junior unit counselor, and has held positions including unit head, head of work crew, head of Commons and service master. Bob is a retired professor of mathematics at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas.
Charles Donovan - 2012 Co-summer Camp Director
Charles Donovan is entering his twelfth summer at O-AT-KA. He has been program director since 2006, and has also served as a cabin counselor, assistant unit head, and advisor to the junior unit. In 2012, he will be co-summer director. In the off season, Charles is a science teacher and head coach of the speech and debate team at Loyola Blakefield High School in Maryland.
Dick Gibson
Dick Gibson has been with O-AT-KA for twenty-five years. Dick has served as the waterfront director and senior unit head. A retired physical education teacher and coach, Dick and his wife, Chris, live in Tucson, Arizona.
Chris Kohl - 2012 Co-summer Camp Director
Chris Kohl has spent nine summers at O-AT-KA. In 2012, Chris will be co-summer director. In the 9 previous summers at O-AT-KA he has been Middle Unit Head, program director and Athletic Director. In the off season Chris is chair of the Wellness Department at Thornton Academy.
Dave Fox
Dave Fox, was sixteen when he came to camp in 1957 as a junior counselor-in-training. He stayed for seven years as a cabin counselor and boating instructor. He returned periodically during his career as an Episcopal priest and now serves as Junior Unit head. His wife Lynn, a retired teacher, oversees the stained glass studio and assists Dave with the Junior Unit.
Brian Peterson
Brian has been a staff member at O-AT-KA since 2003, following several years at another residential camp in his native California. Brian oversees the rifle program in addition to his duties as CIT Director. He teaches environmental education in Texas when he is not at camp.
Roy and Amy Heller
Roy and Amy are in their fourth and fifth summers at O-AT-KA, respectively. Amy is an Episcopal priest and chaplain at a K-12 school in Dallas, Texas, and Roy is a professor of Old Testament Studies at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas. Amy and Roy fill the roles of chaplain and program instructors. They come to camp with their two children, Noah and Annie.
Joy Pietropaulo – Camp Nurse
Joy became a part of our staff in 2011, bringing many years of camping experience to her position as Infirmary Staff Nurse. Joy grew up in summer camps with her father, being a summer camp director. She spent college summers as a camp counselor and later many summers as a camp nurse. She currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona where she works for the Flagstaff School District as an elementary school nurse and for the Flagstaff Medical Center as a RN Health Educator. She is a CPR/First Aid Instructor and is Wilderness First Aid Certified. She is the mother of 5 grown children all of whom have been involved in the camping experience. She is passionate about kids and camping! Camp Safety/Wellness are of upmost importance to her in providing 24/7 health coverage to Camp O-AT-KA.
Brian Rounds
Brian Rounds, artist and impressario extraordinaire, has been with O-AT-KA for five summers. Brian works with the Junior Unit, counseling campers and leading an array of evening programs, including the Junior Unit Olympics, visits from wizards, jesters, and even serving as a judge on O-AT-KA Idol. Brian is the Director of the Arts and oversees the Goff Center for the Arts, teaching pottery, arts and crafts, woodworking, and even cooking, and he has elevated the level of instruction and projects to unprecedented levels. During the "off-season," Brian works in Special Education in the Gray-New Gloucester, Maine schools. Brian is also Assistant Director of Dennen Week.
