Jeremy Culpepper

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Phone: 618.695.2489 x104
Hometown: Jamestown, New York
Education: B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Studies from Bowling Green State University, Ohio

M.E.D. in Leisure studies from Bowling Green State University, Ohio

Jeremy’s passion and desire to work with youth from diverse cultures, backgrounds and abilities in both formal and informal educational settings, along with his belief in the positive intellectual, spiritual, and physical impacts of the resident and day camp experience on participants, has developed over his more than twenty-five years of resident and day camp participation and employment. In his youth, Jeremy began attending YMCA Camp Onyahsa at age 5, and continued to attend as a camper through age fifteen. At age fifteen, he took on the role of a Junior Staff member, and progressed his way through the rankings each summer until he was promoted to Program Director, a position he held for 5 years. Following his many years at residential summer camp, he ran a YMCA Day Camp program for two summers. His camp passion followed him through graduate school, as his research examined the impacts of the summer camp experience. Recently, he returned to YMCA Camp Onayhsa for a summer as the Associate Camp Director. In addition to experiencing the practical side of the resident and day camp experience, Jeremy is familiar with the major components of recreation administration from a theoretical perspective, as he has had the honor of taking coursework at the PhD level, and also lecturing on a variety of courses in parks, recreation, and tourism management at Clemson University. Jeremy lives on site with his wife Rachael, their three-year old son, Holden, and their dog, Terrace.

Brian Croft 

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Phone: 618.695.2489 x129
Hometown: Teutopolis, Illinois
Education:

B.S. in Outdoor Recreation from Southern Illinois University –  Carbondale  

M.S. in Education in Recreation Resource Administration from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale                

Brian grew up in and around camps and the outdoors as an avid summer camper.  After working as a counselor at Boy Scout Camp and at a camp for  children with disabilities, Brian became an Outdoor Programmer for Southern Illinois University's Touch of Nature Environmental Center.  Working specifically with the Underway Adventures Program, Brian performed many administrative duties and oversaw several adventure activities, including rock climbing, ropes courses, and camping expeditions.  He got the call in 2011 for his dream job and became the new Program Director at Camp Ondessonk, overseeing summer activity areas, all Camp Ondessonk specialty programs, and the Ondessonk Outdoor Education Program during the school year.  Brian is also responsible for hiring, training, and mentoring the Seasonal Program Staff. When not booking school group visits or facilitating a challenge course program, Brian can be found hiking the beautiful trails of camp, playing guitar, or spending time with his wife Denise and their dogs Riley and Charity.