Leadership - A Changing of the Guard
Current Executive Directors
Camp Nor'wester is preparing for its fourth leadership change since its establishment in 1935. Paul Henriksen and Christa Campbell took over the directorship in the fall of 1989. Both were staff members at Nor’wester. Paul was the camp's full time property manager since 1978 and Christa was camp nutritionist in the summers of '82 and '83. They met at camp, married in 1985, and have raised their two children within the camp community.
Incoming Leadership
After 22 years as directors Paul and Christa are stepping down. Following an extensive search and thorough vetting process the Board has selected Sheila Tallman to fill the position of Executive Director. She has extensive experience in camping, through a variety of settings, including a Master's Degree in Camp Administration. She joins the office in January, with her first order of business to hire an Assistant Director.
Paul and Christa will remain active through the start of the 2012 season, providing continuity and support to the new leadership team. 
Other Full Time Staff
Director's Assistant: Maia Yip coordinates all registrations and inquires as well as overseeing the Herculean task of getting all of us to and from Camp. Practically any question you might have can be answered by Maia. At the very least she can direct you to the person who can assist you. All paperwork leads to Maia! This is Maia's 6th year at camp.
Property Manager: Rick Winings is the year-round guardian of our Johns Island property. His summers are focused on day-to-day repairs that come up when 250-plus people are on the property. During the winter he works on long-term improvement and maintenance projects. We are all grateful for his positive “can-do” attitude. Rick has been taking care of the camp property for over 10 years.
Summer Staff
Paul and Christa work diligently to hire seasonal staff members with the experience and skills necessary to implement the Nor’wester philosophy. This means looking for individuals who are not only talented in specific department areas but who also understand the impact they will have on the campers with whom they spend the summer. Nor’wester’s summer staff of approximately 85 men and women, most of them college students and recent graduates, provide leadership to a maximum of 170 campers, with a supervision ratio of 1:3. Unit Staff, as “parents” for the unit, are responsible for planning and scheduling the daily activities of their campers, while Department Staff provide specialized instruction in their area of expertise. Medical personnel are available on a 24 hour basis. Background checks are conducted on all staff. At least three reference checks are conducted on new hires, in addition to an extensive application and interview process.
Board of Directors
In May of 1996 Camp Nor'wester was converted from a privately owned, for-profit corporation to a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit corporation. Since that time its mission and vision have been guided by its 15 member Board of Directors. Cumulatively they bring literally hundreds of years of Nor'wester experience to the table.
2011 Board
- President, Janet Charnley
- Vice-President, Chris Backus
- Treasurer, Jeff Pietsch
- Secretary, Suzy McQuaid
- Kim Berhow
- Deb Gore
- Bill Horder
- David Joneschild
- Suzy McQuaid
- Mike Montgomery
- Kirsten Morbeck
- Mike Poutiatine
- Lyle Summers
- George Swindells
- Robin Tatsuda
Directors Emeritus
- Donn Charnley
- Marty Holm
- Read Langenbach