Our People
Experience Camps are led by a dedicated team of professionals in camping, social work, finance, technology, and beyond. The key ingredient that is woven through our team is the passion each one has for summer camp and the life-altering experience it can provide.
Our Team | Board of Directors | Directors | Regional Ambassador Committees
Our Team
Sara Deren
Chief Executive Officer
sara@experiencecamps.org
Under Sara’s leadership, Experience Camps has conducted original research on the state of grief and launched a national network of programs and platforms for grieving kids and teens. She received her MBA from Columbia, and blends her background of 12 years in finance and business with her passion for the mission. In 2020, she received an award for “Best Entrepreneurial, Scaling” from Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards, and was named a “Patriots Difference Maker” by The Krafts Family and Patriots Foundation. Sara was named by Causeartist one of 32 nonprofit leaders who will impact the world in 2022 and was a 2023 mentor at the SXSW festival.
Brie Overton, FT, LPC, NCC
Chief Clinical Officer
brie@experiencecamps.org
Brie is a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri – St. Louis in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, where she educates and supervises master and doctoral level students on grief-specific issues in counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and specializes in anticipatory loss, grief and bereavement, life transitions, and working with underserved populations. She is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and has worked as a clinician and Clinical Director for Experience Camps since 2016.
Carly Basile
Chief Development Officer
carly@experiencecamps.org
After five years volunteering with Experience Camps as a counselor and champion fundraiser, Carly is joining our team full-time. Carly graduated from Mount Holyoke College with an undergraduate degree in Women and Gender Studies and obtained an M.Ed. from the University of Vermont. Carly has over 10 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and works particularly with major gifts and donor acquisition. She has spent most of her career in education working to support college access and students with learning challenges.
Kelly Elliott
Chief Strategy Officer
kelly.elliott@experiencecamps.org
Prior to joining Experience Camps, Kelly was the Director of Operations and Strategy at SeriousFun Children’s Network. During her 17-year tenure, Kelly was instrumental in the organization’s growth, facilitating the expansion to nine new locations and overseeing the successful implementation of their Network-wide strategic plan. Kelly holds a M.A. in Strategic Communications and Public Relations from Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Connecticut).
Michelle Cove
Director of Communications
michelle@experiencecamps.org
Michelle draws on her 25+ years as a professional media maker to create content that brings awareness to our work. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, and national bestselling author whose projects have been featured on numerous national platforms including “The Today Show,” The Washington Post, and The New York Times. From 2014 to 2020, Michelle was the founder and Executive Director of MEDIAGIRLS, a nonprofit that empowers young women to harness the power of media to uplift one another.
Jesse Moss
Director of Marketing
jesse@experiencecamps.org
Prior to this position at Experience Camps, Jesse was our National Program Manager. We quickly learned that her superpower is connecting people to our mission, and she now helps build external partnerships and creates media assets for us. She worked as a social-media marketer for Warner Bros. Television, an Associate Producer for E! Network, and Digital Communications Strategies for the National Endowment for the Humanities. She received her BA from the University of Florida and ran the NYC Marathon in 2021 and 2022 on our behalf.
Margo Karp
Sr. Manager Annual Giving and Events margo@experiencecamps.org
Margo manages annual giving strategy and special events that engage Experience Camps supporters outside of camp, including our signature Experience: NY event, crowdfunding campaigns, and so much more. She brought with her nearly a decade in advertising sales. Margo previously worked at Hearst at magazines such as Seventeen and Redbook, and Gallery Media Group. Margo graduated from Dickinson College with a degree in History and Education.
Ashley Laughlin
Director of Programs
ashley@experiencecamps.org
Ashley is joining Experience Camps full time after spending eight summers volunteering with the organization in multiple different roles. She helped open our Georgia and Maine locations, simultaneously overseeing these camps as the Program Director since 2018. Ashley has spent the past decade working in the private health insurance industry specializing in sales and management. She graduated with honors from the University of Florida where she received her BS in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management.
Gayle Brumley, MSW, CCLS
Camp Manager
gayle@experiencecamps.org
Gayle is an MSW, Certified Child Life Specialist and holds a Certificate of Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. She has over 10 years of professional experience in the non-profit camp sector with children and young adults with developmental disabilities and serious illnesses. Gayle also volunteered with a grief camp in Ireland for four years. When not working, she’s usually living slowly by reading outside, baking peach cobbler, and/or cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.
Liza Buck, LMSW
Senior National Camp Manager
liza@experiencecamps.org
Liza has been a teacher, CAD counselor, and has been involved with Experience Camps since 2014, beginning as a bunk counselor and most recently operating as the Program Director for Experience Camps in California. In addition to her teaching degrees, she earned her MSW at the University of Maine and is a licensed master social worker. Liza has a passion for kids and mission-driven work which is why Experience Camps feels like “home.”
Sydney Choi
Program Operations Manager
sydney@experiencecamps.org
Sydney earned her BA from the University of California, Davis and her MFA from Rutgers University, Newark. She has a background in education, writing, and administration with experience ranging from teaching to running poetry events. Sydney uses her editorial lens to streamline processes and organize information at Experience Camps. When she’s offline, you might find her volunteering at a local food bank, baking a cake, or walking aimlessly around Brooklyn.
Sydney Davidson
Major Gifts Officer
sydney.davidson@experiencamps.org
Sydney joins us from Denver, CO as our Major Gifts Officer. Throughout her four years in the nonprofit sector, she has created lasting relationships and fostered strong communities. Sydney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication and Management from the University of South Alabama, and is currently fueling her passion by pursuing a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego.
Thomas DiGuglielmo
Sr. Manager of Fundraising Operations
thomas@experiencecamps.org
Thomas applies his analytical skills and eye for detail to help our Development team be as efficient as possible. He worked as a Database Consultant for The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and most recently at The Carver Foundation of Norwalk as the Resource Development Manager. He graduated from Drew University in 2014 with a BA in Economics. Thomas has also completed a Nonprofit Management and Entrepreneurship course as well as Harvard’s Online Business Certificate program, HBX.
Ryan Jepsen
HR and Operations Manager
ryan@experiencecamps.org
Ryan joins our team with seven plus years of human resources management and administration experience. Ryan has always been passionate about helping people. Before finding Experience Camps, he did volunteer work with the visually impaired at Camp Abilities. Throughout his career, he has worked in various Employee Relations and Employee Engagement focused roles in the retail and gaming industries. Ryan is a proud graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a focus in Management.
Samira Moosavi, CCLS
Clinical Manager
samira@experiencecamps.org
Samira has dedicated over a decade to providing psychosocial support to children and families. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, she has supported families in the hospital setting, during natural disasters, and on global medical missions. After volunteering for years, she became staff at a local hospice in their Children’s Bereavement Program, running summer grief camps, peer-based support groups, and school programming.
Beth Ricciardi, LCSW, MSW
Clinical Manager
beth@experiencecamps.org
Beth is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, who earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from St. Louis University in 2014, and joined the Experience Camps family that same year as a Grief Specialist, stepping into the role as a Director in 2017 and 2018. She served as the Director of Operations for St. Louis Blues Alumni Association from 2015-2021. In 2015, Beth co-founded Coping 4 Life, a nonprofit that provides free mental-health services to people in her under-served rural Illinois community.
Shalice Sherald
Community Programs Manager
shalice@experiencecamps.org
Shalice is a nonprofit educator, with almost 10 years of experience working in creative education spaces that serve underserved communities. She holds a Masters in Creative & Innovative Education from Georgia State University, and a certified PMP (project Management professional). She has worked for nonprofits that specialize in SEL & STEM education, most notably the Girl Scouts, and believes in the power of community building.
CJ Tropp, MSW
Clinical Manager
cj.tropp@experiencecamps.org
CJ has nearly 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. He recently earned his MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work, where he discovered his passion for supporting grieving children and families. Prior to Experience Camps, CJ worked in a variety of programmatic and partnership-focused roles including the Food Network South Beach & New York City Wine & Food Festivals, and the hit Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.”
Lauren Fernandez
Social Media Associate
lauren@experiencecamps.org
Lauren joins our team with a lifetime of experience using social media plus three years of experience managing and creating content and strategy professionally. Before diving into the world of social media, Lauren was a public servant for the city of Chicago, where she worked tirelessly to support and advocate for her constituents. In her spare time, you’ll often find her baking her way through a cookbook or working on a New York Times crossword puzzle.
Jordan Rappoport
Camp Manager
jordan.rappoport@experiencecamps.org
Jordan joined us after volunteering as a counselor for our camp program in Georgia since 2017. She received her BS from the University of Florida in Public Relations with a minor in Event Management. Jordan is passionate about relationship building and watching memorable moments come to life. A lifelong camper, Jordan is excited to turn the “Best Week Ever” into the best job ever! When not working, you can find her singing with her guitar to Taylor Swift songs.
Joan Reilly
Development Associate
joan@experiencecamps.org
Joan works with the Development team to coordinate year-round planning and execution of Experience Camps’ fundraising logistics in addition to providing database support. Prior to joining Experience Camps, Joan held positions at several nonprofits. When Joan is not working you can usually find her outdoors, especially on the beach with her family and dogs.
Board of Directors
You’d be hard-pressed to find a group of people as passionate and dedicated to a cause as this one. They represent industries from technology to metals, interests from surfing to art, and all have experienced the magic of camp first-hand. Many of our board members have also experienced their own losses, either as children or parents, and can truly understand the importance of time spent at camp.
Vishal Amin
Blackstone Growth
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Bill Anderson
Anderson Holdings
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Brian Beach
Beachside Strategy, LLC
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Evan Bloomberg
UBS Financial Services
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Joe Brown
DearDoc
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Rehan Choudhry
Chptr
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Beanie Feldstein
Actress, Producer
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Michael Goldman
Attorney
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Serra Falk Goldman
20 Fund
Kristina Jones
Guardian Lane
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Brian Klein (Treasurer)
Rialto Capital Advisors
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Emily Krueger
Uncharted Philanthropy
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Alex Lieberman
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Mark MacDonald
Luxury Presence
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Ashley Pelzel (Vice Chair)
Bridgewater Associates
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Danny Sarch (Board Chair)
Leitner Sarch Consultants
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Eric Solomon
The Human OS
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Lisa Tortolani
20Fund
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Nicole Van Valen
Aetna, a CVS Health Company
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Lauren Zima
TV producer and entertainment reporter
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Legal Advisors to the Board
Darren Berger – Kane Kessler
Arthur Rosenberg – Kane Kessler (Secretary)
If you want to know more about joining our board, please contact us at info@experiencecamps.org
Directors
Our Clinical Directors are licensed, Master’s-level clinicians; they plan and execute all clinical aspects of camp including sharing circles, campfires, and integrating trauma-informed approaches into the camp program. Our Program Directors set the tone for the camp week, providing leadership and direction to staff, while infusing the program with our culture, positive energy, and ensuring a high standard of quality.
Clinical Directors
Allison Crooks, LMFT – California Girls Clinical Director
Rachel Hamovitch, LCSW – California Boys Clinical Director
Alicia Firman, LCSW – Georgia Boys Clinical Director
Andrea Cox, PhD, LPC – Georgia Girls Clinical Director
Molly Giorgio, PsyD – Maine Boys Clinical Director
Jenna Wolfson, LCSW – Maine Girls Clinical Director
Karen Banks, M.Ed., LPC – Maryland Girls Clinical Director
Jordan Chaplik, LCSW – Michigan Boys Clinical Director
Marissa Kusy-Leavitt, LCSW – Michigan Girls Clinical Director
Brendan Finnegan, MSW – Pennsylvania Boys Clinical Director
Stephanie Rohrig, PhD – Pennsylvania Girls Clinical Director
Program Directors
Caitlin Henry – California Girls Program Director
Michael Vasquez – California Boys Program Director
Betsy Kaplan – Michigan Girls Program Director
Rachel Heimler – Maine Girls Program Director
Lucas Johnston – Maine Boys Program Director
Rachel Shindler – Pennsylvania Girls Program Director
Andrew McGill – Maryland Boys Program Director
Carly Kaluzna – Michigan Boys Program Director
Ben Pickman – Pennsylvania Boys Program Director
Julia Ring – Maryland Girls Program Director
Michelle Swanson – Georgia Girls Program Director
Justin Weidenfeld– Georgia Boys Program Director