Our People

Staff

Our staff members are carefully chosen for their leadership skills, compassion, creativity and enthusiasm for working with children. The staff consists of teachers, college and high school students, including previous campers who have completed our two-year Counselor-in-Training program. Every staff member undergoes an extensive background check including a CORI/SORI check and appropriate reference checks. All camp staff attend a one-week training and orientation program. This training includes CPR, First Aid and AED certification; conflict resolution; leadership development and team building; behavior management; emergency procedures as well as program and character development.

Gretta Parker

Camp Nokomis

Director: Gretchen Seifert

Contact: gseifert@mvymca.org or 203-912-0574 (cell) 603-279-4918, (camp office, summer only)

Gretchen Seifert first came to Nokomis as a junior camper in 1982 and likes to joke that she has performed nearly every job at camp.  Prior to being named Camp Director in 2017, she held the position of staff development director.  In the past she has been a cabin counselor, unit leader, bookkeeper, and program director.  Gretta is trained in early childhood education and was a teacher in Stamford, Connecticut for 18 years.  Although she lives in Connecticut during the winter, for Gretta, camp has always been home. Camp helped her develop confidence and leadership skills.  It is the place where she made her dearest friends and her fondest memories.   As Director, she is excited to help campers cultivate their own confidence, friendships, and memories.

Camp Lawrence

Director:  Charlie Seifert

Contact: cseifert@mvymca.org or 978-975-1330

If you are looking for a true believer in the positive influence that camp has on a child’s life, Charlie is your guy. As director of Camp Lawrence, he believes every child deserves to have a camp experience.  Charlie grew up at Camp Lawrence and many of his first memories are at camp. He volunteered at our camps as a young child during work weekends with his family, anxious to be old enough to be a Camp Lawrence camper.  At age 8, his dream came true and he became a camper. He continued to attend Camp Lawrence through the 80s and 90s and went on to be a CIT and Cabin Counselor, teaching a wide variety of activities. Eventually he became the director of transportation for Camp Lawrence and Camp Nokomis. In 2010, Charlie left camp but continued to serve the organization as an alumnus and as the Manager at the Y Landing Marina. He returned to Camp Lawrence as director and he is happy to be back and excited for the summer!

Camp Otter

Director: Ryan MacRae

Contact: rmacrae@mvymca.org or 978-686-6190, 603-893-4911 (camp office, summer only)

As a child, Ryan spent her summers at her family’s beach house, but always wished she went to a summer camp. Now working at Camp Otter, she can’t imagine doing anything else. With her BA in psychology from Westfield State University and a love for fun and adventure, Ryan’s goal is to create memorable experiences for each and every camper. She loves making connections with the campers, families and staff that make up the Camp Otter family. In fact, during her years working at camp, mentoring campers has been her favorite part of the job. Ryan has worked at Camp Otter since 2017, having most recently served as Assistant Camp Director. She is a familiar face for many because she has also served as Sports and Teens Program Director at the Methuen YMCA. When she’s not working, you can most likely find her watching a movie or at the beach with her friends and family. For Ryan, there is no OTTER way to spend her summer days and she is looking forward to another great season with her Otter Fam!

Want to spend your summer working with us?

Visit our Employment Page for a list of job openings at our camps.