BOARD of DIRECTORS

Kevin Cox - President

Hartland, VT

Kevin attended State University of New York at Albany where he received his Bachelors in European History and Secondary Education. He also studied leadership at Fuller Seminary. Kevin and his wife Karen have been married for 23 years and have 5 children. They pioneered the ministry of Young Life in VT & NH after leaving a family hotel business. In addition to serving as Area Director during his tenure with Young Life, Kevin was the Chairman for the Property Committee at Saranac Village, Young Life's Adirondack Great CAmp and then was appointed Director of Development for the camps $1.9 million dollar campaign in 1999. After leaving Young Life, he was the founding Executive Director for Connecticut River Transit. Kevin's looking for his next gig (his work on the board doesn't put food on the table)... hire him!

Christine Chapman - Vice President

North Springfield, VT

Chris first got into camping in 1981 through Camp Blessing. In addition to working with teens and children's and special persons programs she trained directors for their camps around the country. Her Bachelors degree is in theology and she is a licensed youth pastor with the Franconia Mennonite Conference. When not in the board room Chris volunteers and works at camp. In addition to being a Camp Shepherd each summer, she has been our Lead Chef. And when not at camp Chris is a Para-Educator at the River Valley Technical Center working with 9th and 10th grade at-risk students.

Philip Lapp - Treasurer

South Royalton, VT

Phil is married to Denise Hershey and they have two children. Denise has been involved with Bethany Birches (BBC) since the early days, as a camper, cook and counselor. Annabel (their oldest) has attended BBC since 2007. Phil is a partner with Gallagher, Flynn & Co., LLP, the largest public accounting and consulting firm in Vermont. Phil is a graduate of Goshen College and also did post-baccalaureate studies at Portland State University. In addition to his work on the BBC Board he joins the boards of the Hanover, NH Chamber of Commerce and Delta Dental of VT. When not working, Phil spends time canoeing, kayaking and doing construction on and around their house.

Phil joins us on the board "to help a great long-standing organization continue to createa a place for kids to experience the fun and love of this world." He hopes campers will "have the experience at camp that helps shape their lives now and far into the future."

Naomi and son Sam

Naomi Moyer - Secretary

Plymouth, VT

Naomi is married to Steve Moyer and they have one son. Steve's parents Lloyd and Alice Moyer were the founders of Bethany Birches Camp. Naomi works as a nurse at Dartmouth Hitchcock in the Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Department. 1972 was the year Naomi first saw the camp. Living in Arizona at the time, she remembers going back from VT and having the panoramic view from camp etched in her mind. She loved the setting, the location and the style of camping, especially the focus on basics and relationships. She came back as a counselor in 1974 and again in 1982. When she's not in the board room or working the garden at camp, she is usually doing something outside, from hiking to cross-country skiing. She enjoys working with herbs, chickens, reading, knitting and sewing too.

Naomi believes that "children are the future" and she wants to "invest in them in a positive way."

Jeff Rosenberger

Souderton, PA

Scott Hepler

Plymouth, VT

Althea Derstine

Bridgewater Corners, VT

Althea has been active at camp for many years. She has been on the board for a couple different terms over the last thirty years. She has been the president of the Bethany Birches Camp Association and so the president of the Board. She has lead the kitchen and food committee, been a cook, camp nurse, gardener and is presently administering the Summer Food Service Program. She represents Bethany Mennonite Church on the board of directors and her present term of 9 years will finish in 2010.

Althea and her husband Larry have three grown children who were campers and two of them went on to be on summer staff. The legacy continues with her granddaughter coming to camp for the first time in 2009.

Althea and Larry are "retired" (working without pay). Althea is a registered nurse, recently specializing in cardiac care. Before that she was the financial manager for LARKEN, Inc. a construction company that her husband owned with a partner.

STAFF DIRECTORS

Brandon Bergey - Executive Director

Plymouth, VT

Tuna (as he's referred to at camp) grew up north of Philadelphia. He spent the beginning and ending years of his childhood there. In between he lived with his family in VA and IN while his dad finished school at EMU and Goshen and AMBS. When it was time for college, Tuna went back to VA to attend college at Eastern Mennonite University. After playing volleyball for EMU, serving as a Community Advisor, spending 3 months in the Middle East, becoming a certified ski instructor, singing in chamber choir and serving as a Senator in the Student Government Association, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Psychology and Business Administration. After that, he got the call to come to VT. He claims that "the way my faith has been deepened at camp couldn't have happened to this degree elsewhere before the age of 30." He enjoys the variety of experiences working at BBC. Among his favorite are playing group games with campers, website development, mentoring staff, fundraising, vision implementation and general development of what we're doing.

Amber Bergey - Program Director

Plymouth, VT

Cheeks (as she's called here) also grew up north of Philadelphia surrounded on all sides by her loving family (seriously, you should take a trip to Fretz Road. You'll find mostly Landis' - her maiden name). After attending Eastern University in Philadelphia and graduating summa cum laude with a BS in Biokinetics, she headed for VA Beach to pursue her love of athletic training. Taking her MSEd from Old Dominion University left her working in the athletic training field for a few years and summering at BBC as Program Director (PD). When BBC's desire to expand program required a year-round PD, Cheeks agreed to take the job. Now, in her free time she teaches (currently at Community College of VT), skis, bakes, runs, volunteers for Bethany Mennonite Church, and spends her fair share of time on Facebook. Of course she hangs out with her hubby Tuna and takes "every opportunity to play games of every kind with anyone who wants to play." Cheeks started working at camp because it was an opportunity to "play games and talk about God." She continues to enjoy that, seeing campers come back summer after summer and seeing God work in unique ways.