Our Team

Elise enjoys all aspects of God’s ministry in the outdoors, but her passions include leadership development, nature exploration, wilderness trips and sustainable architectural design. This has grown out of a lifetime (almost!) of living and working at Presbyterian camps in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Michigan and Minnesota. One of her favorite quotes shared by a camper is: “I just like to hike in the woods to be near God.” Elise couldn’t agree more, affirming the power of outdoor ministry as a vital part of Christian education and faith formation for all ages.

She is a proud alumna of The College of Wooster and has a Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is part of the consultant team for Run River Enterprises and recently served as president of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA), an organization serving camps and conference centers across the United States and Canada. Along with her husband and 3 daughters, Elise likes to travel, be outside, read, visit museums and historical sites, create and try new things. Ask Elise how you can remember Johnsonburg in your will or volunteer at Jburg soon!

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Mandy Goff started at Johnsonburg in January 2020, and has been involved in summer camp programming as long as she can remember, beginning with her time as a camper, and then staff member at Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center in her home state of Illinois. She graduated from Huntington University in Indiana with a degree in Recreation Management.

Mandy has spent the past several years working at different summer camps around the U.S. and has also spent time as a wilderness guide where she took students rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and, backpacking around Utah and North Carolina.

Mandy’s three favorite things about working at Presbyterian camps (she has worked at 5) are the community of people who live and work at each site, mentoring and working alongside summer staff, and getting to share the Gospel with campers through the outdoor adventure.

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Kim is the upbeat, fun and helpful person answering the phone and helping you register for summer camp, retreats and other events! She loves people, laughing, sugar snap peas, her cats and of course her family- including a daughter- who is now an experienced Johnsonburg camper!

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Rhonda joined the team in January, 2016. Her ample experience in non-profit business is an asset to the operations of Johnsonburg. Rhonda likes organization, saving money and making connections for the business. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, her family and her pets.

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Debra loves to cook good food! Plain and simple- she cooks with love and you can taste it! She also likes to mentor young adults and teach them. When she isn’t making a difference in the hospitality at Johnsonburg, Debra is caring for her family (including enjoying a new grandson) or her historic home.

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Bill has been a part of the Johnsonburg story since the 1970s and returns to camp with that crew every spring. Now, he also cares for the facilities and property year-round too! He likes to make sure guests are welcome and the Jburg property is open – especially the trails. In his spare time, he enjoys his grandchildren and kids, live music, cycling and playing ice hockey.

Board

The Board is comprised of 7 seats, one from each of the 7 Presbyteries (local governing bodies of the PC(USA)) and 8 at-large seats. A term is for three years.

Johnsonburg Camp & Retreat Center
2020 Board of Trustees List