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Our Staff

Pathfinder boasts a large staff of young men, homegrown from camper age, with canoe country expertise and a dedication to individual attention. A specialized complement of expert young women join in, creating a 1:2 staff to camper ratio unique in camping.

 

The position of Pathfinder counselor is one of caretaker, role-model and instructor focused on the campers. Pathfinder staff provide guidance and continuity of tradition. They share core Pathfinder values -- fraternity, service, teamwork, heritage, respect for the natural world, and personal goal-setting, achievement, and reflection.

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Our counselors give their guys Pathfinder’s magic mix of challenges and encouragement. They reward each genuine camper effort and milestone. They possess that rarest ingredient - empathy – to blend with the excitement, skills and maturity carried forward from their own camper years.

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Staff & the Pathfinder Summer 2023

All Hail Our Amazing Pathfinder Staff!

The successful 2021 season, our 108th Pathfinder year, followed the only closed season in the camp’s history, a terribly sad necessity for our Staff as well as for so many of our camper families and alumni. For Pathfinder to have made a Covid-free comeback in 2021 says so much about that staff, who returned to Source Lake this past June from difficult and discouraging Covid isolations at home, but hit a collective home run for their kids.

Camp's return to action in 2021-2022 highlighted the staff qualities that make Pathfinder so special. Expertise, focus, hard work, dedication, empathy, patience, mutual good will, and a LOVE of FUN. All age groups of staff acted in the finest traditions of Pathfinder to make sure we had a healthy setting, a vibrant program, and the warmest sense of  'welcome home' for the campers. The Staff simply worked their tails off and gave everything with their whole hearts. The result was a camper experience including great trips, esprit de corps, healing routines and beloved traditions.

Looking to our upcoming 110th season, the Staff remain key to the Pathfinder experience. Already on the roster are the following staffers -- Glenn and Sladds return for their 22nd year of ownership, with Mary Chestnut in the front office, Paige Clark on program, Jack Sladden as assistant director, Andrew Beecher taking over the DOT role, Virginia Boyer running the waterfront, Chefs Gonzalo and Omar, camp medical directors Dr's Julia and Aaron Orkin, Indigenous educator Christine McRae, canoe maker Dave Statten, and CIT / LIT mentors Christian Kolaga, Nell  Bruckner, Simon McNamee and Simon Jeens. The veteran Headman ranks already include all stars from last summer. Ella Born and Erin Iserhoff return to the waterfront as veterans, along with Leigh Moeser! And, we can't wait to see Tiger Lion, Pete Johnson, Corot Reason, Gyro Coakley, Josh Anderson, Zach and Stephanie Arem, Aubrey Spring and more in their Alumni in Residence roles.

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The target numbers for our summer community are 100-110 campers, with 75 staff members including up to 12 CITs. Camp this year will again be using a range of measures to safeguard the community and prevent the arrival or spread of Covid-19. See these measures summarized in the Pathfinder Covid Plan.

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Once again, the Staff will lead the use of vaccination, pre-screening, testing and limited cohorting. If needed, cohorts can live, dine, bathe, trip and in-camp-play together in what public health defines as a household unit, without masking and distancing

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Our senior staff includes the directors, area supervisors and activity directors as usual. This management team will be its own cohort all summer, and will mask and distance as recommended so that their leadership between teams can’t accidentally allow any viral transmission. 

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The Pathfinder Staff will see the return of a successful new LIT program. The counselor in training (CIT) summer has become an age-17 year. CITs will graduate into Second Man privileges later in summer, after their training and certification, while age-16 boys will become LITs, tripping all the time and enjoying tandem paddling life together with their directors, focused on guide skills in preparations for a Staff career.

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Our age-18 crew are the veteran Second Men group, while eligible age-19+ trip staff are the Pathfinder Headmen. This includes the 2021 rookie Headman class, and a stellar slate of veteran Headmen A full schedule of training, certification this June includes the fourth biennial Pathfinder Spruce Root, a unique wilderness leadership conference bringing renowned experts in a constellation of fields right to our Staff at the Island.

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We’re all excited to be reuniting as the 110th Pathfinder Staff season kicks off in June. We can’t wait!

Directors Page

Owners & Directors

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GLENN ARTHURS

Owner

Youngstown, NY
St. Lawrence University

 

Glenn started as a camper at Pathfinder in 1960, serving as a staff member and

headman in the '70s, a parent through the '90s and 2000s, and a perennial volunteer supporter before joining with Sladds in ownership in 1999.

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Glenn is a Managing Director with the Arthurs Malof group at UBS Financial Services in Buffalo, NY. Glenn's sons Wyatt and Ryan were longtime Pathfinder campers and staff men, and his daughter Lindsay, a lifelong Northway camper / counselor also spent time on the Pathfinder staff.

Owner/Director

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MIKE SLADDEN

Rochester, NY
Connecticut College

 

'Sladds' started as a Pathfinder Cree, a

third generation camper and staff man in the 1970s and '80s. 

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Sladds' college studies led him to photographic history and graduate work at SUNY’s Visual Studies Workshop. He joined the education staff of the George Eastman Museum in 1986, becoming Curator of Education in 1989. Over the next decade he directed museum education programs, working as both a team member and manager on numerous exhibitions and public programs interpreting the history, art and technology of photography.

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Sons Jack and Quin are longtime campers, now staff men. Sladds spends six months in residence at Pathfinder and the winter months working from Rochester. He is Camp's full-time Director. He maintains a ropes course certification and WFR status, and is a Director of the Ontario Camps Association, and a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Camp Directors.

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Assistant Director, Operations

MARY CHESTNUT

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Williamsville, NY
College of Wooster

Teacher, Wellsville Schools (ret)

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Mary has been an invaluable part of the Pathfinder experience for four decades. Her dad Al was a staff man at Pathfinder where he met her mother Helen, the camp nurse, just after WWII. While Mary attended Oconto, her brothers also made their own mark on Camp over the years.

 

Mary came into the Pathfinder front office from a career as waterfront director and was the first female to hold a senior title. At camp today, she manages operations and finance.

Mary recently retired from a career in middle school math instruction in Wellsville, New York. Likely Mary's will be the cheerful voice on the phone during summers.

 

Ask her what any boy is doing at Camp that day, and she'll know!

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DAVE STATTEN

Canoe Builder

Bracebridge, ON

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JACK SLADDEN

Assistant Director

Rochester, NY​

Champlain College

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ANDREW BEECHER

Director of Canoe Tripping (DOT)

Buffalo, NY
Fordham University

Paige Clark.heic

PAIGE CLARK

Program Director

Rochester, NY
Skidmore College

Simon McNamee.heic

SIMON MCNAMEE

Director of Facilities/ Dir. of LITs

Ottawa, ON

Virginia Boyer.heic

VIRGINIA BOYER

Director of Waterfront

Louisville, KY

Colgate University

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AARON ORKIN, MD

Pathfinder Medical Director

Toronto, ON

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JULIA ORKIN, MD

Pathfinder Medical Director

Toronto, ON

In-Camp Leaders

Waterfront, Medical, Culinary & Alumni

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GYRO COAKLEY

Alumni in Residence Program

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Tiger Lion

Alumni in Residence Program

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AUBREY SPRING

Alumni in Residence Program

Pete Johnson.HEIC

PETE JOHNSON

Alumni in Residence Program

Corot Reason.HEIC

COROT REASON

Alumni in Residence Program

Virginia Boyer.heic

VIRGINIA BOYER

Swim Staff / Sailing Lead

& Raven Area Supervisor

Ella Born.heic

ELLA BORN

Swim Staff

& Loon Area Supervisor

Erin Iserhoff.heic

ERIN ISERHOFF

Swim Staff & Nursing Staff

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OMAR TERRAZAS

Chef, Baking/Pastry

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GONZALO PANTOJA PARADA

Head Chef

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Thania Flores

Chef

Liam Duggan.HEIC

Liam Duggan

Kitchen Assistant

Nikita.HEIC

Nakita Geary

Kitchen Assistant

in camp

Headmen

The title of Pathfinder Headman is hard-earned. A Headman has apprenticed for 3-years after his camper career and is fully qualified for the responsibility of leading canoe trips.

 

A Headman is the lead on trips ranging from 1-40 days. Navigation, strategy, food planning, medical care, camper-care, and morale are just some of the roles taken on by a Headman.

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PETER KOCH

Senior Headman

Sam Hamlett.heic

SAM HAMLETT

Senior Headman

Andrew Beecher.heic

ANDREW BEECHER

Senior Headman

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SIMON JEENS

Veteran Headman

Aidan McPhail.heic

AIDAN MCPHAIL

Veteran Headman

Ben Zief.heic

BEN ZIEF

Director of Canoeing 

Veteran Headman

Henry Clark.heic

HENRY CLARK

Veteran Headman

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ELY MILLER - WILSON

Veteran Headman

Aidan Walters.heic

AIDAN WALTERS

Rising Headman

& Director of Canoeing

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TATE PIERSON

Rising Headman

Simon Cousineau.heic

SIMON COUSINEAU

Rising Headman

Christian Kolaga.heic

CHRISTIAN KOLAGA

Rising Headman

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CJ LENAHAN

Rising Headman

Evan Popat.heic

EVAN POPAT

Rising Headman

James Herron.heic

JAMES HERRON

Rookie Headman

Benji Piafsky.heic

BENJI PIAFSKY

Rising Headman

Jacob Seifred.heic

JACOB SEIFRED

Rising Headman

Jamie Sills.heic

JAMIE SILLS

Rising Headman

James Fair.heic

JAMES FAIR

Rising Headman

Dan Bundgard.heic

DAN BUNDGARD

Rising Headman

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DECLAN EADY

Rising Headman

Graham Hall .heic

GRAHAM HALL KEOUGH

Rising Headman

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BEN MILLER WILSON

Rising Headman

headmen

Secondmen

The summer following CIT year our staff become Secondmen, when they take on duties such as finding and chopping wood on trip, assisting their Headmen, and taking care of campers.

 

Staff are Secondmen for 2 years - rookie and veteran - giving them time to learn and develop the skills necessary to become a Headman. This year, due to our lost 2020 summer, our Secondman class will combine this 2 year program into 1 year.

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PETER BROWNRIGG

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GIDEON DENT

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MAC FABENS

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ANDER GUSTAFSON

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DILLON HARKNESS

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SILAS WITMORE

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SAM ZIONTS

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JAKE MARTIN

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MAX CROCKER

2ndmen

CITs

This summer, our Counselor in Training group is made up of our 17 year old staff. They completed their AA camper year at age 15, which including a challenging  30-40 day whitewater AA canoe trip. This summer will include staff training and certification courses, as well as hands on learning in camp and on trip throughout the summer.

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ASHER MILBERG

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ALEX BEECHER

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WES PRICE

Henry Zief.JPG

HENRY ZIEF

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WILL DAHMEN

cits
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