Board and Committees

Rev. John Whitley has a BA in Religious Studies from Florida State University, a Masters from Yale Divinity School, and a Th.D. in Old Testament from Harvard Divinity School. He serves as the pastor at Milford United Methodist Church, and also has backgrounds in Youth Ministry, teaching, publishing, and writing. As a teacher, John was awarded the Harvard University Certificate for Distinction in Teaching and, as a writer, was awarded the Regional Scholar Award by the Society of Biblical Literature. John has written scholarly articles on biblical interpretation for top journals in the field and has worked as an editor for the Harvard Theological Review and for the academic publisher Walter De Gruyter. John’s wife and three children are his greatest joy and he also enjoys reading, woodworking, and fly fishing.

Debbie learned about Wanakee after she became a member of the East Parish UMC in Salisbury MA. Her daughter, Courtney, attended Wanakee for several years, has been a volunteer and staff member. Debbie and her husband, Steve, have both volunteered as camp directors ("Build This" and "Games, Games, Games"). For 16 years, Debbie was a member of the Triton Regional School Committee. Currently, she runs a personal training studio in Salisbury, is on the East Parish Worship Committee, and is a volunteer foster "parent" for the Merrimac River Feline Rescue Society. Her spring/summer/fall "hobby" is vegetable gardening.

Mara has been involved at Wanakee as a camper, summer staffer for 7 seasons, and member of the Program Committee since 2016. Her favorite event of the year is the Wanakee Wilderness 5K and Homecoming BBQ. Mara currently works in admissions at the University of Vermont, and in her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and playing hockey.

Courtney was introduced to Wanakee at age 10 by her pastor’s son, and developed a quick, faithful bond to Wanakee which has remained strong throughout her 20+ years as a camper, volunteer, and staff member. Her roots began in the Salisbury, MA East Parish United Methodist Church. As a young adult, Courtney spent her college and graduate school summers working and volunteering at camp. Courtney is a pediatric speech-language pathologist working in the Triton Regional School District.

Nancy Hartmann has over 40 years as a youth development professional working in camp administration, non profit work youth organizations and private independent schools. Nancy was first introduced to camp through her parent’s leadership of their United Methodist Church Day Camp for 10 summers, and has subsequently worked in virtually every camp role, from counselor to multi-site camp administrator. To say that the joy of camp runs deep in Nancy’s veins is no exaggeration.

Nancy’s introduction to Wanakee came with the excitement of the Merrimacport UMC youth group’s love of their Wanakee summers and weekend retreats, and as an American Camp Association Standards Instructor while Wanakee worked toward ACA accreditation in the early 2010s.

Nancy holds a B.S. in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Missouri and a M.A. in Human Resource Development from American International College. She is currently the Chair of the American Camp Association National Standards Commission, and has served on the Boards of the Massachusetts Camp Association (President), Newburyport Choral Society, Merrimacport UMC Church Council Chair, Merrimacport UMC Youth Group Leader, and Chair of the New England ACA Standards Committee. In February 2023, Nancy was awarded the American Camp Association National Service Award. Nancy is currently employed as the Pike School Auxiliary Operations Manager in Andover, MA.

Amelia was first introduced to Wanakee at four years old when she attended You N’ Me with her mom and has been going back ever since! She worked on staff for 5 summers in a variety of roles and developed a strong passion for community building and faith development– two pillars of the Wanakee experience. This passion led her to earning her master’s in public administration from the University of Vermont and to her current position in operations at the American Camp Association New England. Amelia serves as the Chair of Wanakee’s Communications Committee, and represents the Board on that subcommittee. Wanakee has influenced Amelia’s entire life in so many positive ways, and joining the board is a way for her to give back to a community which has given so much to her while ensuring campers can enjoy our beautiful spiritual place in the hills for many years to come.

Kim (Larmouth) Macdonald first came to Wanakee as a camper in the 1990s, then as a volunteer and staff member in the early 2000s. She holds a BFA degree in Graphic Design and an MS in Advertising from Boston University. She is currently the Director of Communications at the Boston University School of Theology, the oldest Methodist seminary in North America, and previously worked in the financial industry as a vice president of creative services. She also serves as a lecturer of design at Boston University College of Communication. Kim is passionate about Wanakee's mission of radical acceptance, and is excited to dedicate her gifts and professional experience to Wanakee's community. In her free time, she enjoys painting, singing, exercising, historical documentaries, and spending time with her husband and two children.