Adah Murray

Manitou’s Camper Specialist, Adah Murray, came to Manitou in 2009 as a fencing instructor while attending The College of William and Mary. After taking two summers off for graduate school, Adah served as Manitou’s Sophomore Unit Leader prior to her current role as Camper Specialist. She loves helping campers and parents navigate boys’ early experiences at camp, and believes that camp has a profound power to positively impact kids.

Adah earned her Master of Education and Doctoral degrees in School Psychology from Penn State University.

Adah brought her husband, Keith, to Manitou in 2014 as the head of the Culinary program and now Executive Chef at Manitou’s sister camp, Camp Somerset. They live in New Hampshire, where she works as a school psychologist with students grades K-12.

Corey Levy

This will be Corey’s 8th summer as Manitou’s Head Counselor. At both Manitou and during the off season Corey’s passion lies with working with college aged adults. After graduating from the University of Vermont, Corey received his Masters in Education and then his Doctoral Degree in Psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

Helping staff remain happy, healthy and safe is Corey’s primary focus at camp. He has loved witnessing younger staff mature into camp leaders and takes pride in helping a group of counselors from different backgrounds and cultures work together and learn to appreciate and value their differences. During the school year Corey is the Wellness Manager for Vail Resorts in Colorado, where he does similar work with Vail Resorts employees.

His wife and two young children accompany Corey to Manitou (where he and his wife were married).

The Nechtem name has been synonymous with Camp Manitou sine 1947 when Saul Nechtem and Henry Marcus started the camp. Todd has virtually grown up at the camp and now later in life has returned to his roots. After being a 2 sport athlete at the University of New Hampshire and holding multiple coaching jobs, he returns to Manitou as Director of Instructional Sports. A different and welcomed change from his prior job of being President of an international business! Lynne , along with Todd, began her Manitou tenure at Experience Camps in 2009 working in the infirmary. When Todd retired in 2019, they both joined the staff of Camp Manitou where Lynne assumed the role of Head Nurse. Her background includes multiple pediatric nursing positions in the public and private sector since 1976 (ouch)! When not at camp, she stays busy teaching American Heart CPR, working as a school nurse and being involved with the Manitou and Experience Camps Medical Teams.

Bob “Waldo” Waldstein

Bob “Waldo” Waldstein returns as Manitou’s Alumni Director and Liaison. A second-generation camper, he started attending Manitou in 1975 and has never really left. Previous camp positions include College League dean and Color War chief as well as Director of Evening Programs and Special Events. As Alumni Director, he makes connections throughout the Manitou Nation. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. He is also an executive search consultant, specializing in the healthcare sector.

Scott Perrin

Scott first came to Manitou in 1983 as a camper. Now Scott runs the Manitou lacrosse program, and gets to witness his three sons having the same incredible camper experience as he did. In his spare time, Scott can be seen around the BBQ pit, cooking up a storm to our campers delight, including the famous Sunday morning outdoor “Ranger Breakfast.”

Scott has been in education for more than 15 years, as both the Director of Athletics, and Health & Wellness, and a Special Education teacher for Newton South High School in Massachusetts. He has coached Varsity Lacrosse, JV Lacrosse and 9th grade girls lacrosse, as well as plenty of time coaching his sons’ youth lacrosse teams. Scott is regarded as a leader of camp spirit and sports education for both campers and staff.

Scott is joined at camp by his three boys, Andrew, Jared and Jeffrey, and camp dogs, Wilma and Morty.

Head of Senior Camp Mike Karon first came to Camp Manitou in 2003. He spent many summers as a camper, counselor and dean. He took a few summers off to graduate college and become a Women’s College Basketball coach. Upon his return he was director of basketball as well as Color War General. Most recently he has been a unit leader where he helps take care of the needs of campers and staff. In his new role he oversees all senior campers and their unit leaders.

Currently, Mike works in the Special Education department of an elementary school in the suburbs of Boston.

Waterfront Director Ian Mette first came to Camp Manitou in 1999. He enjoyed several summers as a counselor, and then as a College League Dean, a Color War General, a Unit Leader, and the Program Director. During this time Ian also met his future wife, Rebecca Schwartz-Mette, who he dated across the pond for several summers while she worked at a sister camp. After spending almost a decade as a teacher and administrator, Ian and Becca both earned their doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri. Currently, both are faculty at the University of Maine, where Ian is an Associate Professor in Educational Leadership and Becca is an Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology.

Needing to leave in 2006 to pursue his graduate degree, Ian returned to Manitou in 2019 with his family. The Mettes love returning to East Pond each summer with their three kids, where they reconnect with camp friends that span over two decades.

Lauren joined her now-husband, Vaughn, at Manitou in 2005 as an office secretary after just graduating from Plymouth State University where she played Division III basketball and received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Lauren and Vaughn got married at Manitou in 2009 and took a few years hiatus after beginning their family to return in 2014. In 2019, she earned her Master’s degree in Literacy and Language from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Lauren has filled many roles at Manitou over the years including Office Manager, Travel Coordinator, and Tutoring Coordinator prior to her current role as Program Director. Throughout the school year, Lauren continues to work as an educator in North Conway, New Hampshire where she lives with Vaughn and their three daughters. In addition to teaching sixth grade literacy she is also a youth basketball coach at their recreation center.

Athletic director Vaughn Beckwith first came to Manitou as a counselor in 2002 while attending Plymouth State University studying Physical Education and playing football. In 2005, he was the dean of Northern Arizona University and later became the chief of the Gray team in 2007. Over the years Vaughn has worked at camp in a variety of ways including roles such as: Low Senior and Sophomore unit leader, instructional development coordinator, and assistant athletic director. Vaughn has been a high school physical education teacher and varsity football coach in North Conway, NH for many years. He works with student athletes to help them learn to have perseverance, continuously grow, and give their best effort.

Lauren and Vaughn’s two oldest children, Gabby and Bailey, attend Camp Somerset for Girls, while their youngest, Harper, enjoys spending her summers at Manitou until she joins her older sisters across the lake.

teve’s first summer at Camp Manitou was in 2002. He was the theater director directing Colleague League plays and camp musicals until 2010. Steve returned to Camp Manitou in 2020 where he produced a season of all out-door plays and helped develop Camp Manitou’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team of directors. Steve has written several plays which were performed on the Manitou stage and loves how the power of theater is celebrated at Camp Manitou. Steve also teaches workshops in stage combat, comedy improv, and film acting here at camp. He loves that these campers are willing to try anything and step out of their comfort zones to create dynamic performances in their plays. These plays help create community, strengthen teamwork, and allow campers to try something new.

In the off-season Steve lives in New York City where he has been an actor, director, playwright, and educator. He received his Masters in Educational Theater from NYU and is a proud member of the American Alliance for Theater and Education. Steve is currently the Performing Arts Chair at Friends Seminary (a K-12 school) where he teaches theater and directs 3 productions a year.

Reuben Ambat is the Head of Music and Special Events Director during the Summer.

Reuben has met some of his best friends at camp and is passionate about creating a sense of family for the Manitou community through memorable experiences and connections. Reuben has been a Counselor, Color War General, and is actively involved in mentoring former campers and running staff leadership events.

During the rest of the year, Reuben is an event management director, and private music tutor in Bangalore, India. He also helps in running a non-profit organization called ‘Building Blocks’ which focuses on providing education to low-income families in India.

Creating music and giving an opportunity for campers to perform live on stage in front of hundreds of staff and campers, is an experience that Reuben believes will inspire confidence, team building, and help to create a community for staff and campers alike.

Pete Hansen

Operations Director, Adventure Program Leader & Sustainability Coordinator, Pete Hansen originally came to Manitou from New Zealand in 1999 as a waterski & wakeboard instructor. Now Pete oversees Manitou’s 100-acre facility and coordinates many of the daily behind-the-scenes operations. Pete is the first to arrive at camp each spring and the last to leave in the fall, making sure that all aspects of the top-notch facility are up to par as we head into each summer. A true outdoorsman and avid surfer, Pete created the Adventure Program, which takes campers out into the wilderness on treks and trips including: climbing Mt. Katahdin, multi-day sea-kayaking, mountain biking in the White Mountains, surfing in Kennebunkport, and island camping.

Pete also works hard to ensure that Manitou operates in an environmentally responsible way with sustainability endeavors such as the Manitou Gardens, Farm-to-Table Initiative, composting, and recycling programs at camp.