Introducing New Executive Director, Kimberly Conroy

It is my pleasure to introduce Kimberly Conroy as the Executive Director at Camp Thunderbird.  Kim assumed her new role in the YMCA  on March 1.  However, Kim is not a stranger to the Charlotte YMCA. She also has a wealth of experiences that will contribute to her success in her new role.  

Kimberly is a lifelong enthusiast of outdoor adventure and experiential learning. She has 18 years of experience as a goal and detail-oriented leader building successful cross-functional teams by designing educational programs and coaching strategies, increasing staff and participant engagement, and identifying areas for efficiencies and cost savings. Additionally, Kim has a proven record of developing and maintaining relationships that foster collaboration, trust, and support of the Y with local and national businesses and government administrations. 

Kim joined the YMCA in 2006, overseeing operational and programmatic risk, safety, and security for 22 YMCA locations including two resident camps, and hundreds of off-site locations, Kim has built a reputation for her ability to balance appropriate risk taking with amazing experiences for 270,000 members, 5000+ staff, and 5000+ volunteers per year. She attributes this reputation to her ability to build strong relationships and ensure the Y has a solid answer for “why” they have each policy in place so that those leaders may champion safety within their branches. 

Kim and her husband, Ross, have three girls ranging in age from 2 to 8 years old.  In addition, she has a dog, 3 horses, a mini appaloosa pony, and 8 chickens!  We hope you will drop by camp and welcome Kim to the Thunderbird family!   

Brad Rippetoe Named Director of Capital Campaign

Many who read this blog will know Brad Rippetoe.  During his tenure at Thunderbird, Brad has had the privilege of wearing many hats and serving across multiple departments.  Most recently, Brad served camp as Executive Director.  It was during that year of service that Brad came to realize that a focused effort would be needed to ensure the success of a campaign to update existing facilities.  Brad believed that he could provide that leadership and has assumed the role as Director of the Capital Campaign for Thunderbird.  Brad recently reflected on his time at Thunderbird and his look to the future:

“If I could wish for one “super power”, it would be to have the ability to hear the stories that the walls of our cabins at Camp Thunderbird would tell.  As I think about how our country has changed and evolved; the events in history like World Wars, conflicts, presidential elections, civil rights, etc.… it is incredible to think about the idea that boys were living in those cabins together.  They were sharing their stories of successes and challenges throughout their days at camp. They were learning about others that were different from themselves, how to set goals and achieve them with the support of counselors and cabin mates.  Bonds were formed.  Lives were changed.  I am so grateful that we are still providing opportunities for boys (and girls) to add to this life changing legacy.  

I am blessed, honored, and humbled to have the opportunity to wake up every day thinking about how we can ensure that the next generations of campers and staff have the opportunity to spend their summer days on the Sunny Shores of Lake Wylie and Camp Thunderbird.  I realize that the opportunity to have this singular focus as the Director of Capital Campaign is a unique one and I fully intend to make the most of it.   I think I am looking forward the most to reconnecting with so many of you as our alumni to hear YOUR stories of your time at Camp and how those summers have impacted your lives even today.  I will be hitting the road soon and hope to have the opportunity to see you soon!  Feel free to give me a shout at any time.  You can reach me at 704-691-9545 or brad.rippetoe@ymcacharlotte.orgor on most social media platforms.”   

Submitted by Brad Rippetoe

Day Camp Updates

Day Camp may not be in session currently, but we have been busy with a few other events.  In October, I visited over 70 schools to reconnect with some of the campers from this past summer and to promote a new birthday party program at Camp Thunderbird.   We currently offer four types of birthday party choices, challenge course, archery, rodent and reptiles, star labs and combination parties. If you would like more information about birthday parties at Camp Thunderbird, please call our main office at 704-716-4100 or email Tiran at tiran.thomas@ymcacharlotte.org.

In November, we held our Leaders in Training (LIT) 1 interviews for next summer.  We were blessed to have several candidates interview for the role of LIT 1.  The LIT program is the crown jewel of Day Camp and we could not be happier with our new group of LITs.

We are gearing up for another exciting summer of Day Camp at Camp Thunderbird.  The leaves may be changing and the temperature might be slightly cooler, but we have summer camp squarely on our minds.  We can’t wait to have campers cruising down the zip line and sailing along our sunny shores.

As we approach the New Year, there are a few things you should know about the upcoming summer at Thunderbird.  Registration for Day Camp Summer 2019 begins on December 1, 2018.  There will only be 9 sessions (9 weeks) of camp this year and we are expecting that they will fill quickly.  You don’t want to miss out on what will be the best year of Day Camp at Camp Thunderbird.  For those of you interested in counselor positions, applications are available on our website, www.campthunderbird.org.

Finally, if you have any questions concerning Day Camp, you can always reach out to a team member at 704-716-4100 or email me at tiran.thomas@ymcacharlotte.org.

Submitted by Tiran Thomas

Introducing Camp's New Resident Camp Associate Director...

    As Summer 2019 approaches,  the leadership team at Thunderbird will include some familiar faces as well as some staff new to the team.  Ashley Mason recently joined the Thunderbird as the Associate Resident Camp Director.  Her camp career began in 2014, in her home state of Iowa. Ashley moved to Lake Wylie in March and  is excited to serve our campers and community.  
   Ashley's favorite part of being on a team that serves youth in the camp setting is having the opportunity to see campers accomplish great things. Whether it’s passing the swim test, taking a leap of faith on the zip line, saddling up a horse, or building new friendships with their cabin mates, it’s theses moments which  make camp a magical experience for all.  We are so excited about the energy and possibilities Ashley brings to camp!

Camp Thunderbird Alumni Blog Launched

     Recently, I met with representatives from the Financial Development Department at our Association Office and representatives from Camp Thunderbird to discuss a vehicle for sharing camp news with our Alumni Staff members.  We  considered multiple options, and and we have decided to launch a blog.  News will be shared more frequently than it was shared via the newsletter, but it is our hope that more alumni staff will access this tool.  I hope that you will share this blog with your alumni staff friends.  I look forward to sharing exciting news related to camp with you in days to come.

   I am aware that many of you did not receive the fall newsletter.  I will be sharing some of the news presented at that time via this blog and will also share news that will be presented for the first time.  Should you have any questions or suggestions for blog contact, please feel free to reach out to me.