Executive Directors
Frost and Robin McKinney Walker are excited to lead the team at Camp Merrie-Woode. The couple lives and works at Camp year round. Robin began her Merrie-Woode journey as a camper in 1989, became a Captain in 1996, and served as a cabin counselor and boating instructor for several summers. Originally from Winter Park, FL, Robin graduated from Davidson College in 2001 and earned her JD from the University of Florida. She practiced law in Florida for 10 years before returning to Camp full-time in 2015 as Director of Development and Alumnae Relations. Robin loves all things Green and Grey!
Frost traces his enthusiasm for the outdoors to summers as a camper at Camp High Rocks in Cedar Mountain, NC. A native of Greenville, SC, Frost first discovered his passion for rock climbing at camp and dedicated many years to becoming an expert level climber and outdoor adventure guide. Frost graduated from Furman University in 2001 and spent a decade in the outdoor retail industry before transitioning to healthcare management, where his responsibilities included financial oversight, human resources, and risk management. Frost loves all time spent outdoors, but especially on the rock.
Email Frost Email RobinStaff Director
Megan Harold is our Staff Director. Megan oversees the needs of staff, primarily offering support and guidance as they navigate all aspects of camp counselor life. Megan also guides Merrie-Woode’s Junior Counselor (JC) and Counselor in Training (CIT) programs. In the off-season, Megan oversees staff recruitment and hiring, with a focus on maintaining relationships with former counselors.
Megan was a camper from 2010 to 2017, a JC in 2018, and has returned to work on summer staff since 2021. Throughout her time on staff, Megan served Camp as Tumbling Head, Line Head, JC Leader, and Program Office Manager. As Staff Director, she is most looking forward to maintaining counselor relations and working with the JCs and CITs.
Megan is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and recently received her BS in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Mississippi. She is so excited to join the year-round team, and in her free time you can find her working on a needlepoint project or watching a documentary (or both!).
Email MeganProgram Director
Tara Tecce is our Program Director. Tara oversees camp programming, including providing support and resources to different program areas and their staff. Tara assists in coordinating logistics and risk management to ensure our camp programs function safely and successfully. In addition, Tara supports program area staff by assisting them in developing interpersonal leadership skills, such as providing and receiving feedback, facilitation, and debriefing to promote the growth of program areas and individuals. Tara values each program area and its importance within the camp community.
Tara was a camper from 2004 to 2009, a 2009 Captain, and a staff member from 2011 to 2015 and 2018 to 2021. Tara has held various leadership positions during her time as a staff member, including River Coordinator, Would-Be Leader, Swimming Head, Mountaineering Head, and Logistics Adventure Program Coordinator. Tara served on the Centennial Steering Committee from 2016 to 2017. Tara received her BS from Florida State University in Family and Child Sciences, followed by a MEd and EdS from Clemson University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Before transitioning to camp full-time, Tara worked as a school-based therapist for four years. Tara is a licensed therapist in North Carolina and is passionate about her continued involvement in the mental health field. Tara lives in Brevard, NC, and in her free time, Tara can be found going on long runs, adventuring in the forest, and of course, eating her favorite food, sushi!
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Adventure Program Coordinator
Claudia B. Smith is our Adventure Program Coordinator and also functions as the camp intern for part of the off-season. Claudia will oversee the needs of our Adventure Programming, which includes Swimming, Boating, and Mountaineering. She will support staff in the planning of adventure trips, and manage logistical aspects of running those trips. When the summer programming comes to an end, Claudia will be focusing on off-season programming, assisting with social media content, and other general camp needs.
Claudia was a camper from 2008-2015 and made Captain during her last summer as a camper. She has fulfilled many leadership roles during her time as summer staff from 2016-2021, including Ceramics Head, Line Head, Boat Head, and Would-be Leader. She is beyond excited to join Camp Merrie-Woode’s year-round team.
Claudia received her BS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with an Education minor from the University of Central Florida. While at UCF she worked for their Outdoor Adventure Program as a Head Trip Leader and Social Media Manager, and worked at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in 2020 as a Paddle School Instructor.
Email ClaudiaCommunications Coordinator
Catherine Ballard is our Communications Coordinator. Catherine oversees camp communications, coordinating digital and printed communications and helps us keep in touch with our entire Merrie-Woode Family. She also assists with donor and stewardship relations. In addition to communications needs, she provides support with general Camp operations.
Catherine is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and recently received her BA in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina . While at USC, she worked as the Social Media Manager for their campus media organization. Catherine lives in Brevard and can be found on a hike or spending time with family.
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Camp Registrar
Annette Herstek was promoted to Camp Registrar in 2018, and many of you will remember her as our Office Manager from 2002–2007. Annette returned to Merrie-Woode in 2017 in that same role, after taking several years off to spend more time with her kids as they were growing up. Her primary responsibilities include database management, camper registration, summer preparations, and assisting with staff scheduling. Annette is a former camper parent herself. Her daughter, Courtney, attended Merrie-Woode from 2003 – 2005 and her son, Austin worked on camp’s facilities crew during the summer months. She lives nearby with her husband, Rob, in Cashiers, NC.
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Office Manager
Amy Pressley is our office manager. She brings a wealth of knowledge to her position both as a longtime resident of Cashiers and through her past experience working at Merrie-Woode from 2008 through 2015. Her husband, Jody, is a year-round member of the maintenance crew and serves as CMW’s barn manager during the summer. Their three children, Anthony, Christian, and Taylor, as well as their nephew, Evan, have also been part of the Merrie-Woode barn staff over the past several years. Amy enjoys her little slice of heaven on the Pressley farm located near Lake Glenville.
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Bookkeeper
Debi Stewart is Merrie-Woode’s part-time bookkeeper, a position she has held since 1996. You can reach her at camp on Mondays and Thursdays. Debi lives in Cashiers, NC with her husband, CW.
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Archivists
Charlie and Sara Jones are joining Camp Merrie-Woode as part-time Archivists. Their connections to the community and Merrie-Woode are extensive.
Charlie is retired after 23 years in the Army National Guard and as a veteran of the Gulf War. He was employed for 32 years with The McNeely Companies as the Director of Employee Safety and Health. He currently serves as the Pastor of Mountain Bible Church and is the President of the Glenville Area Historical Society Museum.
Sara grew up on Cedar Creek and went to Glenville High School. She is the niece of James and Bessie Lee Pressley, who served as the caretakers at Merrie-Woode for many years. She spent a lot of her childhood at Merrie-Woode and worked here for a number of summers. Sara is retired from Willson Real Estate. She currently serves as a board member of the Glenville Area Historical Society Museum.
Together, they helped to start, organize, and curate the GAHS. They remain very involved and enjoy hosting school, youth, and community groups at the museum. They have been married for 30 years and have four children, seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren, with another one on the way. They enjoy living in the Glenville area and are thrilled to join us here at Merrie-Woode. We are excited about the significant local knowledge that they will bring to our staff and look forward to many new discoveries that will benefit our Centennial Archives.
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Facilities Management Crew
Facilities Manager, Travis Fox, leads our extraordinary Facilities Crew. Travis Fox is joined by Jody Pressley and Travis Kinsey as the able bodies who keep Camp Merrie-Woode running smoothly and looking good! From remodeling and renovation work, building new facilities, keeping up the grounds, and laying beautiful rock work, these folks can do it all!