Directors and Staff
The Kassels, the sixth Directors in the history of Belknap, carry on the esteemed Belknap tradition of family headship. The Kassels have been the Directors of Belknap since 2013, having completed their 10th summer this year.
As Directors, the Kassels are honored to be an integral part of the Belknap community. Originally hailing from Amherst, Massachusetts, Seth began his Belknap career as a Middler in 1992. He was an Honor Camper and was awarded the Colin Brown Award as a member of the Leader Corps. He advanced through the Belknap leadership system, serving as Middler Division Head in 1999 and concluding as Program Director in 2005.
Prior to his start as Director, Seth held several entrepreneurial positions in the field of renewable energy, including serving as a co-founder and VP of a utility solar energy company.
Stephanie (“Steph”) currently is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Nursing. As a specialist in the field of diabetes care and research, she has worked with some of the top diabetes centers in the country and has multiple publications including the New England Journal of Medicine. Steph attended overnight camp in her youth as well as professionally leading and directing wilderness trips. Steph first visited Camp Belknap in 1999 and shares Seth’s passion for its spirit, culture, programs, and natural beauty.
The Kassels met as undergraduates at Colorado College and both earned advanced degrees from the University of Colorado. They are avid hikers and campers and have led numerous youth-group back-country expeditions. Their two sons, Noah and Tobin, bring joy and energy to their home.
The Kassels reside at Belknap year round. They are active members of the Tuftonboro/Wolfeboro community where they both sit on boards of local non-profits and coach youth sports teams.
Adam Perreault is the Assistant Director at Camp Belknap. His primary responsibilities lie in the management of enrollment and family/camper relations, shoulder season programming, risk management & safety.
This will be Adam’s 21th year at Belknap, first attending as a cadet camper in 1992, Adam was a camper for 6 years before entering into the leadership where he spent time in Middlers and Seniors before finding a home in Besserers as the division head in 2003 and 2004.
Before returning to Camp Belknap as Assistant Director, Adam worked as the Head Athletic Trainer for the US Men’s Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams through two Olympic cycles, and then he moved to Vermont to work at Burke Mountain Academy.
Adam and his wife, Alexandra (who spends time in the health center during the summer as a Nurse Practitioner) live in Kirby, VT with their children, Mabel and Bo and two dogs, Tasman and Ruka. They enjoy biking, hiking and skiing together.
Nick Nowak is currently the Leadership Director at Camp Belknap.
This will be Nick’s 22nd summer at camp. He was previously a Cabin Leader in Besserers and Seniors from 2009 through 2011. He served as Besserer Division Head in 2012, Senior Division Head in 2013, Leader Corps Director from 2014 to 2017, and served as Program Director from 2018 to 2021.
Outside of camp, Nick is a History Teacher at Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, New Hampshire and serves as the Dean of Student Life. He was previously a member of the History Department at the Hyde School in Woodstock, Connecticut.
Nick received his B.A. from Colby College and completed his Masters in Educational Studies from UNH.
Nick and his wife, Julie, live in Canaan, New Hampshire
Geoff Masland is the Advancement Director at Camp Belknap. In this role, Geoff is the key liaison with the Belknap community to fulfill the vision of Belknap’s Strategic Plan of protecting, preserving, and strengthening camp for years to come.
Geoff returned to Belknap after a decade of work in sales, marketing, and growing companies. Most recently, Geoff was CEO and co-founder of Oxbow Brewing Company, which Geoff grew to a staff of 25 employed at multiple facilities throughout Maine. The businesses that Geoff helped launch continue to thrive.
Geoff received a BA from Colorado College.
The summer of 2023 will be Geoff’s 22nd at Belknap. Starting as a Cadet in 1990, he was a camper in every division before becoming a Leader, Middler Division Head, and Leader Corps Director in 2003 and 2004.
Geoff and his wife Dash reside in Yarmouth, Maine, with their sons Griffin and Lyle, future campers. The Masland’s live at Belknap during the summer months, bringing spirit and energy to the Belknap family.
Joe LaLiberte is currently the Leader Corps Director at Camp Belknap.
He has finished his 17th summer at Camp. Joe was previously a Cabin Leader in Juniors from 2015 through 2018, serving as the Junior Division Head in the 2018 summer, and Besserer Division Head in 2019 before moving into his current role. Further, Joe represented Belknap at the American Camp Association National Conference in 2018, and has written nationally-acclaimed work in the ACA Magazine.
Outside of camp, Joe is a teacher, coach, and advisor at Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts. He teaches Middle School Math and Spanish, advises 8th grade, and coaches Football and Basketball.
Joe received his B.A. from Middlebury College in Vermont where he studied Sociology/Anthropology and minored in Spanish and Education Studies. He is pursuing his Masters in Education through the School Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and plans to graduate in July 2022.
Joe currently lives in Boston, MA.
Jay Pier is currently the Waterfront Director at Camp Belknap
Jay recently completed his 14th summer at Belknap. Prior to stepping into the Waterfront Director role, he was previously a Cadet Leader from 2018 to 2019 before serving as the Besserer Assistant Division Head in 2020 and Division Head in 2021.
In the offseason, Jay is a ski race coach at Tamarack Sports Education Team in Donnelly, Idaho and will spend the winter of 2022-2023 serving as a Food Services Steward at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
Jay received his B.A. from Pomona College in Los Angeles with a double major in Science, Technology, and Society and French.
Jay currently lives in Freeport, Maine.
Kyle John is the Operations Manager at Camp Belknap. He takes care of everything from handling all procurement, IT, operating the camp store, keeping camp up to date with permits, and program duties.
This will be Kyle’s 31st summer at Belknap. He began as an eight-year-old camper in 1993, was a Cabin Leader in the Cadets and Middlers from 2004-2008, and served as the Junior Division Head in 2009. From 2010 through 2014, Kyle was part of the Program Staff and was Program Director for the 2013 and 2014 summers.
Kyle is currently pursuing a degree in Information Technologies at Southern New Hampshire University and is an Associate Visitor for the American Camping Association.
Kyle lives in Belmont, New Hampshire, with his wife, Tasha, and 3 kids: Kayleigh, CJ, and Aiden. CJ will be attending camp for the second time, while Aiden will finally get his chance to be a camper for the first time.
Matt Found is the Facilities Director at Camp Belknap, where he will maintain the 75 buildings and 300 acre grounds so that campers can enjoy a safe and fun experience.
Matt attended Belknap in the late 70’s as a Cadet camper. His love for alpine ski racing at an early age side-tracked him from the camp life in favor of spending his summers in the Austrian alps skiing and training on a year-round glacier. Matt competed internationally for many years and later for the University of New Hampshire on the NCAA carnival team. He earned an undergraduate degree in Business, an MBA, and is currently plugging away at a degree in Architectural and Structural Engineering.
Matt spent most of his working career in project management and technical roles in several manufacturing companies and worked on several key projects with the Hubble telescope and the Israeli National Defense Department and the Scottish Royal Navy. Architecture, building and woodworking are passions that Matt pursues in his free time along with just about any outdoor sport you can think of.
Matt and his wife, Maria, live in Wolfeboro, NH with their yellow lab (Tuukka), son (Gunner), and daughter (Anya). They live in continuous pursuit of adventure, regardless how wild and crazy!
Linda Gonya is the Registrar for Camp Belknap. In this role, she manages and coordinates the main office, providing assistance to the Co-directors and family relations with registration and check in/out process. This is her 8th year at Belknap.
Linda is a qualified Medical Assistant/Health Administrator and holds an Associate of Science degree from Hesser College.
She is no stranger to camp life, having spent more than 10 years with The Boy Scouts of America as a Leader and Committee Chair where she held registrations, kept records of awards/achievements of scouts, planned outings, and coordinated fundraising.
Linda has a son who has been both a camper and leader for 11 years.
Linda is a mother of three sons and lives in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
Seri Bowley is the Donation Manager of Belknap. She works in the office with our Directors and the Development team. This will be Seri’s 6th summer at camp.
A native of Chicago, Seri now enjoys the spirit of a small town life style. Before moving to New Hampshire, she sailed to various ports around the world as a Deck Officer aboard different types of cargo vessels. She is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and is a retired Lieutenant in the US Navel Reserves.
Seri lives in Tuftonboro with her husband, their 2 children, Maddie and Everett, a black lab, and 20 chickens. She’s active in the community and is a Tuftonboro Girl Scout Leader. Seri enjoys to be outside tending to her large vegetable garden.
Sue Barron joins Camp Belknap in 2022 as Finance Manager. She has held various finance roles in the nonprofit industry – most recently with Dakin Humane Society in western Massachusetts for the last 11 years. She brings over 15 years experience in bookkeeping, account analysis and financial management to Camp Belknap.
Camp holds a special place in heart since her son Dan spent 9 summers “under the pines” at Camp Belknap from 2005 – 2013 and her daughter Julia attended Camp Huckins from 2008 – 2015.
As a prior lifelong Massachusetts native, Sue and her husband Howard relocated permanently to their “happy place” on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in 2020. They share their home in Alton Bay with their chocolate lab, Bella, and love it when Dan & Julia are able to come spend time up at the lake.
Aside from travel and boating, her favorite thing to do is relax on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee surrounded by her family (both two and four legged).
Chef Wilfredo Morales joined the Belknap team in the Spring of 2018 and this will be his 6th summer as our Food Service Manager. Because of his infectious positive attitude while leading by example, it did not take long for Wilfredo to fit right in at camp.
Wilfredo started his culinary career when he was 16, though his love and passion for food came from his grandmother “Josefina”, who taught him to respect food. After working in restaurants and the hospitality industry for over 10 years, he enrolled in the culinary program at The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, where he tutored under Master Chef Klaus Friedenreich. Wilfredo also worked with celebrity chef Jean Pierre.
Wilfredo is a talented and devoted chef and we are proud to have him on the team.
Betsy joined the year-round Camp Belknap staff as the Communications Manager in July 2023. She spent eleven years working as the Program Director for Girls on the Run New Hampshire in Exeter and is thrilled to make the transition to a local non-profit focused on youth programming. Summer 2023 will be a return to camp life for Betsy – her last summer at camp was as a Middler at Camp Huckins.
Betsy and her husband, Rob, relocated to Wolfeboro in April ’23 after living in Amherst, NH for 24 years. They have three adult children – Johnny, Tommy (Belknap 2012-2017) and Maggie (Huckins 2011-2023) and one rambunctious yellow Lab puppy, Calvin, who loves to play with the other Belknap dogs. Betsy loves to be outside hiking, kayaking, or sitting by the lake with a good book. Her favorite early morning activity is a quick jaunt up Mount Major!
Julie Nowak is Camp Belknap’s Primary Nurse Practitioner. It will be her 8th summer at Belknap. In her role, she is available to manage clinical issues that arise, care for sick or injured campers, train staff and help with policy and procedure oversight.
Away from camp, Julie works at Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon, NH. She is a graduate of Colby College where she received her BA in psychology and later went back to the University of New Hampshire to receive her masters in clinical nurse leadership. Prior to becoming a nurse and nurse practitioner, she was a teacher. She has held several other roles at Belknap including but not limited to Childcare Director, Trips Director, Nurse, and student NP.
Julie lives in Canaan at Cardigan Mountain School with her husband, Nick, who is the Leadership Director at Belknap. They have a daughter Shea (almost age 2) and a baby on the way prior to the 2023 season.
Kayla is the nurse manager for health services at Camp Belknap. It will be her 2nd summer at Belknap. In this role she oversees the management of Belknap’s health team of greater than 10 staff each summer and leads health center operations including supplies, policies, and training.
Kayla graduated from Pomona College undergraduate and returned for a nursing degree at the University of Colorado. She has spent most of her nursing career in Hospice and is a skilled listener and communicator. She has been a travel nurse, has filled almost all roles you can imagine, and is a fluent Spanish speaker. She is now working in the hospital setting in Colorado when she is not at camp.
Kayla lives in Salida, Colorado with her husband Phillip (who has been known to make the best Belknap desserts) and their two daughters Auretta and Leona who love being staff kids at Belknap.
Chris Thurber, known as “Thurbs”, is an Executive Advisor for Camp Belknap.
Chris has served Belknap for almost 40 years! After three years as a camper (1980-1982), Chris returned as an LC, LIT, leader, and Middler Division Head (1989-1992). He served as Waterfront Director from 1989 to 2013.
Chris received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University (’91) and PhD in psychology from UCLA (’97). He is a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Chris has written widely in the academic and popular press on issues related to youth development, homesickness, and leadership. In 2000, Chris co-authored (with Belknap alum and Belknap Board Member Dr. Jon Malinowski) the best-selling Summer Camp Handbook, a preparatory resource for new camper families. He also designed and hosted the American Camp Association’s homesickness prevention DVD, called The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success.
Chris lives in Exeter, New Hampshire, with his wife Simonida, a chemist and musician, and his boys Dacha and Sava. Both sons were campers and are now in the Belknap Leadership.
