Mohawk's Board of Directors

Camp Mohawk doesn’t run itself. The on-site staff is the face of Camp and is responsible for its daily operation and giving campers wonderful summer experiences. But there is also the less visible work involved that helps make Mohawk the joyful experience it is for so many, year after year. Who does that work? Answer: The Board of Directors of YMCA Camp Mohawk. What is the Board, and what is it responsible for? Who makes up the Board? How does one join the Board? How does it function? Let’s address some of these questions to explore the “spine” of Camp Mohawk: our dedicated and greatly appreciated Camp Mohawk Board of Directors.

A Board has existed since Camp’s origin. It was originally made up of leaders from Litchfield, Fairfield, and New Haven counties who created Camp Mohawk in 1919. The size and make-up of the Board have varied over the years, as have the rules governing it. At times, the Board was more hands-off, and at times, much more involved. Basically, the Board hires and evaluates the CEO, oversees fundraising, reviews policies set by the CEO, and helps plan for the long-term future of the Camp. The CEO (currently Patrick Marchand) and paid staff set policies, and manage all the year-round, day-to-day functions of Camp, i.e., registration, programming, hiring, staff training, etc.  

In 2018, Board members Kathryn Krase, Sandy Roberts, and Karen Mahar volunteered to rewrite the Board By-Laws to create a more professional and consistent Board, and to institute governing policies for the Board. Adopted in 2020, these By-laws are the Board’s main governing document.

Mohawk’s Board may have from 12 to 21 volunteer members. Camp’s CEO and its Governance Committee maintain a pipeline of Board prospects.  Board candidates are invited to submit an application and resume for review by the Governance Committee.  If approved, the candidate is presented to the Board for a majority vote.

Members are voted in for each of their three-year terms. After the second term, Board members are required to take a year off from serving, which is called their RAM (Retired from Active Membership) year. This structure ensures that each Board member is regularly re-evaluated regarding their ability to commit to the work and to Camp’s needs, which may change over time.  The RAM year was added to the By-Laws in 2020, so 2026 marks the first RAM period for four of Mohawk’s Board members: Roger Coutant, Cathy Horne, Bill Mascetti and Kate Humphrey.  Roger Coutant has given fifty-five years of service to the Board and has been an incredibly active, wise, and generous advocate for Mohawk. We are grateful for each of these members’ contributions; they have earned a year off from active service.

Another newer addition to the Board was the creation of the Young Alumni Board Member position in 2023.  Young Alumni Board Members (fondly known as YABs) must have worked at or attended Camp within five years of their first election to the Board.  YABs have the same duties and voting rights as other board members and can serve for up to three one-year terms. At that time, they may become regular Board members if they wish to stay active and if voted in by the Board.  Emma Manderville, Pearl Young and Jess Deacon currently serve as Mohawk’s Young Alumni Board Members.

The current Board now has 16 members, 11 of whom are Mohawk alumni (including the three YABs).  The alumni represent many different decades of Camp experience. Non-alumni Board Members came to serve Mohawk through different paths - as parents, friends and colleagues of existing board members and as business connections. They all bring varied skillsets that help Camp move forward. Other members range from 27 years to one month of service, a solid variety of tenure and experience.

The Board meets five times per year, both on Zoom and in person. Committees meet as needed. The Board as a whole is focused on how it can best support what is needed for Camp to function as well as possible, now and in the future. Mohawk’s Board of Directors is a collegial body and meetings are friendly, focused, and productive.  The Board works very closely with the CEO in a relationship that is open, professional, and supportive.  The Board of Directors of YMCA Camp Mohawk diligently and consistently strive to further the best interests of this unique place so very dear to us all.