Directors & Staff
Founders
Friendly Pines Camp was founded in 1941 by Bud and Isabelle Brown,
known as "Uncle Bud" and "Brownie" around camp. The camp has grown tremendously
since their first camping trip here with their children and several of their
little friends, and now stands as a monument to their life's work. Three
generations of Arizona youngsters have benefited from their inspiration and
devotion.Owners
Jack and Bebe May have been directing Friendly Pines Camp since 1965, carrying on the many traditions developed by the Browns over the years. Bebe, the daughter of Uncle Bud and Brownie, is a former teacher and counselor (M.A., Arizona State University) and is fluent in Spanish (M.I.M., Arizona Graduate School of International Management.)
Jack is a Certified Camp Director (ACA), fluent in French, and brings to Friendly Pines an education in one of England's finest schools, four years of wartime service as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, and a business background of over 20 years' experience. Every phase of the camp operation receives their scrupulous personal attention. Rosemary (May) Taylor as well as Christopher May, M.D. and his wife Barbara, remain involved in promotional and other activities. The fourth generation is represented by Rosemary's two boys, Colin and Brock, and Chris and Barb's daughter Megan, and son Nicholas.
Co-Director
Much of the brains and humor behind FPC is Kevin Nissen who works
with all phases of camp management. Kevin is a former FPC counselor and
program director who was previously a high school English teacher and coach.
The Rest Of The Year-Round Staff
Friendly Pines Camp operates all year long with the help of many dedicated employees, most of which live on camp property. Our Program Director, Stevie Nissen, spends much of the off-season recruiting next summer's counselors. Michael Geyer, Rental Director, handles nearly every aspect of our rental groups, from quoting prices to making sure there is a campfire set up. Our Director of Food Service is David Wangerin. He, always makes sure that the kitchen is running smoothly and everyone is well-fed with delicious food. Brannon Glenn, Challenge Director, oversees all the operations of the Challenge Course. Our Equestrian Director, Emily Heine handles the riding program and takes care of all the horses. Carmen Stevens is our bookkeeper and Sharron Goligoski is our registrar. When something needs to be fixed or built Stever Spiers and Javier Gonzalez, are always ready to get their hands dirty with any maintenance need around camp.Summer Staff
A camp, like any other institution, is only as good as its people. Our counselors,
many of whom are former FPC campers, are chosen with the utmost care through
personal interviews and extensive reference checking. All are of college
age or older, and many return for years on end. We seek only the most qualified instructors for our activity programs: Camp Horsemanship Association-certified staff in riding activities, Water Safety Instructors for swimming and skiing, NRA-certified or ex-military safety instructors in riflery, etc. Safety and "Constant Intelligent Supervision" are the constant bywords for our staff.
We select a congenial, fun-loving group of counselors and ancillary staff, but mature and dedicated leadership remains the top priority. Each year, Friendly Pines spends a great deal more time and expense on counselor recruitment than on camper promotions! Total staff-to-camper ratio is 1:4, with anywhere from 4 to 8 children per cabin group, depending on the age.
Are you interested in a summer job at Friendly Pines?
Do you fit the above description? Do you love kids and enjoy being around them? Do you have teaching experience in one of the many activities we offer? Are you a non-user of tobacco and illegal drugs, and willing to pledge total abstinence from alcohol for two months? If you said yes, continue on to our Join Our Summer Staff page.
