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Year Round Staff

Chelsea Irys Rendlen (she/her)
Executive Director

After getting her BA in Film and running comedy theatres in Chicago and New York, Chelsea found her true calling the summer of ’17 when she returned to her old camp as a counselor. She has returned to camp every summer since (except that of 2020) and has taken on many different camp roles. During the year, Chelsea has honed her skills through work in crisis intervention and advocacy at a Domestic Violence Resource Center, countless workshops and self-study, as well as entering a master’s degree program at Columbia University in Spirituality Mind Body, Psychology in Education (’22). She went on the lookout for an organization that shared her vision in which she could create an integrated approach to bring empowerment and social justice to kids in a camp setting. She found just such a place at Camp Hochelaga and the YWCA VT, and is honored to continue the legacy of ‘Laga while realizing all that it can become.

Christine Perry (they/she)
Camp Director

Christine feels fortunate to have discovered their passion for camp at 6 years old – as a day camper at Hochelaga. In the roughly 20 years that have passed since then, they were able to receive their B.S. from NYU Steinhardt in Applied Psychology, and receive training working with children ages 8 months old to 18 years old through coaching early developmental soccer, teaching college prep, interning at a an out-patient clinic in Manhattan, and – of course – being a counselor at a variety of camps. In these settings, they were trained in, and gained experience working with children facing learning disabilities, mental health and behavioral disorders, trauma, and economic barriers. Christine believes that summer camps can play an important role in an individual’s development, and they’re excited to watch other campers experience the same joy they did at Hochelaga.

Victoria Threadgill (she/her)
Program Director

Since growing up in Texas, Victoria has had the chance to serve in many leadership positions on her way to Hochelaga. She specializes in environmental leadership, inspiring others to care for nature while fostering pro-environmental behavior. She received her B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Science at Texas A&M University and has led various retreats and programs that focus on self-growth and empowerment. Victoria has spent over 10 years mentoring youth, and furthered her passion for youth and the environment further by getting a Masters of Science in Environmental Education with a concentration in Conservation Psychology at Antioch University New England.
     

Amy Bigelow (she/her)
Office Manager

Amy is the Office Manager at Camp Hochelaga. She came to camp in May 2021 after retiring as an Elementary School Counselor at Thomas Fleming School in Essex Jct., Vermont. She grew up going to camp in New Hampshire, so knew that this job at Hochelaga would be the perfect fit for her. She lives in Milton, VT with her partner, John, and their 2 dogs, Piper and Emma. Amy is here to help with all of your Registration needs and any questions you may have!
     
     
     

Abbie Israel (she/her)
Director of Internal Business

Abbie has been at home at Hochelaga for over 20 years now! She attended Northeastern University where she earned her BS in Psychology with a minor in Early Intervention. Between camp seasons, she has worked as a developmental therapist for children with delays and disabilities, as a photographer of births, children, and families, and now as the director of an elementary after-school program. She was also the “lead historian” for the 2019 centennial celebration at camp and is excited to continue to work with the team to preserve the magic of camp for generations to come.
     
     

Board of Directors

Meghan VanStry, Board President – Recent grad of UVM Grossman School of Business of Burlington, VT
Senja Kling, Treasurer – Strategic global sourcing specialist with DR Power Equipment, Burlington, VT
Renee Rubin, Secretary – Operations Manager for Boston Beer, Los Angeles, CA
Sarah Cardarelli – Pre school teacher on staff at Lund, Milton, VT
Courtney Lamontagne – Tutor on staff at Vermont Common School, So. Burlington, VT
Jeanne Bates Christensen, Honorary Board Member – Partner at Wigdor LLP concentrating in the field of employment litigation in New York

If you wish to become a board member please send an informational email to : contactus@ywcavt.org for further information.