Kim Novotny was first introduced to the American Youth Foundation when her husband became the Facilities Manager at Merrowvista in 2003. She worked in the kitchen on and off for more than decade before taking on her current role as Food Service Manager in 2016. Kim works with local farms to source ingredients for delicious healthy meals. She loves finding …

Patrick found his way to Merrowvista through his better half, Jamie, who showed him how positive and integral AYF programming can be in the life of a young person. He grew up working in the family business of carpentry, when not in school, where he fostered a love of learning how things go together and come apart. After joining the …

Julie discovered the AYF in 2010 and joined as Merrowvista’s Office Coordinator; six months later she became the Assistant to the President and works with leadership and Board of Directors. Having grown up and worked overseas for much of her professional life at an international school, working and engaging in a community focused on children at an organization with a …

Jamie came to Merrowvista in 1996 as a camper and was instantly hooked on the transformative power of the AYF community. During the next 25 years, she went from camper to staff and tried her hand at a wide variety of seasonal positions. She loved learning about all that makes AYF programs possible and was inspired by the enkindled spirits …

Aubrie is originally from Fort Worth, Texas, but spent most of her life in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences. She grew up spending every summer as a camper, which turned into four summers on seasonal camp staff, serving in various program roles. She took a break from camp …

Katsu Okuma wasn’t a “camp kid” growing up. Instead, he spent summers traveling around Ohio playing baseball. The camp bug finally got him in high school when he attended the National Leadership Conference at Miniwanca – he was hooked. He worked seasonal jobs first at Miniwanca, then at Merrowvista, where he grew in leadership and discovered a passion for youth …

Dayna had never been to Merrowvista – or New Hampshire! – until summer 2021. She graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in outdoor education and was working a corporate banking job when she found a seasonal job at Merrowvista on a camp website. She packed up her car and drove across the country to work as leader …

Amy found her way to the American Youth Foundation after more than 20 years with Lindt USA, where she developed and implemented trade show strategy from design to execution. This required working intensively with designers, union construction crews, sales representatives, and the public. After 20 years in a corporate setting, Amy found herself ready to make a meaningful change. The …