Staff- Working at Upcoming Camps

We are adding updates as we have them about staffing for our upcoming camps!

ADMIN and OPERATIONS TEAM

KIRA DULANEY (she/her)
Registrar, Administrator and Special Guest Art Teacher

I have been working with Monkey Business Camp since 2010, mostly in the office handling communications and registrations. I also teach craft projects like felting and embroidery at camp, and it’s wonderful to spend some time with the campers! My passion is fiber art (knitting, crochet, sewing, weaving, felting, spinning, embroidery . . . ), and I have a business, Kira K Designs, designing knitting and crochet patterns. I teach fiber arts in the after-school program at MLK Middle School in Berkeley, and at yarn stores around the Bay Area, and learned how to do many of them virtually during Covid! I also love to cook, and my wife and I love to have friends over for dinner parties!

 

SAMANTHA SWOR (she/her)
Operations Director, Staff Coach and Curriculum Guru All Camps

Hello! I’ve been working at Monkey Business Camp since 2011. During this time my kids have gone from campers, to youth leaders, and now both my children are on staff. Wow! Amazing to be in the MBC family all these years. Couldn’t have asked for better summers (and break camps!) for my family… outside, with friends, making up games, living and learning with the best counselors anywhere, it’s the best. I’ll be working on operations and curriculum, coming up to camp each day to help get things set up and teaching art over various days, and mentoring staff and youth leaders. My background is in early childhood education and I have been working with kids most of my life. I first met Heather and Stacy, the Founding Directors, while we both were teaching at Step One preschool in 1994. Time flies! I hope camp is as colorful, interesting, messy, silly, and delicious as usual. See you there!

 

BRAD OLSON (he/him)
Operations Assistant & Works on Site All Camps

Hi! I grew up in Alaska and spent many years living (and skiiing!) in Winter Park, Colorado, and Houston, Texas, being a cook and stone-mason, before moving to the Bay Area to live with my wife, Heather, the Founding Director of this camp. It is a family business!  She suggested I help her teach in 2013 and I loved it, and am now I am on the year-round team, working in Operations, with Samantha. You might find me leading the kids in a game of medic or BINGO, a bubble dance party,  or just generally supporting them. I also make sure things are in good working order. When not at camp, I enjoy work with general handyperson projects, as well as specific ones in stonemasonry and tile. I love mountain biking, roller-blading, disc golf, cooking, playing my sax, seeing and dancing to live music, and hockey.

“I had the best time feeling free and joyful working at camp. Monkey Business is structured so well for youth (as well as staff) to explore and connect with community. I cannot wait until next time. Bring on the fun!!”

ON SITE STAFF-listed alphabetically by first name

ABE ROKHSAR (he/him)

Summer Camp Counselor July 24-August 11

I’ve been part of the Monkey Business community for a long time, as a camper and youth leader, and I am thrilled to be able to give kids the great experience I have had at MBC! I love playing games of all sorts with the campers, from board games to card games, and even games of dodgeball. I am very excited to see you all at camp!

 

 

ANAI BROWN (she/her)

Maybe Summer 2023-still TBD

Hello! I started out as a CIT (counselor in training) in 2019, eventually worked my way up to being a JC (junior counselor), and I am now happy to be a staff member! I love spending time with the kids from songs, to games, and other activities. Outside of camp I enjoy spending my time doing music. I also enjoy traveling and being outdoors!

 

 

BEN SCHOLAR (he/him)

Summer Camp Site Director or Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub (All summer)

Hey Monkey Business! My name is Ben Scholar. I’m born and raised in Berkeley and just graduated from Berkeley High School and heading off to Ohio for college. I love sport and the outdoors, from baseball to hiking. Playing with the campers at Monkey Business Camp since 2014, as a youth leader for 3 years, and then on staff, has brought me a lot of joy and I’m hoping the upcoming camps prove no different!

 

CHRISTINE TURBITT (she/her)

Summer Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub June 12-July 19

Hello to everyone in the Monkey Business Family! I have been working with children for the past 25 years and have a teaching degree in elementary education. I LOVE being outdoors, especially hiking and exploring in the forest. I spent my youth climbing trees, catching frogs, building forts, and enjoying the wonders and beauty the woods had to offer, and I like sharing that same passion for nature with children. Some of my other interests are organic gardening, cooking, disc golf, singing, listening to music, camping, and being with friends.

 

DANIEL BEYDA (he/him)

Summer Camp Counselor-June 12-30

Hi! I have been part of Monkey Business for several years, first as a camper before starting as a CIT in 2019, then a JC, and I am thrilled to continue my work as a staff member. At camp, I love playing field games and other sports with the campers, playing board games and cards, and going on walks and engaging in nature activities. Working as a youth leader with Monkey Business was such a wonderful experience, and I am excited to continue to meet new people and have fun at camp.

 

DEVON O’ROURKE (they/them or she/her)

Summer Camp Site Director and/or Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub-June 12-July 21

Hi everyone! My name is Devon and I am a naturalist, storyteller and musician and there’s nothing I love more than playing outside. My passions are exploring and nurturing connections with nature, noticing and following the plants and animals through the seasons, and singing together with kids and friends. I have worked with youth in nature both through weekly school programs in the Bay Area, and through the National Park Service all up and down the West Coast. I am totally in love with the East Bay Regional Parks and I am very happy to be adventuring close to home, in Tilden park. I speak beginning Spanish and intermediate French and Russian. I also happen to be a math teacher. I am super excited for camp, and I can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet some new kids and families. See you soon!

“As a camper I learned so much about the area I live in and the people who live here; as well as a lot about myself, my own capabilities, and my likes and dislikes. As a counselor the camp provided me with a wonderful first-time work experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world. This camp is a beautiful melding of fun and education, of independence and cooperation.”

FREESIA HUTH (she/her)

Summer Camp Strawberry Banana Site Director and/or Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub (All summer)

I was born here in the Bay Area and love it here. I’ve been dancing and performing since the age of three and teach dance to kids and adults. I have two sons that are taller than me and two dogs that I hike with and love being in Mother Nature with… she is a wonderful teacher. I was a competitive ice skater and dancer in my youth and learned that FUN is the most important factor to any physical activity. So I’ve spent the last 30 years teaching dance to kids and adults with the belief that FUN is the key to healthy living and … I believe that everyone can dance.  I currently teach dance at the Stanford Neurology Center to students that have Parkinson’s Disease.  We have a fun time as well. I am so excited to have been in the Monkey Business family since 2015 and look forward to more playing and dancing with y’all.

 

ISAAC SATZMAN (he/him)

Summer Camp Counselor (July 24-Aug 11)

Hello! I’ve been attending Monkey Business for over 10 years as a camper, a Counselor in Training, a Junior Counselor, and now a Counselor. I love this camp and the community centered around it. My favorite activity at camp is passing down all the stories I first heard as a young camper. I have memories of eating lunch while counselors told stories from the magical worlds at the end of bowling lanes, to the wonderful creatures of Little Farm. I also love playing games like dodgeball, and banana tag with campers as well as hiking and other nature activities. Music is a big part of my life and I’ve spent time touring Europe playing at jazz festivals. I look forward to working at Monkey Business Camp and connecting with all the campers!

KISA IACONA (she/her)

Summer Camp Group Leader July 24-August 11

Hi all, I’m Kisa! I’m very excited to be joining the Monkey Business team again. I’m looking forward to meeting all the campers this year and the many crafts, games, and activities we will do together. For fun, I usually do sports (lacrosse, tennis, and swimming), play with my dog, and go on fun adventures with friends. I love the outdoors and am an avid hiker and beach-goer. I have been taking Spanish for about 5 years now.

 

 

LAILA ALI-DIAZ

Summer 2023 Staff Breaks/Guest/Sub July 3-21

Hi all! I’ve been coming to camp since 2010 with my younger brother Neruda, and I’ve found great joy in being a youth leader which I started as soon as I could, to now being on staff! I enjoy reading, writing, spending time with my dog, and working with young children! Looking forward to a great session!

 

 

LILLIE PLAJZER-FRICK (she/her)

Summer Camp Counselor or Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub June 12-August 11

I grew up spending my summers at monkey business and now I am so so excited to return as a counselor!! I’ve grown up in Berkeley and now go to Indiana University but plan to return to the bay area when I finish school. I’m majoring in cyber security and polish, which I am fluent in. I also speak some French and German. In my free time I love to go mountain biking, rock climbing, and go to the beach! Spending time outside, especially in Tilden, is one of my favorite things.

 

MEGAN NOBLE

Summer 2023-sub

Hi! One of my favorite memories of Monkey Business Camp is coming back from a day of cheese-tasting only to tell my mom: “I can’t live without Brie!” Now, I’m dairy-free, but still support all the wonders MBC offers. I grew up on the trailhead to Wildcat Canyon and went camping every summer in Point Reyes. Natural spaces have always been a refuge for me, and I hope to share that love with y’all. For 8 years, I taught and managed swim lessons at the El Cerrito pool. I adore the Bay, graduated from Cal, and am now getting my Masters in Creative Writing. I can’t wait to explore and create memories with you!

MYARI ADAMS (she/her)

Summer Camp Counselor (July 24-August 11)

Heya! I’ve always enjoyed my time at Monkey Business. Going as a youth leader, alongside my sister Zakiyah, and eventually working my way up towards a staff member. I’ve loved and lived in the Bay Area since I was little and I can’t imagine my life without it. I’ve been learning Spanish since I entered school and can speak it at a relatively fluent level. When not at camp, you can always find me making friendship bracelets, playing a board game, or just reading. Creating memories at MBC over the years has been one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life and I can’t wait to make more!

 

NAIMA ECKHARDT de CAMARGO (she/her)

Summer Camp Group Leader (July 24-Aug 11)

Hello! My name is Naima and I grew up in Berkeley. My dad is from Germany and my mom is from Brazil, so I was raised speaking both languages and visiting my family outside of the United States. I graduated from Berkeley High in 2018 and now attend UCLA where I study art. I love drawing, listening to music, singing, and dancing. I worked at an art camp for a couple of years before starting at Monkey Business and really enjoy spending time with children of all ages. Monkey Business is such an amazing camp and community and I look forward to getting to spend time together!

 

NEKHI FOSTER

Summer Camp Site Director (All summer, minus June 14-16)

I attended MBC as a camper/youth leader from the early 2000s, and then joined the staff about 10 years ago. I’ve always loved hanging out with the campers and finding creative ways to entertain them. In my free time I enjoy theater, dance, and music.

 

 

Hi there! I’ve been at Monkey Business Camp since 2012, first as a camper, then a youth leader, and on the staff team since 2019. You’ll usually find me helping kids with art or luna sticks, singing songs, being silly, and having lots of fun with campers! Also, I am a beginner in German language. I can’t wait to see you all at camp!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILL SCHOLAR (he/him)

Summer Camp Counselor or Staff Breaks/Special Guest/Sub (All summer)

I’ve been at this camp going back many years starting as a camper, becoming a Youth Leader, and now a Counselor. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, playing games, rock climbing, and hanging out with my pets. I’m very excited for camp to begin and I can’t wait to meet everyone.