Camp Executive Team

  • Alex Arnopol

    Executive Director

    Pronouns: They/Them
    Hometown: Portland, OR
    On staff since 2025
    Email: [email protected]

    While new to the Unirondack community, Alex is no stranger to leading value-aligned, radically inclusive spaces rooted in justice and belonging. A resident on the unceded lands of the Multnomah and Klamath peoples, Alex has spent the past decade championing multigenerational, multicultural community centers, camps, and educational collectives that reimagine how we live, learn, and care for one another.

    Most recently, Alex served as Executive Director of Alder Commons—an intentional “third space” in Portland’s Cully neighborhood, where they led programs grounded in collective liberation, mutual aid, and equitable access to learning. As a queer, non-binary leader, Alex centers community-care and joy as acts of resistance, cultivating environments where all people, especially those from historically marginalized communities, can thrive and belong.

    Alex holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Justice and Ethics from Oregon State University and a certification in Justice-Centered Leadership from Lewis & Clark College. Their work is animated by a deep belief that liberation is collective, and that the health of our communities and ecosystems are inseparable.

    Outside of work, Alex is a ceramic artist, environmental advocate, parent to a brilliant 3-year-old, partner to an incredible educator, and an unabashed silly-goose at heart.

  • Caleb Seguin

    Director

    Pronouns: He/Him
    Hometown: Albany, NY
    Years on Staff: 14 Years
    Email: [email protected]

    Caleb Seguin has been working with youth since he was one. He was born and raised in Canada, and earned his BA from Trent University in Ontario. He is the owner/operator of Playful Pianos music studio for kids, and former Project Lead at Northern Youth Abroad, helping Indigenous youth in Canada’s northern territories develop volunteer projects to serve their communities.

    As an Indigenous person, Caleb draws inspiration from the core teachings of his Anishinaabe upbringing to examine youth work through an anti-colonial lens. Throughout his work, he maintains a commitment to fostering values of autonomy, community responsibility, and silliness for its own sake. He balances this with a commitment to addressing the inequities that make outdoor recreation spaces like Camp Unirondack inaccessible for many marginalized communities.

    Caleb has presented at schools, summer camps, conferences, and in professional development settings on topics related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity, anti-colonialism, youth autonomy and privacy, youth-centred behaviour intervention, and more.

    Caleb is dog dad to the little black and white menace known as Pingo. He has a deep passion for jigsaw puzzles and peach cobbler. here

  • Arson Allen

    Co-Manager

    Pronouns: They/He
    Hometown: Albany, NY
    Years on Staff: 6 Years
    Email: [email protected]

    Arson has been a part of the Unirondack community for almost 10 years, first as a camper and then as a staff member. He is honored to be a part of such a wonderful and silly family, and is committed to giving campers of all backgrounds the best experience possible. They are passionate about the power of joy, goofiness, and the natural world in community building and growth. He believes that through access to outdoor spaces and adventures much healing can be found that is otherwise inaccessible to folks of many different experiences.

  • Sam Meister

    Co-Manager

    Pronouns: They/She
    Hometown: Albany, NY
    Years on Staff: 7 Years
    Email: [email protected]

    Sam was a camper at Unirondack as a teenager, then took a long hiatus before returning as an artist in residence, cabin counselor, Art Shop Director for five years before becoming a Manager. During their hiatus from camp, Sam earned a BFA in Fine Arts with a concentration in Illustration from Towson University, and survived cancer. She deeply loves indie comics and other alternative forms of visual storytelling, and believes in the power of artistic experimentation to help each of us discover a sense of identity as children and a sense of levity as grown-ups. 

    Outside of camp, Sam has worked a variety of jobs including at a number of community arts and crafts studios and childhood education centers. As she’s lived and worked throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New York, Sam always strives to carry with them a responsible sense of childlike wonder, silliness, and enthusiasm. She also practices bookbinding.

    Sam and their co-Manager Arson, partners both in life and in work, live at Unirondack for its entire open season, almost half the year.

Leadership Staff

  • Riley George

    Program Director

    Pronouns: She/They/He
    On staff since: 2016
    Email: [email protected]

    Riley George started coming to camp as a camper and has worn the hats of a morning program volunteer, counselor, head counselor, kitchen manager, and now program director for the past several years. 

    Riley believes magic is real and all it takes is dedicated community. 

    When not at camp, she lives in Philadelphia and works as a bartender, server, and substitute teacher. Riley studied French and secondary education at Michigan State University. 

  • Elena Woughter

    Mental Health & Wellness Specialist

    Pronouns: She/Her
    On staff since: 2016
    Email: [email protected]

    Elena recently finished her Master’s Degree in Wilderness Therapy at Naropa University, Elena’s interests include biking, panda bears, Thin Mints, and Camp Unirondack. Elena has been a trusted counselor at Unirondack the past four years and will be continuing her work with Unirondack’s leadership team for a third year in 2020. In her words, “Unirondack has helped to guide me through many aspects of my life, and it is my privilege to give back in any way I can. See you this summer!”

  • pep marie

    Racial Justice Director

    Pronouns: They/Them
    On staff since: 2024
    Email: [email protected]

    Raised in the Quaker tradition, pep marie believes in the good in all people and carries this with them into every collaboration they are a part of. For over a decade pep has provided consulting, facilitation and mediation support for organizations and individuals committed to transforming our world. Thru working with those committed to Educational Justice, Media Rights, Housing Equity, Decarceration, Gender Liberation and Environmental Justice they have sharpened their intersectional approach and understanding of intentional communities. pep is excited to support Unirondack staff, campers and families in building their collective Racial Justice lens via workshops, informal conversations and more this summer! www.pepmarie.com

  • Vaishali Konowitz

    Digital Media Storyteller

    Pronouns: they/them
    On staff since: 2025
    Email: [email protected]

    Vaishali has been coming to Unirondack since 2012 as a part of Family Camp and spent 6 years attending youth summer camp. In 2023, they were a Youth Representative on Unirondack’s Board of Directors. Vaishali’s first year on staff was 2025 as a counselor and social media storyteller/photographer, as well as a member of the racial justice team. Vaishali likes to spend their time taking photos, stargazing, chasing sunsets, having dance parties while blasting music, and will always be ready to jump in a body of water. Vaishali is majoring in Math at the University of Vermont, their favorite word is panini, and favorite colors are orange and green!

    @shali.photos on instagram :)

  • Tuna

    Camp Dog

    On staff since: 2021
    Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

    Tuna Noodle Casserole George has been lounging at camp for 5 summers now. Her great loves at camp are meeting new friends, lounging, getting jazzed in the sand, and sneaking food off of plates abandoned. Her great loves in her life in Philadelphia with Riley George are lounging, exploring parks, scoring street food, and spending time with her human and cat friends. She is lovingly married to Knuckles, former assistant waterfront director, and loves her co-camp dog Pingo even if he sometimes forgets he knows her. Tuna is half husky half Anatolian shepherd, was born in Michigan, and has lived alongside Riley in Detroit, Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. She also enjoys time at her grandmother's in the suburbs of Philly.  Some additional Tuna statistics: Throughout her time at camp, Tuna has stayed in the most cabins of any camp dog; she has splashed around in 4 of the 5 great lakes; and she has all four of her dew claws. 

  • Pingo

    CDiT (Camp Dog in Training)

    On staff since: 2021
    Hometown: Wherever Dad is

    Pingo is mostly a good boy. Except for when he’s not. But he’s working on it.

  • Knuckles

    Camp Dog, Assistant Waterfront Director

    Years on staff: 2015-2025
    Hometown: The Woods

    Knuckles’ first summer at camp was in 2014 and she has been a proud leader ever since. She is a 50-pound mut mix who loves campers and is eager to participate in camp activities such as lying in the dirt, chewing sticks, swimming, boating, chasing chipmunks, and looking pitiful in an (often successful) attempt to acquire treats and belly rubs. She has diligently served as camp’s assistant waterfront director since 2016.

  • Bug

    Assistant Manager

    Years on staff: 2012-2024
    Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

    Bug enjoyed basking in the sun in the hallway of Sophia Fahs, pretending to chase butterflies and squirrels but very slowly, and eating any snacks he could coerce you to part with. He was a constant companion to Eliz, especially in the spring and fall when he enjoyed bounding around along the paths at Unirondack, or lazing about the art shop.