Camp Leadership
Gregg Licht
Director
Gregg was an Elmwood camper and began his career as a staff member 32 years ago. In 2003, Elmwood became his year round home. Gregg sits on the board of the the American Camp Association and was the former Program Chairperson for the Tri-State Camp Conference. Gregg was the creator and founder of a highly regarded not-for-profit organization which focused on the performing arts. Its mission was to foster understanding and acceptance amongst children and adolescents. Gregg and his wife, Rachel, are parents to Elmwood campers Emilia and Zoe. Gregg’s booming presence and voice have been resounding throughout Elmwood for over 30 summers.
Kate Wierzbicki
Kate first joined the Elmwood staff as a swim specialist working with the Stepping Stones campers in 2006. It was this early exposure to teaching children that led Kate down the education path in college. After graduating with dual degrees in elementary and special education, Kate was a second grade teacher at a local private school. Now, 21 years after her first summer at Elmwood, Kate is an essential member of our year round team. She is joined at camp by her children Cooper and Hunter, while her youngest Tucker is at home anxiously awaiting his own start to camp.
Rachel Licht
Rachel is the friendly first voice you hear when you call Elmwood. After 12 years as Senior Director of Partner Marketing at Nickelodeon, she joined our year-round team in 2019. A lifelong fan of camp, Rachel works closely with our families and oversees transportation to ensure a seamless experience. She loves the positive impact Elmwood has had on her family, Gregg, Emmy and Zoe, and is proud to be part of this community.
Lauren Dermody
Lauren is a proud Elmwood alum and has extensive experience in the camp world, spending many summers at Elmwood and sleepaway camp as both a camper and staff member. As a member of our year-round team, Lauren plays an integral role in recruiting, hiring, and training our summer staff. She holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Special Education and has taught in both NYC and the Harrison Central School District, as well as at Elmwood Day School. Her three children, Jack, Sam, and Mia, are all Elmwood alumni. Lauren brings creativity, love, and excitement to our entire camp community.
Brittany Marcus
Camp has always been an important part of Brittany’s life. Growing up in Rockland County, she attended both day camp and sleep away camp and loved being a camp counselor. Brittany holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Special Education and spent several years teaching at an independent school in NYC, overseeing their After-School Program and helping to lead their summer camp. Brittany joined the Elmwood team in the summer of 2021 as a Division Head. She loved the sense of community and the camper-focused environment and was thrilled to join the year-round team. Brittany creates a positive and enriching experience while hiring and mentoring staff. Her daughters Ella and Molly are Elmwood alumnae.
Leora Cohen
For 20 years, Leora has called Elmwood home. As both a year-round and summer staff member, she has supported campers and families as they navigate the social and emotional experiences of camp. She has also contributed to many areas of programming, serving as Orientation Director and Club Director and developing the Service Learning, Seniors, and Teen Travel programs. Leora’s two children were Elmwood campers before joining the staff themselves, making Elmwood an important part of her family’s story, too. Leora holds a BA in Psychology and Theater from SUNY Albany and a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work. Before settling in Westchester with her family, she co-directed the Life Lines Community Arts Project in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary arts program. Throughout her career, Leora’s work has been guided by her love of children and her belief in the power of creative, fun, and rewarding group experiences to build social connections and foster a sense of belonging.
Thomas Richardson
Thomas, Elmwood’s Facilities Director, has been part of the Elmwood family since 2005, when he started as a group counselor. After several summers as a specialist and head of maintenance, he returned full-time in 2018 and has led facilities for the past six years. Year-round, Thomas and his team build, fix, and maintain everything at camp, and they keep a particularly close eye on the pool, so campers kids can swim, play, and explore in a space that’s safe and well cared for. Away from camp, Thomas enjoys board games, opera, and tinkering with just about any kind of technology. Having started out as a counselor himself, he knows what camp looks like through a kid’s eyes.
Hillari Boritz, Jeff Ackerman & Bobbi Wittenberg
Directors Emeritus
Elmwood is grateful for the support and guidance of our three Directors Emeritus. Their decades of commitment and leadership have left a lasting impact on the entire Elmwood community.