Leadership Family

Mary Page’s earliest memories are at Merri-Mac and she started as a camper when she was 7 years old. Her years have been measured by counting down until summer for as long as she can remember. Will spent his college summers working at a camp on the North Carolina coast where he developed a passion for camp and experienced the unique impact that overnight camping can have in a child’s life.

Mary Page and Will met while in college at UNC-Chapel Hill and got married in 2018 after each finishing Master’s degrees at Wake Forest University. They represent the third generation of the Boyd family leading Camp Merri-Mac, and they are now counting down the days until their daughter, Annie Mac, can move into Tweedle Dee to start her camp story! 

Camp is an adventure, and Mary Page and Will are excited to experience it each summer alongside our Merri-Mac girls.

The Boyd family has owned and operated Camps Merri-Mac and Timberlake for over forty-five years. Adam and Ann still have as much fun as the campers, and remain directors alongside their daughter, Mary Page, and son-in-law, Will.

Adam and Ann met while on summer staff at Merri-Mac. After graduating from Wofford College, and later earning a M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, Adam returned to camp where he served for ten years as the Timberlake Director. In the fall of 2001, Adam began directing Merri-Mac also. Ann holds a B.A. from Converse College and shares Adam’s role as Camp Director. Together they are committed to sharing summers of fun and growth with camp age children.

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NEXT: Samantha Hadley
Camp Directors

Adam & Ann Boyd

The Boyd family has owned and operated Camps Merri-Mac and Timberlake for over forty-five years. Adam and Ann still have as much fun as the campers, and remain directors alongside their daughter, Mary Page, and son-in-law, Will.

Adam and Ann met while on summer staff at Merri-Mac. After graduating from Wofford College, and later earning a M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, Adam returned to camp where he served for ten years as the Timberlake Director. In the fall of 2001, Adam began directing Merri-Mac also. Ann holds a B.A. from Converse College and shares Adam’s role as Camp Director. Together they are committed to sharing summers of fun and growth with camp age children.

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NEXT: Katy Ferguson
Merri-Mac Office Manager

Samantha Hadley

Samantha grew up in Vermont and moved to North Carolina to attend UNC Asheville. After graduation, she married her husband Paul and began working at Camps Merri-Mac & Timberlake. It was such a great fit that she has been in the camp office for over 20 years. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her husband, son Dylan and beloved dog Lacey.

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NEXT: Andrea Young (Pelham)
Timberlake Office Manager

Katy Ferguson

Katy has been with Camps Merri-Mac and Timberlake since 2018. She grew up in Michigan going to camp every summer, then continued her love of camping by working at various camps throughout her time at Western Michigan University. While working at a camp she met her husband, Branch, and together they have three children, Bella, Gus and Lilly. In her free time, she enjoys kickboxing and being with her family outdoors hiking and playing sports. She believes in the mission of camp and the benefits it brings to each child.

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NEXT: Elizabeth Olvey
Associate Director

Andrea Young (Pelham)

Andrea Young spent nearly the first two decades of her life attending a girls summer camp. She fell in love with the community that can be found in camp and continued to chase that community after graduating from Presbyterian College. Andrea joined the Merri-Mac and Timberlake team in 2019 as an Assistant Director. She is thrilled to continue serving the Camp Merri-Mac community. Andrea spends the majority of her time recruiting summer staff, cultivating relationships and organizing program data. You can almost always find her creating an effective system for any branch of camp or playing with the puppies.

In the 2023 off-season, Andrea got married to Karl! Their dog, Oliver Mack, is a graduate of our Summer 2020 PAWS program!

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NEXT: Bobby Boyd
Assistant Director

Elizabeth Olvey

Elizabeth Olvey spent each summer during college on staff with Camp Merri-Mac. She believes camp is the absolute best way to spend your summer, whether it be as a camper or staff member. Elizabeth now serves as an Assistant Director, hiring and developing our counselors. She hopes for them to experience the same rich relationships and Gospel-centered work that marked her time on staff. It is not uncommon to find Elizabeth still running and playing evening activities (#blackbearsbesttribe) and soaking up all the fun that comes with the territory of camp work. She hopes to continue to contribute to the mission of camp through these relationships and play for years to come.

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NEXT: Robert Lewis
Grounds Manager

Bobby Boyd

Staff Bio coming soon!

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NEXT: Patrick Emery
Property Manager

Robert Lewis

A lifelong love of tearing down and building up started with Tonka trucks, tricycles, and treehouses, I needed to know how they worked and how to make them better. What began as simple child’s play turned into my desire to study drafting and design which quickly propelled me into the building trades industry. Construction taught me patience through the process. Sales taught me people matter more than products. Ownership taught me priorities increase progress. Camp-Merri-Mac taught me that I get to live the motto I have continuously shared with my three children, “Do what you love, and love what you do!”

I have been married 38 years to my lovely wife Karen. I enjoy boating and gardening in my leisure, but my favorite pastime is being Poppy to my five amazing grandchildren!

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NEXT: Catherine and John Menendez
Black Mountain Expeditions Director

Patrick Emery

Patrick joins us with over twenty years of leading, instructing and innovating in the outdoor industry, beginning at Geneva College leading the Pisgah Program and serving as the Challenge Course Coordinator. He then served fifteen years with the Resource Specialist Team and finally as the Assistant Director of the CCO’s Experiential Design Programs. Most recently Patrick served as the site director for OneLife Institute’s Trade and Culinary gap year program. 

Patrick holds a M.A. from Columbia International University and is certified as a WEA Outdoor Educator, WMA Wilderness First Responder, PCIA Single Pitch Instructor, ACA Canoeing L1 Instructor, Coastal Kayaking L2 Instructor and River Rescue L3 Instructor.

He and his wife April have three teenage children and together they are committed to designing custom programs, expeditions and adventures with purpose.

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NEXT: Adam Kepke
Timberlake Directors

Catherine and John Menendez

Catherine and John first met while in college at Vanderbilt and connected over their love of summer camp. To now be directing our brother camp, Timberlake, together is a dream come true. Along with their three children, Peter, Thomas and Betsy, they are excited to share love of camp with our campers and staff each summer.

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NEXT: Morgan "MoMo" Sarkin
Assistant Director

Adam Kepke

Adam spent every summer in college working at a camp in Northern Wisconsin specializing in adventure and wilderness tripping. He believes that both attending camp and working at camp can be incredible catalyst experiences for growth and formation. Adam loves teaching and working with students and campers using a trail or a river as his classroom. When not at camp you can find Adam doing any number of outdoor adventures with his wonderful wife Katherine. Adam is so excited for the summer and for the many ways that God will work!

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NEXT: Caleb Owen
Camp Intern

Morgan "MoMo" Sarkin

Morgan, or “MoMo” as most might know her, has been coming to Camp Merri-Mac since 2009 as a young Tweedle Doe camper. A recent graduate from the University of Georgia (go dawgs!!), she is now serving as our intern, and couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to be!

Camp will always be such a special place and a second home, and that is because of the Christ-centered community, awesome staff and campers she gets to know and love summer after summer, and evening activities, of course!! When MoMo is not planning fun events for campers and recruiting new counselors, you can find her in Athens cheering on the dawgs, going on long walks with her friends, or making her famous cheese straws!

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NEXT: Adam & Ann Boyd
Timberlake Associate Director

Caleb Owen

Caleb first found Camps Timberlake and Merri-Mac his junior year at Appalachian State. He started working as a counselor and has been here every summer since. He now serves as one of our interns learning behind the scenes of year-round camping and staff recruitment. “I want to develop and encourage the same Christian camp community I found here to equip the next generation.” When he’s not planning and teaching camp adventures, you can find Caleb out on the trail or river enjoying the western Carolina mountains.