Rev. Nick Jeffries - Director
Nick joined the Chestnut Ridge Staff in the Spring of 2006. He is a South Carolina native who first moved to NC to go to college. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor degree in Sociology. While Nick once pondered the notion of becoming a professional bowler, he knew that God was calling him to other things. Nick graduated from Duke Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree. He is an Ordained Deacon associated with the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Nick and his wife, Miriam, have three sons, Levi, Samuel, and Micah.
Chris Burtner - Equestrian Director
Chris joined the full-time staff as Garden Manager in 2009. Prior to taking the reins of The Community Farm at Chestnut Ridge, Chris had been volunteer managing a community garden and teaching preschool and elementary children in Fuquay-Varina, NC. With an undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and years of work experience in the veterinary medical field, Chris was well suited to take over livestock management in 2010. In 2011, Chris also added Equestrian Director to her expanding role at camp. Chris has over 20 years of riding experience and certification from the American Riding Instructor Association as well as certification in Equine Assisted Growth and Learning. She and her husband Paul, are big Hokie fans and try to make it back to Blacksburg for a football or basketball game each year. When she’s not digging in the dirt, or hanging out with the horses, you can find Chris taking a walk in the woods or curled up with a good book. Chris looks forward to sharing the joy of horses with our campers and guests.
_JPG.jpg)
Jacob Normyle - Afterschool Director
Jacob joined us as Afterschool Director after working in several capacities at camp. Jacob was on the Camp Chestnut Ridge summer staff in 2019 and 2020, then served as a program specialist from 2023-2024. He also spent several years as a special education teacher in Wilmington, NC. When Jacob isn’t at camp you can find him at the beach, hanging out with his cat, or drinking coffee at his favorite coffee place.
Rev. Adam Ledbetter-Bock -
Summer Camp Director
Adam joined the full-time staff in 2019 after finishing his Masters of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity. Adam began working at Chestnut Ridge in 2015 as a counselor and retreat staffer while he was a student at UNC studying psychology and communication. When not in the office, you can find Adam running, climbing, working on and riding bikes, drinking coffee, or exploring new places. Adam is a proud Durham native and lives there with his wife, Hope, who is also a pastor in the United Methodist Church.
Erica Romkema - Farm Manager
Erica grew up in the rural Midwest amidst dairies, lakes, cornfields, and combines. After completing a major in English, she began noticing changes within agriculture and wondered what that might mean for the family farm and the natural world. This inspired her to earn an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Environment with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture; since then, she has been able to invite many, many children to discover the joys of nature within the context of our small farm at Chestnut Ridge! Her other interests include traveling, creating welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces, and spending time with her son Luca and golden retriever Hattie.
Christine Peckman -
Outdoor Education Director
and Office Administrator
Christine originally hails from the Northeast, but has called NC home for many years. Christine loves teaching kids about science; especially programs containing to nature, animals, and the outdoors. Christine lives on her own little farm, where she has many animals, including her prize winning goats that you can see at the State Fair. In addition to teaching at a local Community College, Christine works with all of our local teachers to plan wonderful field trips to Chestnut Ridge
Joel Roberts - Maintenance Director
Joel has been a part of the Chestnut Ridge community longer than anyone can remember, and as such, he is somewhat of a historian regarding the history of the ministry at Chestnut Ridge. As part of the maintenance staff, Joel continually amazes everyone with his ability to fix just about anything. When he is not repairing buildings, driving the tractor, or deftly wielding a chainsaw, Joel is always ready with a fascinating story to tell. As a world traveler, Joel has taken adventures to places both near and far. He has survived -40 degree temperatures in the Utah mountains, climbed narrow shafts in the Egyptian pyramids, and avoided a coup attempt in Zimbabwe. To the amazement of all, Joel shares these stories, and imparts other life lessons to all the campers at Chestnut Ridge.
Carrie Simms - Assistant Equestrian Director
Carrie was born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. She graduated from Appalachian State in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in history with a anthropology minor. Carrie came to Chestnut Ridge for the first time in 2014. She spent 2 years as the Equestrian Intern before going up to New York to work at a dressage barn. Carrie returned to Chestnut Ridge in 2018 to help Chris run the equestrian program as the Assistant Director. Carrie has more than 20 years of horse and riding experience. Most recently she has ridden with a Grand Prix dressage rider who helped to greatly expand her knowledge of horses and their care. Armed with this new knowledge, Carrie is ready to pass it on to campers and retreat goers of all ages. Outside of camp, Carrie enjoys perfecting her riding skills on her horse Raffles, reading, drawing, knitting, Frisbee golfing, watching hockey(Go Canes!), singing along to the radio, and hanging out with her cats, Keo and Ari.
Emilee grew up in the mountains of Brevard, NC, and moved to Raleigh to go to school at NC State, graduating in 2022 with a Sport Management and Nonprofit Studies degree. She joined the Chestnut Ridge team in 2024. Growing up in the United Methodist Church, she cares deeply about fostering community and building genuine relationships with others. When not at work, Emilee enjoys reading, going on walks, watching college basketball, and spending time with friends.
Emilee Dodson - Retreat Coordinator & Summer Camp Registrar
Meg Hoffman - Seeds of Faith Director
Meg is happiest when she is out in nature or sitting in a circle of children and wondering about God, which makes being at Chestnut Ridge pretty much her dream job. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to help equip parents and caregivers to share their faith with their children through the Seeds of Faith program. Prior to starting this role at camp, Meg taught elementary school in both Virginia and North Carolina and then served as co-pastor and Kids Director at Oak Church in Durham. When she's not at camp, you'll find Meg working in her garden, making quilts, or walking around Hillsborough. Meg and her husband Matt have two sons, James and Sam.
Sandy Straw - Garden Manager
and Foodservice Director
Sandy has worked at Camp Chestnut Ridge in many capacities for over a decade, most notably at the Community Farm. A graduate of NC State, she has traveled for work as an environmental educator, AmeriCorps volunteer, organic farmer, barista, baker and Education Manager along the Appalachian Trail. Not at camp you can find her walking her border collie Diego, propagating plants in her backyard, or teaching about tea, the drink and the plant. Before securing this position in the kitchen, she completed her Master’s Degree in Agriculture Education from NC A & T. Presently, she is working on farm-to-table recipes for the camp kitchen and creating a food forest incorporating the tea plant, Camellia sinensis at the Community Farm.
Kimberly Wassil - Preschool Director
Kim grew up in North Carolina, and while she has taken time away to travel, she continues to return to her roots. Her interest in working with young children began in high school, and this, combined with her love of the mountains, led her to Appalachian State University where she obtained a degree in Child Development. Kim loves sharing in new discoveries with children and evoking their understanding of the world around them by asking questions to further their thinking. She recently discovered forest kindergartens and was immediately drawn to the philosophy and opportunities they offer for children to connect with nature. Outside of her work with children, Kim enjoys crafts, hiking and backpacking, traveling, and taking classes to try her hand at new skills.
Megan Farley-Stephenson- Preschool Teacher
Megan discovered the outdoor preschool at Chestnut Ridge when searching for a Pre-K for her children. With its holistic approach to child development, emphasis on teaching reverence for nature, and its process-oriented approach to early childhood education, Megan felt she had found a good fit for her kids and a professional home that aligned with her values. Megan earned a B.S. in Art Education from Appalachian State University and a M.P.S. in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute. In both educational and professional experiences, Megan has specialized in and deeply enjoyed working with young children.
Naomi Olmos - Preschool Teacher
A born and raised Durhamite, Naomi grew up with a strong connection to nature through gardening and exploring the outdoors with her grandmother, who taught her to talk to birds and listen to plants. Her Montessori education sparked her passion for child-led learning, which she continued while teaching at a Montessori preschool during her time at the University of New Mexico. After moving back to NC and two years at a Reggio Emilia inspired school, Naomi found her love for nature-based education had grown deeper and looked for a school that could truly reflect her. She believes in guiding children to learn through hands-on experiences outdoors, while also helping them build emotional awareness and empathy for all life around them through mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Outside of teaching, Naomi enjoys gardening, learning crochet, going for walks, and catching live music shows.
Bella Fasone - Program Specialist
This is Bella's 5th year on staff, previously working as a Summer Camp Counselor for the past 4 summers. She is originally from Knightdale, NC but had a brief time in Northern Virginia while getting her Bachelor's in Global Affairs. Her favorite things to do while at camp are spending time at the Community Farm, participating in Morning Worship, and Home in the Woods! When not at camp you'll find her wandering in the local library, spending time with her cats, and spending far too much time on her current diamond art picture.
Gemma Mohan - Program Specialist
Gemma comes to Camp Chestnut Ridge from Green Township, New Jersey after working at her childhood camp for 5 years. She served in various positions like Camp Counselor, Arts & Crafts Coordinator, Program Intern, and Program Coordinator, and is excited to bring her experience to the Chestnut Ridge team. Though born and raised in New Jersey, Gemma went to college at UNC Asheville, where she received her Bachelors of Arts in English and discovered her love for working with children and youth. When not at camp, Gemma enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and drawing.
Matt Schumacher -
Maintenance Extraordinaire
Matt has been a fixture of the Chestnut Ridge Community for over 20 years. Since starting as a camper, Matt has lent his talents to many areas at camp, especially the maintenance and farm departments. When not at camp, you may find Matt playing disc golf, showing off his spicy peppers at the state fair, or going on an adventure with his wife, Sarah, and his doggo, Lina.
