We have a diverse board of directors with a wide range of experience in youth development, education, summer camp, fundraising, and non-profit management. We always have parents of the youth we serve on our board.
President: ADAM DAVIS was the executive director of Camp of Dreams from its inception as a non-profit through August, 2008. Adam is Senior Research Associate with the Project on Civic Reflection; the lead facilitator and coordinator of the Illinois Humanities Council's Justice Talking, a seminar series for service organizations throughout Illinois and the country; an instructor in the Odyssey Project in the Humanities, a college level course which teaches the humanities to adults living in poverty; and a lecturer in political philosophy at the University of Chicago. He is the co-editor of The Civically Engaged Reader (2006) and Talking Service (2008), and he spent several years as a backcountry trail crew leader for the United States Forest Service. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (2003).
Vice-President: J.B. MANTZ is the Director of Direct Marketing for Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, a residential treatment home for abused and neglected children. J.B. has led presentations on non-profit fundraising to the University of Chicago, the National Catholic Development Conference, and the Direct Marketing Association. Prior to Mercy Home, J.B. was a consultant for the Washington, D.C.-based strategy consulting boutique Dean & Company, where he worked for companies in the utility, banking, and private equity arenas. He has a B.A from Northwestern University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.
Secretary: JUDY WALLENSTEIN was owner/director of Camp Nebagamon from 1988-2003. Located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Nebagamon is a traditional residential boys’ camp of 240 campers and a staff of 120. Being responsible for the fun, feeding, planning, health, and management of this community - let alone paying the bills - were amongst her daily duties. Before camp Judy free-lanced as a foodie, teaching classes at Marshall Field’s and testing recipes at the Sun-Times. She also owned her own gourmet food store, the original Food Works on Armitage Ave. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in education, she was a teacher and social worker. Her hobbies involve cooking, entertaining, being in the out-of-doors, exercising, gardening, and reading.
Treasurer: STEPHEN WEBER is the CFO of Educational Endeavors. Formerly, he was the Operation and Sales Manager for Prinz Ltd., a distributor and manufacturer of photo frames and albums. He holds an M.B.A. in International Business (2003), an M.A. in English and Creative Writing (1995), and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1992). Before moving to Prinz, Steve was a staff accountant with Hochfelder & Weber, P.C. and a bartender at the Gingerman Tavern and Moran’s Bar and Grill. He has tutored at the Uptown Learning Center and he plays a mean lead guitar for the Chicago band, Quiet Kid.
Directors
ANTHONY ANDERSON, born and raised in Chicago, currently finds himself living in Los Angeles where he is in the arduous final stages of becoming a licensed Architect. Anthony has spent the last three years with Daly Genik Architects where much of his focus has been on the design of several buildings for the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University and a Masters of Architecture degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). But his greatest achievement to this day, he feels, has been the successful 30 seconds of barefoot waterskiing while at summer camp in Wisconsin.
THURSTON BAILEY grew up in the Midwest, Texas and North Carolina before attending college at the University of Chicago where he obtained a B.A. in Public Policy Studies. After college, Thurston worked as a financial analyst at Northern Trust in Chicago, but two years later decided to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. After law school at the University of Michigan, Thurston practiced general litigation and labor and employment law in Houston, Texas for 9 years and then at the law firm of Schiff Hardin LLP in Chicago. Currently, Thurston serves as in house counsel at Optiver US LLC, a company in the capital markets trading business. Over the years, Thurston has volunteered extensively with programs that have involved some aspect of education, mentorship, or trying to help kids—including chairing a program designed to help with legal representation of abused children; chairing and participating in a program offering tutoring to middle schools children; volunteering as a substitute teacher; and volunteering for a program designed to encourage children to read. In his spare time, Thurston enjoys reading, recreational bike riding and photography.
JASON BURRELL, a native Chicagoan, was raised in Hyde Park where he attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools from kindergarten through High School. Jason spent four years in Washington, D.C., where he received a B.A. in English from Georgetown University. Returning to Chicago in the summer of 1994, Jason spent five years working in the service industry for the Levy Restaurant Group. In the winter of 1999, Jason and a co-worker set out on their own and opened The Long Room, a Lakeview tavern which continues to flourish in a steadily growing area. Jason owns and manages the real estate on which The Long Room operates, including residential and retail tenants. In 2003, Jason obtained a real estate license and joined his mother's company, Burrell Realty, as a sales associate. Burrell Realty specializes in the residential market, as well as investment properties and office leasing.
DEBBI DAMESHEK, born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, has lived in Chicago for the last 15 years. She studied Fashion Merchandising at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont and has spent the last 15 years working as an HR Consultant for Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, IL. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the US to visit her 5 nephews and her niece, loves to vacation in warmer climates, and she studies ballet.
ERIC DAVIS began his educational career as a teacher and coach roughly 15 years ago. Since then, Eric has founded and/or served as Executive Director of several organizations as well as consulted for a wide range of institutions from start-up non-profits to multi-million dollar behemoths. Eric’s greatest professional joy comes from building learning organizations that grow strategically and organically. Most notably, Eric founded Educational Endeavors and Camp of Dreams. Eric serves as a board member for Camp of Dreams and Polyphony H.S. He is very excited about his newest venture, which ties it all together, the Global Citizenship Experience.
CHRIS HARPER graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. At Penn, Chris was the captain of the men’s varsity track team and became the only person in the Ivy League to win a race four consecutive years (outdoor 200m). After several years in corporate America and helping to start an elementary school Chris has started his own training and fitness company, Apex Training & Wellness, and a Subway sandwich franchise. Chris currently serves on the board of the Camp of Dreams and the auxiliary board for High Jump Chicago.
LOIS HAUSELMAN has spent the last twenty-three years as co-founder and executive editor of Other Voices, an award winning literary magazine housed at the UIC in Chicago. Previously, she was an account executive in an advertising firm in San Francisco and scriptwriter and film consultant with Lifestyle Productions in Chicago. The company produced many short films, which included "Where Is Dead?" a short film dealing with death for children and adults which made its way into public and private schools and won a prestigious Cinema-Chicago Film award. She takes great pride in having been the first woman in 120 years to become president of the Anshe Emet Synagogue and equally values having been the Coach of the Anshe Emet Eagles Girls Softball Team for eighteen years. Married to Marty (who never stops practicing law) for forty three years, they've become very-frequent-fliers to LA, Denver, and Japan visiting kids and grandkids. Between flights, Lois continues to write, paint and play tennis.
BUD HERZOG grew up in Highland Park, Ill. and graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a BBA degree. Bud then started a 40 year career in the insurance business with Eliel and Loeb Co. and Meeker-Magner Co. One of his specialties was camp insurance. At one time, Bud insured 17 camps, some of which were non-profit organizations. Camp Nebagamon was Bud's first introduction to camping, spending 10 years there as a camper and counselor. Bud also has attended Camp Nebagamon's Family Camp each year for the past 25 years. After retirement, Bud now enjoys time with his wife of 41 years, Hazel, and their 3 children and their families, including 6 grandchildren. His hobbies include traveling, fishing, biking, classical music, piano playing, writing songs, and attending Alumni classes at Northwestern.
CLAUDIA HINTON is a mental health consultant with Head Start programs in Chicago, where she trains teachers, staff and parents and evaluates children’s service needs. Claudia also volunteers with Rape Victim Advocates to provide crisis intervention and support, and she serves on the board of directors of Notre Dame High School for Girls. Claudia grew up with her three brothers and recently immigrated parents on the South Side of Chicago, and she attended a combination of public and Catholic schools before getting her BS from Loyola University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Claudia and her husband, Kevin currently live on the near North side of Chicago with their two daughters, Amber and Sophia.
LINDA KONOP is the Director of Canine Concierge Services, and the Director of Education and Vice President of Human Resources, Community Relations and Operations at Top Dog Productions. At Top Dog she works with dogs from a variety of backgrounds to ensure their well-being and happiness. Linda has a Me.D. in Teaching from DePaul University (2005) and a B.A. in History from Kenyon College (1998). She has a variety of experience in the camping industry including 14 summers as a camper, counselor, Tennis Director and Director of Wilderness Education at Camp Birch Trail in Minong, Wisconsin and two summers as the Tennis Director at the JCC Apachi Chicago Day Camp in Chicago.
BRIAN KRAMER is a senior member of the McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility Department, and has recently moved to Australia to lead a team from Sydney. Prior to joining the Corporate Social Responsibility department, Brian held a number of positions within McDonald’s, bridging the gap between technology and communications through change management and strategic online communications. Brian is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys wilderness tripping, sailing and windsurfing, and native gardening. Having spent the majority of his summers at Camp Nebagamon, a summer camp for boys in Northern Wisconsin, Brian understands first-hand the value that camps provide in fostering leadership, personal responsibility, and lifelong friendships. Brian has an MBA from Loyola University, Chicago and a BS in Economics and Environmental Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
MIKE MITTERMANN, born and raised in NW Indiana, has lived in Chicago since 1999. Mike studied Biology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), where he was a Surgical First Assistant before making a rather large career change to Corporate America. Mike has since been at Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, IL, where he leads large, complex benefits outsourcing projects for Fortune 500 companies. He has been there for 10 years. His daughter, Allie, is a sophomore at Indiana University majoring in Elementary Education. Mike strongly believes all children should be afforded the same opportunities as were provided to his daughter. Mike loves to travel, is an avid White Sox fan, and enjoys live theatre.
EBONY MUHAMMAD is the parent of 2 Camp of Dreams Dreamers, and joined the Camp of Dreams board recently. Ebony is a student and active mom in her kids’ lives.
JOHN H. PRATT is the President of Boomerang Information Services, a Chicago-based research and information firm serving legal and lending institutions. Prior to this position, John worked for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago as Director of the Annual Fund and Interim Vice President of Development, and The Alford Group, Inc., a consulting firm serving non-profit organizations. John received both a B.A. in English and an M.B.A. from Indiana University. His civic commitments include serving as past president of Youth Organization Umbrella’s Junior Board and the Secretary for the Franklin Square Foundation, a family foundation in Chicago, IL.
KANDACE THOMAS is a dedicated and experienced advocate for low-income children and their families. Currently, she is a program officer at the Irving Harris Foundation working to build systems for young children on the local, regional and national level. She is also a founder and the co-director of Camp Sojourner, an overnight, sleep-away camp for Philadelphia girls. She has a deep commitment to ensuring that children growing up in cities have access to the outdoors and enriching summer camp experiences. Kandace received her Masters of Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago in 2004, her BA in Sociology and African-American Studies from Wesleyan University, and she grew up in the Bronx.
VICTORIA THOMAS founded Trio Realty Group, a commercial and residential real estate brokerage company in 2004, and joined Chicago’s @ Properties in 2009. Prior to that she created, owned and operated quick service healthy restaurants for 15 years. Her previous business experience includes project management of commercial retail shopping centers for a local developer and she was a Multistate Tax Consultant for Price Waterhouse, one of the "Big Eight" accounting firms in the 1980's. Victoria has a Bachelor's of Science degree from DePaul University with a major in accounting. Her hobbies include playing tennis, architecture, travel & cultures and collecting contemporary art. Born in Greece and immigrating to San Francisco as a youngster she experienced first hand how important proper educational guidance and role models are to young adults. She now makes the River North neighborhood of Chicago her home.