Welcoming New Staff in 2024!
We are thrilled to be announcing 2 new but familiar faces to our Year Round team at Gwynn Valley Camp: Andy Dial and Mary Kathryn Craft.
Andy is a born and raised Carolinian who grew up in Pisgah Forest where he learned an appreciation for the wilderness. He is very fond and familiar with the surrounding forests and parks that Brevard has to offer. His favorite tree species is the Fraser Fir, a native tree to the high mountain tops of NC. He has an affinity for exploring the woods and rebuilding machines. He is passionate about conservation efforts in the outdoor areas he frequents. His appreciation of the natural world is one of the reasons he was drawn back to camp work and he hopes to share this passion for the natural world with others.
Andy worked on our team maintenance from 2019-2022 and then worked in tree service and trail maintenance in the area. Andy has returned as a member of our Maintenance team keeping our grounds beautiful year round. He is excited to utilize his technical skills in trail building, tree service, and machinery to support the ongoing maintenance at camp. Andy looks forward to learning more and gaining new experiences year round at Gwynn Valley. He enjoys the ‘simple joys’ of life that working year round generates in the great outdoors. We are so excited to have him back!
We’re also really excited to have Mary Kathryn join our year round team as the Assistant Director of Communications. She first came to Gwynn Valley as a camper in 2002 and returned almost every summer in her childhood and early adulthood. She moved through the GV pipeline as camper, Staff in Training, cabin counselor, Waterfront program leader and Leadership staff as Mountainside Head Counselor for two summers. Mary Kathryn is driven to create a safe and nurturing environment for campers to flourish, help staff develop interpersonal and communication skills, and leads with respect and admiration for the natural world. She has worked alongside children as a caretaker, tutor, mentor, and facilitator since 2006. She attributes her zeal for childhood development and the great outdoors to her experiences and own growth at Gwynn Valley.
Mary Kathryn graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation & Sports Administration and a Minor in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. Mary Kathryn is a certified 200 HR Yoga Teacher, 95 Hour Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher, Master Reiki Practitioner and Red Cross Lifeguard. Mary Kathryn worked at GV the summers spanning 2015-2019, she thereafter traveled to New Zealand and worked in hospitality for a year before moving to Denver, Colorado to work in outdoor recreation, health technology, accounting, marketing, recruiting, childcare and yoga teaching. Returning to her home state and beloved Western North Carolina, Mary Kathryn looks forward to spending time outdoors, hiking with her black lab Ridge and connecting with the Brevard community. At Gwynn Valley, Mary Kathryn will be heading the communication department, running our social media accounts, planning events, responsible for accounts payable and receivable, communicating with staff, parents and campers throughout the year, assisting with program development and planning, and creating marketing materials.
