In 2021, Wildwood began the search for a new Camp Director. After months of searching, Kevin Anderson joined the team in February 2022, and he is already making a huge difference for Wildwood.
But it won’t be his first summer at Wildwood! Kevin worked as a counselor and seasonal staff at Wildwood for several years in the mid-2000s.
What are some of your early experiences in the outdoors? How did you get interested?
I was extremely fortunate to spend many weekends wandering my grandpa’s farm in western Kansas with my cousins or fishing and camping with my dad at the local lake.
There was something special about the feeling of being out at these places and just interacting with the world around me, and I look forward to enabling youth from our community to have similar experiences at camp this summer.
How did you first find Wildwood? What was that experience like?
I first heard about Wildwood from friends at college who had worked here as camp counselors, and I joined them as a counselor myself.
The experience was a blast! I had an unforgettable summer, and it certainly changed my life for the better. Within a few months of leaving WIldwood, I was signed up to come back not only for the next summer, but also live on site and work the spring and fall outdoor school programs.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
For the last few years I have been pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling from MidAmerica Nazarene University, and I worked at Kids TLC in Olathe for the last six years.
I am beyond excited to be returning to Wildwood! I cannot wait to do my part for Wildwood to continue offering the transformative summertime experiences. that meant so much to me when I first got to be part of Wildwood as a counselor over ten years ago!
What are some of your passions outside work?
When not working, I love to camp, hike a trail, play disc golf with friends, or play a song on the mandolin (badly).
What are you most looking forward to in this position?
A couple of things come to mind: first, I am most looking forward to seeing camp full of kids having fun playing games, catching fish, and splashing around in canoes. I am also very excited to begin the community-building process that starts when our fantastic counselors arrive for their first day of staff training.
