Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund

• Jessica Stein Diamond, executive director
• Brian Kramer, president
• Amy Foxman, vice president
• Joe Shacter, treasurer
• Ric Best
• Troika Brodsky
• Andy Cohen
• Stephanie Hanson
• Brad Herzog
• Adam Kaplan
• Joey Laskin
• Jeff Levinson
• Jonathan Scharff
• Steph Tomasky
• Bernard Stein, Advisor
• Sally Lorber Stein, Advisor
• Jane Stein Kerr, Advisor

Former board members

• Charlie Barrows
• Gene Dattel
• Jim Gerstein
• Mike Goldman
• Jim Guest
• Bill Hensel
• Bud Herzog
• Fred Joseph
• John Montag
• Larry Rivkin
• Suzanne Bong Scharff

Jessica Stein Diamond, executive director

As the granddaughter and daughter of Nebagamon’s first two sets of directors, Jessie has Nebagamon in her DNA. While for obvious reasons, she did not attend Nebagamon as a camper, Jessie spent her early childhood summers at camp, enjoyed countless family camp sessions, pre-camp and post-camp work crews, and worked on the staff in various capacities from 1979 – 1982 and 1986 – 1987. A graduate of Cornell University, Jessie writes regularly for university alumni magazines and nonprofits, and provides writing and editing support to academics and faith leaders. Her husband, Scott, was a Nebagamon camper and counselor. They are the parents of Daisy and Ian, who enjoyed six tremendous summers at Nebagamon.

Brian Kramer, president

Brian spent the first 24 summers of his life at Nebagamon. His father, Eric “Rock” led the Tripping Program, so his first summers were spent on the Range with brother, John, and mother, Sara Jill. This was followed by six summers as a camper (1988 – 1993) and another six on staff down at the waterfront (1995 – 2000). Brian earned a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Macalester College and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and currently is director of Global Sustainability for PepsiCo. Brian and his wife, Andrea, reside in Highland Park, IL where they often run into fellow Nebagamon alums.

Amy Foxman, vice president

Amy was on staff at Nebagamon from 2004 – 2007, and she served as Associate Director from 2007 – 2009. Amy is the President of Ability ABA, which provides behavior analytic services to individuals of varying abilities. Amy has her doctorate in Special Education and a Master’s degree in Severe/Low Incidence Disabilities and Behavior Analysis. Throughout her career, Amy has worked extensively with individuals with autism and other disabilities, from early childhood to adult, providing both direct and clinical consultant services in settings that include private clinics, early childhood centers, public and private schools, family and group homes, and hospitals. Amy lives in Dallas with her family and cherishes remaining involved in the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund.

Joe Shacter

Joe Shacter is Senior Manager for State Corridors at Amtrak, based in Chicago. In this role, Joe is spearheading the planning of important infrastructure investments that will improve Amtrak service throughout the Midwest. He also serves as Amtrak’s primary liaison with the state departments of transportation that support Amtrak operations in the region. Prior to joining Amtrak in 2015, he was Director of Public and Intermodal Transportation at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), a role in which he oversaw state investments in transit and passenger/freight rail. From 2004 – 2010, Joe worked at the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago and then as an independent consultant, primarily focusing on clean transportation policy. Joe worked in the museum industry between 1992 – 2004, serving as president of Chicago’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for four years and the prior eight as director of exhibit projects at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Joe has master’s degrees in Journalism and Business Administration from Northwestern University. Years as camper 1971 – 1975; years on summer staff 1978 – 1981; years as assistant, then associate director 1982 – 1985. Loyal alum: forever!

Ric Best

Ric, originally from the Chicago area, is a first-generation member of the camp family who attended Nebagamon as a camper from 2001 to 2007 and for four additional summers as a cabin counselor, primarily in the Axeman village. At camp, Ric worked in various projects and was involved leading several larger projects, including Paul Bunyan Day and GTCs. Ric graduated Yale University in 2014 with degrees in Economics and Computer Science and then spent eight years living in Philadelphia working as a trader before moving to Nassau, Bahamas in 2022 to continue his trading career. Ric is an avid sports fan and whenever possible enjoys cheering on his favorite teams: the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and Longbell.

Troika Brodsky

Bio and photo coming soon 🙂

Andy Cohen

Andy “Aco” spent 7 summers as a camper from 2004 to 2010 and then spent 9 summers on staff (2012 – 2021) as a cabin counselor in the Swamper, Axeman, and Lumberjack villages, and as the head of the sailing project. In 2019, Aco joined the camp administrative team and worked as the co-Lumberjack village director and then in 2021 as Axeman village director. Aco’s favorite part of camp for the last decade has been working alongside new and old staff members, many of whom he has known since they were campers. Aco works in Hotel Management and currently is on the Senior Management team of the Four Seasons Hotel in his hometown of St. Louis. He holds a Graduate Certificate from Cornell University in Hotel Real Estate and Asset Management, and a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management as well as a B.S. in Business Administration from The College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. Aco credits his professional success to the life skills he learned as a camper and staff member at Nebagamon and is eager to support CNSF in their mission to provide transformative summers for children and teens affected by poverty and disabilities!

Brad Herzog

Brad Herzog was a longtime family camper at Nebagamon, a camper from 1978 – 1983, a cabin counselor in 1985 and 1986, Swamper village director in 2011, and a member of the 2022 summer staff. He is also the editor of The Keylog, the alumni newsletter, and created the book about Camp Nebagamon’s first 90 years (Thanks for the Pines). His sons, Luke and Jesse, have been campers and counselors. His parents (Hazel and former camper, counselor, and CNSF board member Bud) have been attending Family Camp annually for nearly 50 years. A graduate of Cornell University, Brad has been a freelance writer and author for more than three decades. He has written more than 50 books, including dozens of children’s books and four American travel memoirs (some of them featuring chapters about Camp Nebagamon), along with scores of national magazine articles and a handful of screenplays. After a 1996 journey through 48 states (chronicled in his first travel memoir, States of Mind), Brad and his wife Amy settled in the town of Pacific Grove on California’s Monterey Peninsula.

Stephanie Hanson

Stephanie is a graduate of Grinnell College where she majored in sociology. After managing a fundraising office for a few years in the non-profit sector for an environmental organization (knocking on doors to collect money!), she earned her masters of business administration at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Following graduation, she spent three years in marketing at Hewlett-Packard before choosing to become a stay at home mom, for a short stint, with her three children, Josh, Ben and Josie. In 2003, Stephanie and her husband, Adam Kaplan, became co-directors of Camp Nebagamon.

 Adam Kaplan

Adam’s summers at Nebagamon include six as a camper, twelve as a staff member, and a growing number of years as co-director since 2003. Moreover, he served for three years as the director of Four Winds*Westward Ho, a traditional co-ed summer camp in Washington state’s beautiful San Juan Islands. Prior to his career as a camp director, Adam was a teacher and school administrator in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Boise, Idaho. Adam is a graduate of Grinnell College and he received his teaching certification from DePaul University. Adam is married to Nebagamon co-director Stephanie Hanson and has three children, Josh, Ben, and Josie.

Joey Laskin

Joe, a first generation Nebagamon camper, started in Swamper 1 in 2000 and ended his time as a camper in Throck in 2006. He then proceeded to spend seven summers on staff (2008 – 2014) working primarily in tennis, but also on trip staff for two summers. While on staff Joe had the privilege to lead four Big Trips to Quetico Provincial Park and lead the planning effort on four Paul Bunyan Days. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Since leaving college, Joe has enjoyed seven years of employment in the environmental non-profit sector and assisted in the development of numerous parks and open spaces. Currently his is the Project and Development Manager with North East Trees, an urban forestry non-profit that employs local at-risk youth in Los Angeles to plant trees, build parks, and ‘Bring Nature Back.’ In his spare time Joe enjoys a relaxing 18 holes of golf, spending time with friends and family, and drawing from what he learned at camp; he will do just about anything to be outdoors.

Jeff Levinson

Jeff spent five transformative summers at Camp Nebagamon as a camper and three more summers on trip staff, way back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is one in the line of stewards of the Eat a Peach trip staff canoe paddle. He serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at NetScout, a cybersecurity and network management software company that helps assure our digital ecosystem. At NetScout, Jeff is responsible for the company’s global legal strategy and operations, leads the Office of ESG, and serves on the company’s charitable and community engagement executive steering committee. Jeff has served in national and international leadership roles at the Association of Corporate Counsel and as a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors’ regional chapter programs committee. He was trained in 2020 by Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Reality Project leader. Raised in Memphis, Jeff lives in Boston with his lovely wife and has two fantastic grown sons.

Jonathan Scharff

Jonathan was a camper at Nebagamon from 1973 to 1976, a counselor from 1979 to 1982, and Nebagamon’s associate director from 1985 to 1987. A graduate of Grinnell College and Saint Louis University School of Law, Jonathan has worked at Buckman Laboratories Inc., a Memphis-based international specialty chemical company, since 2012, and is now the company’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Counsel. He lives in Memphis with his spouse, Suzanne Bong Scharff, who preceded him on CNSF’s board. Their three daughters – Madeline, Julia and Elana – have each worked at camp. Their family has enjoyed their cottage near DQ in Lake Nebagamon since 2008. Jonathan and Suzanne have been very active in their community with the Memphis Art Museum, Memphis Planned Parenthood, Temple Israel, Girls, Inc., Collage Dance Company, and other organizations.

Steph Tomasky

Stephanie’s first summer at Nebagamon was in 2006, the first summer her husband, Mitch Cohen (1979 – 1984, 1990 – 1993), was camp doctor. She hasn’t missed a summer since. When not at camp, Stephanie is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer who believes in the power of storytelling and messaging. She has more than two decades of experience as a director, producer, and writer creating content for HBO, NBC, A&E, HGTV, and the History Channel. After stepping away from her full-time career to raise her daughter Ava, Stephanie continues to produce and create meaningful stories for non-profits and corporate clients. Her passion for storytelling, combined with her interest in the environment, brought Stephanie to the Woodwell Climate Research Center, the world’s leading climate change research institute; she led the organization’s rebranding of its marketing, communications, and storytelling. In 2021, Stephanie co-founded and is CEO of Settee, a sustainable design and furniture startup that aims to disrupt the furniture industry through craft and sustainable design. Stephanie and Mitch (a trauma surgeon and basic science investigator at University of Colorado), along with their daughter, Ava, currently live in Boulder, Colorado. When they’re not traveling, running, or hiking, they can be found hanging out with their 2 Golden Retrievers, Winnie and Nova, and their cat, Tigger.

Bernard Stein, Advisor

Born 1931 in Fort Smith, Ark. College:  Washington University 1953. 1953 – 1955: US Army Signal Corps, Far East headquarters in Japan. In 1955, Nardie survived Swamper One and married Sally Lorber. 1956 – 1959: coincidentally he became an Associate Director of Camp Nebagamon. From 1960 – 1989: Sally and Nardie directed Camp Nebagamon. He is the father and grandfather of three children and seven grandchildren. Nardie served, for more than 50 years on the board or as an advisor to Sherwood Forest Camp, an outreach which has given him many insights into the workings of a non-profit camp.  He also served many years on the board and as president of the St. Louis Section of the American Camp Association, volunteering with RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and with the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund. In 2009, Nardie and Sally Stein published Keeping the Fires Burning, A History and Memoir of Camp Nebagamon.

Sally Lorber Stein, Advisor

Sally first came to Camp Nebagamon in 1934, and has an unbroken record of attendance – though some childhood years were spent at girls’ camps and at Nebagamon for pre and post camp weeks. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955, joined the office staff in the summer of 1952, spending the next four years as an associate director. Sally shared Nebagamon’s directorship with Nardie for the next 30 years. Her knowledge of camping in its many iterations was enhanced by her membership in the American Camp Association, where she had interchanges with some outstanding camping peers. Besides parenting three children, and seven flawless grandchildren, she has had several volunteer gigs, her most favorites being as a Deputy Juvenile Officer at the St. Louis County Juvenile Court, and more recently at Planned Parenthood for 20 years as a counselor for women ambivalent about their pregnancies. Sally and Nardie spend five months a year at their Lake Nebagamon home, and seven at their Minneapolis home.  They administered the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund for 50+ years, and now happily serve as advisors to what they deem a terrific and committed board. In 2009, Nardie and Sally Stein published Keeping the Fires Burning, A History and Memoir of Camp Nebagamon.

Jane Stein Kerr, Advisor

Jane Stein Kerr has been a part of the camp family since 1958 when she was born to then directors Nardie and Sally Stein. Like all camp directors’ children, she spent her childhood summers at camp. She was on staff at Nebagamon in 1975 – 1976 and 1979 – 1980, and moved to the Twin Cities in 1981. She has been at camp nearly every summer since as a visitor, family camper, or camp parent. As such, her camp memories span several generations. Jane is married to CN alumnus Euan Kerr. Her son Malcolm was a camper and counselor and her daughter Sarah was on staff for several years. Jane was a technical writer for over 20 years and now works as an events manager at the University of Minnesota. She twice served as president of the parent teacher organization of her children’s schools. She well appreciates the role that institutions like schools and camps can play in the lives of children.

Past board members

Charlie Barrows

Charlie was a camper at Nebagamon from 1999 – 2004. He then worked as a cabin counselor for three years, teaching riflery and photography, and as trip staff for another two years. In 2017 he returned as the LJ push. Charlie holds a B.A. in chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle. He teaches college chemistry at a few schools in Washington. When he’s not in the classroom or lab, Charlie enjoys applying the skills he learned at camp as a hiker, canoeist, and photographer. His repertoire as a cook is still based primarily on Nebagamon tripping meals, and he would be happy eating Pesto Carb every night for the rest of his life.

Gene Dattel

Gene Dattel was a camper from 1954 – 1958 and a counselor from 1959 – 1961, and 1966. He graduated from Yale, B.A. and Vanderbilt University Law School. He then embarked on a 20-year career in financial capital markets as a managing director at Salomon Brothers and Morgan Stanley. Fifteen of those years were spent working in financial markets overseas – in London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. He has worked as a consultant to major financial institutions and the Pentagon. Currently, Gene is a financial historian who writes and lectures to academic and public groups. His recent book is Cotton and Race in the Making of America. He is on the board of the Macaulay Honors Program for the City University of New York. He has been an independent scholar for the New York Historical Society and the proposed Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. He has served on the advisory board of the B.B. King Museum. Camp Nebagamon remains one of his most formative experiences. He lives with his wife, Licia Hahn in New York City and Lakeville, Connecticut with their two Parson Russell Terriers, Winks and Rosey.

Jim Gerstein

Jim spent four summers as a camper and three summers as a counselor at Nebagamon between 1982 and 1989. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and now lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Aliza, and their sons, Emmitt and Tomer. Jim is a founding partner of GBA Strategies, which conducts public opinion research and provides strategic counsel to candidates for office, non-profit organizations, civic groups, and businesses. He received a B.A in philosophy at Colgate University and an M.A. in Middle East History at Tel Aviv University. Jim speaks Hebrew fluently and is learning American Sign Language. While his educational, professional, and language background is a bit random, he has fully enjoyed the path – particularly the Nebagamon part.

Mike Goldman

Mike was a camper at Nebagamon from 1978 – 1983 and a member of the CN trip staff for six summers between 1985 and 1992. He still claims an ability to execute a perfect one man lift while carrying the first day food pack. His three daughters (Louisa, Eleanor, and Jane) as well as his wife Elaine are skeptical. Mike graduated from Colorado College and Washington University School of Law. After working as a public defender in the City of St. Louis for four years, he entered the private sector. Mike is currently the Vice President and General Counsel for Waterway Gas & Wash Company, a St. Louis based full service car wash, gasoline, and convenience store chain with locations in 4 states. Mike also serves on the board of Sherwood Forest Camp.

Jim Guest

Jim was a camper at Nebagamon 1980 – 1982 and a counselor from 1984 – 1989. From 1992 – 1994, he served as Nebagamon’s Assistant Director. He is a graduate of Grinnell College and the Saint Louis University School of Law. Jim currently resides in University City, Missouri and is married with two children. He works as the Director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri helping low income people in St. Louis find legal assistance when needed.

Bill Hensel

Bill was a CN camper from 1966 – 1969, a staff member in 1971 and 1973 – 1974 and a frequent family camper beginning about 1994. He returned as a staff specialist in 2016 after retiring as the director of media relations for Invesco. He previously worked in a similar capacity at Coca-Cola after toiling as a journalist for 17 years at The Washington Post, CNN and ABC News. He is married to Jaye and is the father of two adult daughters, Jaime and Jennifer. Jaime has been on the CN staff for parts of eight summers. Living in Atlanta in the off season, he served on the board of Georgia Community Support & Solutions, a non-profit that provides services to people and their families with needs related to disabilities, substance abuse, mental health and aging, and Literacy Action, an Atlanta-based non-profit serving illiterate adults. He was also on the Communications Committee of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for ten years.

Bud Herzog

Bud was a camper at Nebagamon from 1952 to 1956 (on the Nebagamon Western Trip in 1956). He was a counselor and head of air riflery from 1957 to 1961. Bud was the director of Family Camp for two years in the early 1970s and has been to Family Camp for more than 30 years. Bud was in the insurance business for 40 years, retiring in 2002. Nebagamon was the first camp he insured – from about 1964 – 2002. At one time he insured about 17 camps. He is married to Hazel and they are the parents of three adult children and six grandchildren. Bud is presently on the board of Camp of Dreams, which provides Saturday morning programs during the school year and a three-week camp experience in the summer for inner city underserved children in the Lawndale area of Chicago.

Fred Joseph

Fred has practiced law for 42 years, starting his career at the Office of Economic Opportunity (thanks to Muggs) and as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee in Washington; in 1972 he returned to Louisville where he has specialized in commercial real estate and land use with a regional law firm. He has served as president of the Louisville Legal Aid Society and the Jewish Community Federation of Louisville, and has served as an officer and/or board member of a variety of agencies including, the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, Louisville Jewish Hospital, the Kentucky Oral History Commission, University of Louisville Medical Center, Jewish Vocational Service, Urban Design Studio, and Louisville Regional Justice Commission. He was a camper at Nebagamon from 1956 – 1958; from 1959 – 1963 and 1965 – 1966 he was a cabin counselor teaching canoeing, assistant waterfront director and trip counselor.

John Montag

John is President and Chief Investment Officer of A. Montag & Associates, a family owned and operated investment counsel firm for high net worth individuals in Atlanta, GA. He began working there in 1995 after earning a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He serves as Immediate Past Chair of Families First and Chair of the Camp Twin Lakes Foundation Investment Committee, as well as serving as a board or committee member for several other organizations including the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, The Westminster School Endowment Committee, the Atlanta History Center and The Temple. He was a Nebagamon camper from 1978 – 1983 and a cabin counselor in 1986. John attended Family Camp in 2010 and 2011. He is married to Erika and they have three children, two sons and a daughter. His older son Benjamin attends camp while his younger son Sam enthusiastically awaits his turn.

Larry Rivkin

Larry has practiced law for 20+ years, and is a founding partner with his wife, Michele, in Rivkin & Rivkin, LLC, which concentrates in estate planning, estate and trust administration, planning for children with special needs, and planned charitable giving.  He is a certified financial planner, has taught estate planning as an adjunct professor of the College of Financial Planning, and serves as a member of the Trust & Estates Section of the Illinois Bar Association and on the Professional Advisory Committee to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Legacy and Endowments Committee.

Larry is active with the Y-Adventure Guides Program and coaches youth recreational sports for the Lincolnshire Sports Association. He was a Nebagamon camper from 1977 – 1982, and a cabin counselor, teaching tennis, from 1984 – 1986. Larry and Michele and their three children Megan, Joey and Brady have attended many family camps, and Joey and Brady are Nebagamon campers.

Suzanne Bong Scharff

Sue grew up in Milwaukee and spent her summers with her grandparents on Lake Nebagamon and camping along the Brule River. She worked at Camp Nebagamon in the office from 1982 – 1989 and then 2005 – 2006 and is proud to have had the unique opportunity of working with 3 administrations: Stein, Wallenstein and Hanson-Kaplan.  Sue graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.A. in Psychology with an emphasis on Child Development/Autism. She currently lives in Memphis, TN and is a travel writer featuring wedding and honeymoon stories for Southern Bride magazine. Sue spends her volunteer time on fundraising committees for Make-A-Wish, Brooks Art Museum, Temple Israel, Planned Parenthood, and Facing History. She is married to fellow alumnus, Jon Scharff (past ADO of CN) and they have 3 daughters, Madeline, Julia (CN staff alumna), and Elana. Sue currently spends her summers once again in Lake Nebagamon in a wee cottage along Dairy Queen Road.  Visitors are always welcome!