Year Round Team:

Mark & Melissa Magid ()
Mark & Melissa built Black Bear Lake Day Camp in 1995. They met while working in accounting at Coopers & Lybrand in New York City. Mark grew up working in his family’s day camp in Manalapan, NJ and always loved the fun and excitement of his summers. Melissa attended day camp in Rockland County from the age of 5 years old, and also spent 5 summers at a resident camp in Connecticut - she always knew that this is how she would want to spend her life. They live in West Windsor with their 3 kids – Morgan, Jason and Lauren – all of whom have been campers since their first steps.

Florence Blumert () - Director of Parent Communications/ Director of Transportation
Florence has been here from the beginning while Black Bear was being built in 1995. She is always on the phone with parents answering any and all questions from "what should I pack in my child's backpack" to "how long is the bus ride." In addition to speaking with parents and handling all aspects of camper registration, Florence is also our Director of Transportation who is in charge of overall bus routes, bus mail, bus drivers and bus counselors.

Florence is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, with a degree in Music Education, and is also a certified teacher for grades K-12. She has taught in the Flemington and Evesham School Districts. In her spare time, Florence teaches private piano lessons to students aged 7 to adult, as well as sings and plays piano for private social functions like weddings and bar mitzvahs.

Florence takes pride in knowing and remembering the smallest detail for each family, to ensure that each parent feels they have a special friend at the camp that they can go to for all questions and concerns.

Kristina Piech () - Associate Director of Staffing and Programming
Kristina has worked at Black Bear Lake since 2000 - hiring the best staff and planning our summer programs - everything from craft projects and drama shows to special events and color war. She is also a trained accreditation visitor for the American Camping Association – she visits different camps throughout the summer to assess whether they are adhering to ACA standards.

Kristina is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, with a degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. She has taught at The Goddard School and South River Elementary School. She is also working on her Master's in School Psychology at Rider University. Her children – Kaylee and Brandon – love attending camp with mom!

Denny Schmidt () - Maintenance and Grounds Supervisor
Denny has worked at Black Bear Lake since 2001 where he makes sure everything on our 45 acre campus is running smoothly. There is nothing Denny can’t fix or build and he takes great pride in knowing our facility is always safe, clean and well-maintained.

When Denny gets time off, he enjoys deep-sea fishing. He and his wife Pauline live on the grounds of the camp with their son Georgie – who loves being a Black Bear “Cub”!

Franne Berenberg - Supervisor of Elective Scheduling
Franne has been at Black Bear since 2004 and handles all aspects of the camper’s elective schedules. She tries to make sure every camper gets all their first choices so they are assured a happy and fun summer! In addition, Franne has been a teacher for over 20 years in New York City. She has a degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Math Education. She and her husband Robert are busy with their kids Samantha, Allison and Lisa all of whom either work or attend Black Bear as well. In her “spare” time, Franne is a Girl Scout leader and leader trainer and has a scrapbooking business called Creative Memories.

Gregg Marantz - Director of Corporate Events ()
Gregg started working at Black Bear Lake in 1996 helping out with the Maintenance Staff. He graduated from Castleton State College in Vermont with a degree in Exercise Science/Sports Medicine and currently lives in Howell. He plans and organizes the corporate picnic events held during summer weekends.

Caryn Weiss - Assistant Director of Corporate Events ()
Caryn has been working for Black Bear Lake since 2004. She started out as a group leader and then as an assistant division leader. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware in Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management. She also holds a Graduated Level Teacher's Certification from Rider University. Previously, Caryn worked for a large hotel chain as a group rooms coordinator and sales reporting systems analyst and purchasing supervisor. She is engaged to Chris Opdyke, Upper Camp Division Leader.

Lower Camp Team:

Rich Knoblock - Division Leader
Rich has been at Black Bear Lake since its first summer in 1995! He started as a Group Leader and is now the Division Leader for the Boys Lower Camp. Rich oversees the daily activities of lower camp, supervises their staff and communicates with parents to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe time while at Black Bear!

Rich is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. During the school year, he is a first grade teacher at Town Center School in the West Windsor/Plainsboro School District. He and his wife Jen live in Forked River.

Caran Popowitz - Division Leader
Caran has worked at Black Bear since 2005 and is currently the Division Leader for the Lower Camp Girls. Caran has been involved in both day camps and resident camps since the age of 4! She earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Elementary Education, taught in the NYC Public School System for 14 years, and currently is a substitute teacher in the Manalapan School District. Caran is also a Girl Scout Leader, soccer mom, baseball mom, basketball mom and class mom! Caran and her husband Larry live in Manalapan with their twins Jason and Samantha – who love coming to camp with mom!

Jenn Chan - Division Leader
Jenn is one of the original campers at Black Bear Lake – she started attending the first summer in 1995! After attending the camp for 3 years, she became a Junior Counselor, Group Leader, and is a Division Leader. Jenn completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Rutgers University. She also attended Montclair State University, where she completed my Masters in Teaching with a dual certification for Early Childhood (EC) and Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TSD) in May 2007. She is currently teaching both a Preschool and Preschool-Disabled Inclusion Program in Middlesex County.

Emilie Fisch - Assistant Division Leader
Emilie has worked at Black Bear since 2004 – she started as a Group Leader for the Cubs, and is now an Assistant Division Leader for Lower Camp where she supervises group leaders and counselors, as well as provides support for all the lower campers. She graduated from William Paterson University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is a pre-school teacher during the school year. She recently married Rob Fisch, a former Aquatics Supervisor at Black Bear.

Lonnie Kaplan - Assistant Division Leader
Lonnie is the Assistant Division Leader for Boys Lower Camp this summer. He has worked at Black Bear Lake since 2005, when he started as a Group Leader for the 1st Grade Boys. Prior to Black Bear, Lonnie worked had been a camp counselor at other camps since he was 14 years old! He is returning to camp this summer as an Assistant Division Leader. Lonnie is a graduate from SUNY Binghamton and will hopefully be continuing his studies this fall to become a doctor! Lonnie is looking forward to another great summer at Black Bear!

Junior Camp Team:

Heidi Hersh - Division Leader
Heidi has been at Black Bear Lake since 2002, when her daughters Staci and Marci were also staff at the camp. During the school year, Heidi works in the Media Center at Southard School in Howell. In addition to media and technology, Heidi enjoys producing iMovies and coordinating numerous large-scale, school-wide events and programs throughout the year. She and her husband Steve live in Howell.

She loves spending the summer at Black Bear as much as the kids do, and works hard to make every day special for each and every camper. Campers know that they can always count on Heidi to answer all their questions and help guide them through their active day!

Theresa Lutz - Assistant Division Leader
Theresa started at Black Bear Lake as a Group Leader in 2004. She has also been a swim instructor and lifeguard at the camp, and has also previously worked year round in our office helping with administrative work and program planning. She loves being an assistant division leader in junior camp – especially the special events!

She graduated from Stockton State College with a degree in Graphic Design and is working on her Education Certification through the alternate route program at Brookdale College. She is currently teaching Kindergarten at the Goddard School in Toms River. She and her husband Dennis live in Bayville with their 2 dogs, Tinkerbell and Gus Gus.

Mollie Gabriel - Assistant Division Leader
Mollie has worked at Black Bear Lake since 2006 as a Junior Camp Assistant Division Leader. She graduated from Campbell University with her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction K-6. She teaches 1st Grade in Edison during the school year. She and her husband Matt live in Ewing.

Nicole Bulinsky - Assistant Division Leader
Nicole was the Cub Sports Instructor last summer and is returning as an Assistant Division Leader this summer. She is a graduate of Lander University with a degree in exercise science and physical education. She enjoys many sports including soccer and gymnastics, and has competed in cheerleading at the national level.

Senior Camp Team:

Traci Buchholz - Division Leader
Traci has been a part of the Black Bear Family since 1998 – as a Junior Counselor, Group Leader, Assistant Division Leader, and finally, as Division Leader since 2006! Traci graduated from Salisbury University in 2004 with a degree in Elementary Education. She currently teaches 7th Grade Math in the Marlboro School District and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Administration and Leadership at Georgian Court University. Her favorite part of camp is running Special Events to make sure they are fun and exciting for the campers!

Missy Meighan - Assistant Division Leader
Missy has been Assistant Division Leader at Black Bear since 2006. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Villanova University and a graduate teaching certificate from Rider University. She is also certified in Elementary Education and Middle School Mathematics. She comes to Black Bear Lake after previously supervising community enrichment and middle school activities at West Windsor Plainsboro EDP. Her favorite activity at Black Bear is the Bucket Brigade during Color War!

Anthony Proetti - Assistant Division Leader
Anthony has worked at Black Bear Lake since 2005 – he has been a Group Leader and the Soccer Coach, and is currently an Assistant Division Leader for Senior Camp. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Delaware. He spent the past year living in Hollywood and has returned for his third summer at camp. He loves to play all different sports and is looking forward to another great summer.

Jessica Rosengarten - Assistant Division Leader
Jessica received her BA in English and Education from the University at Albany, SUNY this past May. She will embark on her journey as an educator in September, teaching Literature at the Princeton Latin and Princeton Science Academies. Jessica recently moved to the area with her fiancee and two dwarf rabbits. She is very excited to return to Black Bear Lake as a staff member - Jessica was a camper here during Black Bear Lake's first summer!

Marie Hartlieb - Assistant Division Leader
Marie is looking forward to her first summer at Black Bear Lake. She has spent her last few summers at the Brookdale Ocean Institute as a camp counselor in their summer program. She was also a Ride Supervisor at Great Adventure for many years. She graduated from Richard Stockton College with a degree in Marine Biology where she is also currently earning her teaching certification. She lives in Millstone with her husband and son, who can’t wait until he is old enough to come to camp!

Upper Camp Team:

Colette Visser - Division Leader
Born in South Africa, Colette moved to Millstone in 2001, where she resides with her husband and 4 children. She has been working at Black Bear Lake for 5 years as and Upper Camp Division Leader. Colette holds her Masters in Education from Adelphi University, and is a teacher in Trenton, NJ. Her children Andres, Daniel and Gabby can’t wait for 1 year old baby brother Nicholas to join them at camp!

Chris Opdyke - Division Leader
Chris started out at Black Bear Lake in 2001 as the Tennis Specialist. He has been the Division Leader for Upper Camp Boys since 2006. He teaches Health, Physical Education and Drivers Education at Jackson Memorial High School and is also their coach for the Boys and Girls Varsity Tennis Teams. He met his fiancé, Caryn Weiss, at Black Bear Lake and they look forward to getting married this summer!

Assaf Langer - Assistant Division Leader
Assaf started at Black Bear Lake in 2004 as the Tennis Instructor, then became a Group Leader and is now in his second summer as Assistant Division Leader. He currently lives in Bradley Beach where he is a social studies teacher in the district.

Matt Mayo - CIT Supervisor
Matt has been at Black Bear since 2004 (he can’t wait to get his 5 year jacket!) – first as a group leader, and now as the CIT Supervisor. He recently graduated from Rider University with a double major in Secondary Education and English. He is currently working at Robbinsville High School as a paraprofessional with special ed classes, as well as the Assistant Baseball Coach and Weight Room Supervisor.

Shayna Berliner - CIT Supervisor
Shayna has been a Group Leader for Lower Camp the past 4 summers at Black Bear Lake. During the school year she is the 7th grade Language Arts and Reading teacher at Pond Road Middle School in Robbinsville, NJ. She is also a Student Council Advisor at Pond Road and the Varsity Swim Coach at Robbinsville High School. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 2006 with a BA in English Education, and is currently working towards a Masters of Arts in School Counseling at TCNJ. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with family and friends, take care of her pets, travel abroad and train for the triathlons that she participate in during the summer.

Cubs:

Michele Brown - Division Leader
Michele started working at Black Bear Lake back in 1996 as a junior counselor. She has been a lifeguard/swim instructor, group leader, as well as an assistant division leader. She is now the division leader for the cubs where she tries to make sure that all the cubs have a safe and exciting summer.

Michele is a graduate of Thomas Edison State College, with a BA degree in Psychology. She also holds a Child Development Associate certification for Early Childhood and a Certificate of Eligibility for Elementary Education. She has been the head teacher at a local day care and is currently working as an aide in the West Windsor Plainsboro school district.

Aquatics Team:

Joe Martinez - Aquatics Supervisor
Joe began working for Black Bear Lake in the summer of 2003 as a counselor and lifeguard. He is now responsible for overseeing instructional swim and helping make Black Bear Lake aquatics safe and fun. He also runs a lifeguard training class for the CITs, and helps them transition from camper to employee as part of the Black Bear Lake family.

Joe currently attends The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) as an Interdisciplinary Business major. He holds multiple leadership positions in the TCNJ community including College Ambassador, and Vice President of Recruitment and Development for the Greek community. Despite maintaining a busy schedule, Joe further develops his skills as an aquatics instructor by working for the Princeton YWCA through out the year. He is responsible for teaching the standard American Red Cross swim levels, competitive swim clinics, as well as lessons for children with special needs. He is a certified American Red Cross Water Safety and Lifeguarding Instructor.

Pete Gibb - Aquatics Supervisor
This is Pete’s 6th summer working at the Black Bear Lake waterfront – his third as supervisor where his focus is on making sure the lifeguards are effectively performing their safety duties at the pool and lake. He graduated from Rutgers and is working on his masters in psychology at Rutgers as well. He is a certified YMCA Lifeguard and Progressive Swim Instructor.

Jaime Slemmon - Assistant Aquatics Supervisor
Jaime has worked at Black Bear Lake for the past 4 summers as a Group Leader, Lifeguard and Swim Instructor. She has also been the Extended Hours Supervisor in the afternoon as well. She is certified in American Red Cross Lifeguarding and YMCA Progressive Swim Instructor.

Nicole Reiff - Assistant Aquatics Supervisor
Nicole began working for Black Bear Lake in the summer of 2003 and has been a Camper, Counselor, Group Leader, Lifeguard and Swim Instructor. She attends Connecticut College where she is majoring in Hispanic Studies with a minor in economics. She is certified in American Red Cross Lifeguarding and is an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor.

 

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Clarksburg, NJ
(609) 259-1777
fax: (609) 259-2248
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