Tawonga Team

Becca first came to Tawonga in 2004 as a Unit Head and has served on the full-time staff since 2007. During her tenure as Camp Director (starting in 2015) and as Chief Program Officer, Becca oversaw the expansion of and ensured continued excellence of Tawonga’s programs, from summer camp to family camps to Tawonga’s B’nai Mitzvah program and more. She pioneered Tawonga’s all-gender cabins and is a tireless advocate for inclusion and equity. Prior to serving as Camp Director, Becca served as Tawonga’s Associate Director and managed many of Camp’s most complex activities, including backpacking, teen travel (Quest), transportation, and medical care at Camp.

Becca grew up in New England and attended summer camp in Maine for 8 years. She moved to the Bay Area after graduating from Harvard with a degree in Comparative Religion. Prior to joining the full-time staff at Tawonga, Becca worked as a Staffing Director at Camp Walt Whitman, a private camp in New Hampshire, and served on the Steering Committee of the Emerging Professionals in Camping organization. Becca has coached youth sports for 13 years and received a Double-Goal Coach Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance. Her passions include trail running and being outdoors. She lives in Berkeley with her husband and two children. Her favorite Tawonga values are “People support the things they help create” and “Kaizen: continuous improvement.”

Aaron first came to Tawonga as a nervous new camper in 1994 and quickly fell in love with the place and the community. Aaron began working for Tawonga on the summer staff as a counselor in 2002 and in 2007, Aaron joined the year-round staff where he has held a number of roles. Aaron completed the Jewish Service Learning Certificate Program at San Francisco State and is a graduate of the Lekhu Lakhem Fellowship, a Jewish educational leadership program for camp directors through the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Aaron can be found around Camp playing Frisbee with kids, leading improv games or just sitting in a circle at rest hour talking with a bunk. Aaron lives in the East Bay with his wife Charley, daughter Meadow and dog Ty Ty.

Meg is a former Tawonga camper, staff member and supervisor. She served on Tawonga’s summer staff from 2012-2017 in various roles including Jewish Program Assistant and for three years as our Counselor and Specialist In-Training Supervisor. Under Meg’s leadership, the Tawonga B’nai Mitzvah Program has grown, flourished and deepened, now serving 130 students annually. Additionally, Meg launched the Tawonga Family School and Hebrew programs. A decorated educator, Meg is a 2023 recipient of the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize in the field of Jewish education and a 2021 recipient of a Diller Educator Award in the Jewish communal and experiential category.

Meg has also served as a Jewish educator at Peninsula Temple Beth El and Temple Sinai of Oakland, and as a middle school educator at Studio 70’s Edah, where she created spaces for female-identifying middle school students to express their own voices alongside the voices of women from Jewish history and tradition. Meg received an M.A. in Religion, focusing on Tanakh, from Yale Divinity School as well as a Certificate in Jewish Education for Adolescents and Emerging Adults from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Recently, Meg published her first book about Torah entitled Turn It, Turn It: The Many Faces of Torah, which is based on her online journal, Turn It, Turn It. She lives in Alameda, CA with her wife Turk and their son Winnie. When she isn’t studying Torah or trying to create the best Jewish educational experiences, Meg loves to ride her bike, cook for her friends and family, and draw building portraits.

Mich is passionate, positive, and enthusiastic! She’s a skilled accountant who brings a wealth of experience in bookkeeping, customer service, office management, e-commerce, executive assistance and marketing.

Mich holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and brings to Tawonga years of experience as an Accountant and in customer service. Prior to joining the Tawonga team, she served as a backbone to many C-level executives internationally and in the US, supporting start-up companies in both their operations and finance. She also previously worked as an AP Accountant for a number of nonprofits and public officials in Bay Area.

On weekends, you will find Mich traveling with her husband Menlo. She’s a mom to her two Pomeranians and loves fostering other dogs until they are ready for their new families.

Michelle is also an aspiring digital creator and loves creating uplifting designs, websites and YouTube channels.

Born and raised in Smithtown, NY, Mollie is thrilled to join the year-round Tawonga team! She has spent her career in various development and communication-related roles at the Jewish Federation of the East Bay, Ma’ase Olam and Avodah, where she also served as a corps member. Mollie earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and Jewish studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in non-profit management from Hebrew University. Growing up, she attended Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, and today loves exploring her newfound home in the Bay. Mollie lives in Albany with her husband, Gil, and their children Liam, Eve and Sky.

Born in Oakland, Camille is a Bay Area native with a background in customer service, operations, and marketing. She is a UC Berkeley graduate, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater & Performance Studies. In her free time, Camille can be found reading, perusing the local antique market, or watching the newest Netflix documentary.

Liz has been a Tawongan since 2015, holding a number of roles starting as a counselor and working her way to become a Director. She joined the year-round team in 2018 and loves working to create Tawonga mission moments for folks of all ages and backgrounds (she hopes to see you at Family Camps)!

Liz received an Honors Bachelor degree in Sociology from Whitman College (and wrote an award-winning thesis on summer camping!). In her free time, Liz loves to spend time outside, swim in any natural body of water, pratice yoga, dance and cook! She lives with her partner (a Tawonga love story!) in Berkeley and is grateful every day to be part of the Tawonga team.

With over 15 years of experience crafting strategic communications for nonprofits, Casey loves helping individuals and organizations tell their authentic stories. At Tawonga, Casey has created the organization’s award winning impact report, led a website and video rebranding and created the agency’s first style guide. Casey has also helped place stories about Tawonga in dozens of publications, including The New York Times. As a former camper and summer staffer, Tawonga’s transformational mission is deeply personal for her.

Casey earned a Masters in Public Administration with a focus in nonprofit management from USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy and a B.A. in history from Claremont McKenna College. She has also led programmatic and communications work at the USC Shoah Foundation Institute and the San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council. Casey lives in Lafayette with her husband and fellow Tawongan, Matt, and their daughters, Sadie and Maya. She can often be found attempting to serenade her family with songs from the Tawonga songbook.

Ashley grew up in Berkeley and has been a Tawongan since she first attended Session 2 in 1993. Ashley was a camper for six summers and became a summer staff member, first as counselor, then Unit Head, and TSL Trip Leader. Ashley joined the full-time staff in 2009 as the registrar and then became the Director of Community Engagement, taking care of our families and leading our Down the Mountain programs. Ashley is currently the Program Director, supervising all the speciality areas at summer camp, overseeing family camp, the Tawonga B’nai Mitzvah Program, Tawonga’s Alumni Board and the Health Center. Ashley graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Studies and has a true love of nature and being outside. When not in the office, Ashley loves spending time with her husband Jamie and their two sons, Erez and Lev.

Miriam has loved Tawonga since her first year as a camper in 1991. Her five years as a summer staffer were equally transformative, and included roles as Counselor, Unit Head and Assistant Kitchen Manager. She has a background in environmental and garden education, including working for the City of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, as well as running a school garden in Bayview-Hunters Point and working with Berkeley Unified School District’s Cooking and Gardening Program. She attended Culinary School in 2015 and worked as the Culinary Program Director for a startup. Miriam graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Human and Organizational Development and is excited to bring her love of logistics to the year round team. Miriam lives in Oakland with her partner Bradley and their dog Clove. She loves singing, learning to ID new plants while hiking (especially edible ones) and creatively repurposing leftover food into delicious new meals.

Shoshie has been a Tawongan for 20+ years, starting as a camper and working seasonally as a counselor, CIT leader, unit head and a summertime assistant director. She is excited to join the year-round team as the Assistant Director of Community Engagement and looks forward to sharing her passion and dedication for working with children and families. Prior to this role, Shoshie worked as a special education preschool teacher. She earned a B.A. in Developmental Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and a Masters of Infant Mental Health and an Early Childhood Special Education Credential from Mills College. Shoshie lives in San Francisco with her husband and enjoys traveling, cooking, camping, and spending time with friends, family, and babies.

Kiyomi began her journey with Tawonga as a counselor in 2004. She went on to be a Unit Head, supervisor of the CIT and SIT programs, supervisor/leader on TSL trips to Israel and Costa Rica and Summertime Assistant Director. Kiyomi has also worked in youth development and experiential education with diverse groups of young people through Mission Graduates, New Door Ventures, the Mosaic Project and Amigos de las Américas. Her hunger for learning and new experiences led her to intern on a farm in Italy and participate in the Dorot Fellowship in Israel. Kiyomi graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Environmental Analysis: Race, Class, Gender and the Environment and recently earned a master’s degree from the Harvard School of Education, where she studied Human Development and Psychology. Kiyomi is passionate about and committed to doing work that increases equity and justice. She is a certified yoga instructor and in her free time enjoys going on outdoor adventures, baking cookies, and hanging out with her amazing community of friends.

An Oakland native, Brady (he/they) has spent more than half the summers of his life at Camp Tawonga. Since 1992, Brady has been a Camper, Counselor, Unit Head, Drama Specialist, Jewish Programmer, Lifeguard, Prep Cook, Program Director, Head of Arts and Crafts, and Camp Director. Brady has also pursued his passions for building community and fostering play as a Camp Director with Camp Galileo, a Founding Camp Director of Camp Grounded, a Healthy Masculinity Facilitator with Shalom Bayit, one of the founding staff members and residents of Moishe House, a Healthy Recess Trainer for Playworks and most recently as the Executive Director of JYCA. Brady also is the co-owner and director of Custom Camps which provides summer camp inspired corporate team building and offsite experiences. Brady is a published poet and performer, card and board game lover, fantasy and sci-fi reader, and is most happy walking with his partner and dog at Cesar Chavez park or up in the Oakland Redwoods.

Ash has called the Bay Area home since 2005 and comes to Tawonga with a background in working for local nonprofits. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she received a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy & Management from the College of Natural Resources and played for the university’s field hockey team (Go Bears!). After college, Ashley dabbled in environmental restoration, administration at the Downtown Oakland YMCA and as a peer provider at Mental Health Association of San Francisco. Ashley’s passion for the outdoors grew as manager of gear libraries and operations at Bay Area Wilderness Training, a nonprofit creating equitable access to the outdoors for youth of color and low-income youth. She also spent a year as a union carpenter. In her free time, Ashley plays in rec sports leagues, backpacks as often as possible and hikes/bikes/runs around the East Bay hills.

A Bay Area native, Frisco grew up attending Tawonga as a camper and returned as a staff member in 2002 to work as a prep cook — the first step in his long career working in kitchens. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he went on to work in restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn for the next 8 years. Frisco eventually rose to Executive Chef at three restaurants simultaneously: Walter’s, Walter Foods and Karasu (and opened two of them!). In addition to cooking, Frisco is passionate about coaching basketball; he spent the last three years as an assistant coach at Millbrook School in New York, focusing on skill development and harnessing the joy of the game.

Frisco lives in Berkeley and coaches boys basketball at Miramonte High School in Orinda. While not working in the Tawonga office or on the basketball court, Frisco enjoys being outdoors as much as possible – and if inside, he’s usually focused on sports or food!

David “Griz” Griswold hails from Maine, where he grew up thinking that California was a mythical land of well-tanned wonder, composed solely of unending beaches, short shorts, and rollerskates. After graduating from Yale and taking a job in communications at Google, he was delighted to discover he was only partially wrong—California had mountains too! And indeed, it was the Sierras that beckoned. “David” became “Griz” when he leapt from the hermetically sealed windows of the Googleplex to work on Tawonga’s vaunted Wild Staff in 2009. Since that time, Griz has worked as an educator and writer in a variety of capacities, most recently as a test prep and academic tutor and office director for AJ Tutoring in Lafayette, until returning home to Tawonga in 2023.

When he’s not connecting with families about Tawonga’s many down the mountain programs, Griz can usually be found writing a silly poem, strumming a thoughtful song, or strolling down a well-worn trail. If you look closely, you can also maybe find a children’s book or two that he has written. He is excited to connect with you!

Ryley is a Tawonga “lifer”. She started her journey with Tawonga in the early 90s as a camper from Arizona and continued on as a summer staffer through college before joining the full-time team in 2006. After nearly a decade of supporting Tawonga families, Ryley left her position to focus on raising her three daughters and transitioned to being a “camp mom,” watching her oldest daughter begin her own Tawonga journey. In 2022, Ryley re-joined the full-time staff and loves being a part of the team that creates the magic of Camp. Ryley has a dual degree in Public Policy and Sociology from Pomona College as well as a background in non-profit administration. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters and muppet-like dog, Sunny, as well as writing and cooking. She makes a mean chocolate chip cookie!

Julie (she/her) is so excited to begin her journey as a Tawongan. She has 20 years of experience as a non-profit leader with a focus on finance and operations. Most recently served as COO of San Mateo’s CuriOdyssey after serving as executive leader of Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley for nearly 12 years. Previously spent 15 years working in professional theatre in Chicago and 7 years as System Administrator/Business Analyst at a large advertising agency. Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Non-Profit Arts Management degree from Columbia College Chicago.

Julie lives in Oakland with her husband, Erik, and their daughter Madelyn who they hope to make a Tawongan very soon.

Aviva grew up going to Camp Tawonga, and spent her summers during college working at Tawonga as a counselor, wilderness leader, and teen program staff. After graduating from Oberlin College with a B.A. in History, Aviva taught outdoor education in Colorado and then served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin. These experiences inspired Aviva to get her Masters degree in education from Stanford University and teach English, which she has done for the past four years in both middle and high school settings. Aviva is thrilled to join the year-round team at Tawonga and get back to spending her summers up at Camp! In her free time, you’ll find Aviva at the local dog park with her two pups or exploring the Bay Area’s many trails with her husband (a fellow Tawongan).

At Tawonga, Myla oversees all wilderness programs including backpacking and day hiking, camping, teen adventure Quests, Teva naturalist and interpretation programs, high and low-ropes challenge course, farm and garden program, transportation, and is the senior health and safety officer on the year-round staff. Myla brings to Tawonga nearly two decades of experience in environmental education and nonprofit leadership. She was a Tawonga camper and spent seven formative summers at Camp as a counselor, wilderness leader and wilderness supervisor. Prior to returning to Tawonga in her current role, Myla was the Director of Training at Playworks, a national youth development nonprofit. She also worked with Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors and guided youth on outdoor trips across the country. Myla earned her B.A. in environmental studies from Vassar College and a Masters in Public Administration with a focus in nonprofit management from the University of Oregon. She loves walking in Oakland’s redwood forests with her husband and fellow Tawongan, Wes, and their daughters Ariela and Nava as well as swimming in beautiful places with friends.

Rabbi Deborah Newbrun’s career as a Jewish leader spans more than 30 years. She is a gifted, creative, innovative teacher. She designed and led Tawonga’s award winning staff training and oversaw all camper programs for 24 years as Camp Director. Deborah also created Tawonga’s Erev Rosh Hashanah Service, which she co-leads annually.

Deborah is a nationally recognized and award-winning Jewish educator. Her groundbreaking book: Spirit In Nature/Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail, connected Jewish values with environmental values. Twenty years ago, she started the first Jewish LGBTQ Family Weekend in the country at Camp Tawonga, which she co-directs every year.

In 2018, Deborah received the prestigious Covenant Award in Jewish Education, and in 2021, Deborah completed her rabbinic training through the Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary.

As Tawonga’s Director Emeritus, Deborah provides guidance and support in many program and staffing areas, including our b’nai mitzvah program and other Jewish offerings as well as weekend programs. Deborah also leads services for our high holiday celebrations and at family camps and co-directs Keshet. Lastly, Deborah is the founder of the country’s first Divorce & Discovery Jewish Healing Retreat, offered at Tawonga October 27-30, 2022.

Deborah is most proud of developing programs and best practices that have become industry standards and of building radically inclusive programs that are a model for Jewish resident camps all over the country. She has coached and mentored Jewish resident camp directors across the country since 2013. Deborah has also mentored JOFEE Fellows, working with the Jewish Learning Works’ Mentorship Program.

Deborah also works with innovative Jewish organizations around the country, including SVARA, Hazon, Shalom Bayit, Jewish Learning Works, New Lerhaus, HaMaqom, Hineni and Keshet.

Deborah has raised four Tawongans – her two sons and two step kids – and lives in Berkeley, California with her wife, Rabbi Sue Reinhold (also a Tawongan) and their dog Noodle.

Sarah’s story with Tawonga began in 2002 when she joined the summer staff as a counselor. After falling in love with the land, community and culture, she returned many summers as a Lifeguard, Office Staff Member and Office Manager. After earning a degree in Business Management from Chico State and spending two years in Japan teaching English, Sarah joined the year-round team from 2008 – 2018 where she served as the Accounts Receivable and Financial Assistance Manager. In addition to her role in the Finance Department, Sarah managed logistics for many large scale annual events including Ruach Rides, Erev Rosh Hashanah Celebrations and at Camp weddings.

In 2018 Sarah bittersweetly said goodbye to Tawonga and the Bay Area and moved with her husband Avi, their three sons Harley, Asa, Ari and their toy poodle Otis, to a small town on the Pudget Sound in Washington state to live a quieter life with more nature and less people. For three years Sarah enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, exploring the Pacific Northwest beaches, forests and parks with her kids.

Fast forward to 2021, Sarah’s boys are all in school, and she is ecstatic to rejoin Tawonga’s year-round team as Staff Accountant, where she looks forward to helping bring Tawonga’s mission to life.

Quan is a San Diego native who joined the Camp Tawonga team in 2023. Quan has been working in summer programs and outdoor education since 2016; he’s worked at various camps and organizations including Camp Fiesta Island and Camp Bighorn at Circle X Ranch with the Boy Scouts of America in Southern California. He has also gained experience in the Washington D.C area with the Headfirst Companies.

On his weekends, Quan loves to spend his time outdoors exploring new hiking trails, snowboarding, sailing, or window shopping at REI. If he is not outside, Quan loves to watch Survivor with his partner, practice his guitar skills, or read a cool book!

Keith is originally from Paducah, Kentucky and joined Tawonga in 2015. Chris’ right-hand man, Keith makes sure that the mechanics of Camp run smoothly all year-round. As Camp Tawonga’s caretaker, Keith lives up at Camp throughout the entire year. Keith enjoys hiking, fishing, classic cars and living outdoors.

Kevin Saephanh joined Tawonga’s finance team in the Fall of 2021 as our Human Resource and Finance Coordinator. He graduated from Sacramento State in 2016 with a Bachelors in Psychology and a strong emphasis in I/O and Social Psychology. Kevin brings to Tawonga years of experience as an HR generalist, specializing in HR operations and administration.

Kevin’s passion for people and culture is only outweighed by his dedication to service. During college, he held various leadership positions in community service organizations on campus. His favorite recurring service event was Relay For Life, where he helped fundraise over $10,000 for the Natomas Sacramento Cultural Center.

On weekends, you’ll find Kevin with his partner and a few friends at Golden Gate Park, enjoying a picnic with Karl the Fog. Kevin is also an aspiring capoeirista and enjoys playing piano, settling down with a good novel and listening to the rain.

A native of Monterey County, Chris lives year-round at Camp Tawonga and oversees all operations with regards to our beautiful property (160 acres along the Tuolumne River, inside the Stanislaus National Forest, seven miles from Yosemite). Chris’ hobbies include restoring classic cars as well as carpentry.

Ben first encountered the “tall, tall trees” during the summer of 1996. It rained every day he was there and he vowed he would never come back. After his mom literally forced him on the bus two years later, the East Bay native can’t get enough of the Tuolumne River. Ben was a camper for five glorious summers and became a summer staff member in 2003. Ben has worn many hats during his 13 summers working at Camp: counselor, lifeguard, assistant director, driver, office staff, nanny, unit head and Teen Service Learning supervisor. Ben joined Camp Tawonga’s full-time staff in 2015 and he absolutely loves talking to parents about his experience and how meaningful it has been in his life. Ben lives in Kensington with with his wife Kelli (whom he met at Camp Tawonga), their daughter Sierra and their dog Sadie. In his free time, Ben likes to go on hikes, play Ultimate Frisbee and go to movies.

Rona grew up in New England and spent four summers on the waterfront staff of Camp Ramah in Palmer. After college, she lived on a kibbutz in Israel for several years and outside Boston before finally making the move to the Bay Area. She has worked in ergonomics as well as in the Jewish community at Berkeley Hillel and most recently at the Jewish Federation of the East Bay. Rona lives in Berkeley, where she is an active member of Congregation Beth Israel, a vibrant modern orthodox community. In her free time, she can be found reading multiple books at one time or knitting. She is a graduate of Yale University and the proud mother of an aspiring writer. She is delighted to join the awesome team at Camp Tawonga!

Tom is a native of Chilicothe, Illinois. He moved to California in 2008 to join the US Marine Corps, where he spent 4 years on active duty stationed out of southern California. After the military he attended college majoring in diesel technology. Tom moved to Groveland in 2015 and started working at Camp Tawonga in 2018, where he works year-round performing buildings and grounds maintenance. He enjoys working with his hands and has a love for the outdoors. His hobbies include camping, offroading, traveling, motorcycling, watching his beloved Illinois sports teams, and enjoying quality time with family and friends.

Debbie has lived in the Bay Area for over 30 years and is new to Camp Tawonga. She grew up in southern Oregon where she learned to love outdoor adventures and spending time in nature. She attended 4-H and Girl Scout summer camp as a kid and grew up loving to backpack with family and friends. Debbie has a passion for community work and has twenty-five years of extensive experience in non-profit management, and seven years in public administration for local government. She served as the Executive Director of two different branches of the YMCA of Silicon Valley. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from San Jose State University and is currently finishing her MPA. Fun fact- she competes in the sport of triathlon, and just completed her first full Ironman and plans to compete in a second later this year.

Lisa has over twenty years in sales and marketing experience for leading Bay Area publishing and Internet companies. Prior to coming to Tawonga, she was Associate Director of Teens Turning Green, helping build a nationally recognized youth movement through managing programs, business development and fundraising, and promoting sustainability. Lisa volunteers on the executive board for the Women’s Philanthropy division of the SF Jewish Community Federation and is a member and former board president of the religious school at Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael. Melding her love of working with teens, environmental advocacy, and Jewish education, Lisa now feels incredibly fortunate to work for Camp Tawonga, where all of her interests intersect. She lives in Marin with her husband Matthew and has two grown children. She loves the outdoors and enjoys spending as much time at Camp as possible. Mostly, she loves getting to know this incredible community and calling herself a Tawongan!

Lew joined Camp Tawonga in the spring of 2022 as a Groundskeeper/Maintenance Technician following eleven years employment with Evergreen and Rush Creek Lodges in the position of Facilities Manager. Lew has also worked in semiconductor manufacturing, as an RV Technician and as a Septic System Technician. Lew is an Air Force veteran. He grew up in Lathrop, CA near Hwy 120, lived 20 years in Albuquerque and has returned full circle to Tuolumne County 40 years later. Lew enjoys the outdoors and likes to challenge himself. He takes great pride in his work and loves maintaining this special place. His interests include aircooled VW restoration, metal fabrication, brewing beer and drones/RC vehicles.