Kevin Cullum is the Executive Director at Camp Wyoming. He is known fondly by the summer staff because of his unrelenting dad jokes and tendency to call people by their first AND middle name. He’s been at camp for almost 16 years now, and for many people, they don’t remember what camp was like without him. He has seen a generation of campers grow up, become staff, start families, and send their own children to camp.
Kevin first came to camp in May of 2004. He and his wife, Shelley, and their daughter Maggie (who was 2 years old at the time) arrived just in time to jump into the summer camp season. Previously, Kevin had been the director at a camp for underprivileged children in New Jersey for 4 years. He also attended and worked at Camp Hanover, a Presbyterian camp in Virginia. Kevin had experience in camping and knew what it meant to be a camp director, but Camp Wyoming was a new challenge for him and his family.
Over the years, Kevin developed a reputation for being fair, direct, and always laughing at his own jokes. He was part of projects like building the new Welcome Center and the Deer Center renovations. During that time, his family grew. Kevin and Shelley now have three kids: Maggie (18), Alex (14), and Sara (12).
So what exactly does a camp executive director do all day? Kevin manages the finances at camp and raises money for improvements to the facilities and programs. Right now, a big focus for him is the High Ropes Course and Climbing Tower campaign. He also works with the Board of Trustees to lay out the vision for the camp to fulfill its mission. Of course, he isn’t always sitting behind a desk in his office. You’ll frequently see Kevin out and about at camp, building connections with people familiar and new to the Camp Wyoming ministry. When families arrive during the summer for check-in day, Kevin is usually right out front to greet them. He works hard to help camp and the program adjust to the changing culture in order to meet the growing needs of children, youth, young adults, and families.
Working at camp is a big commitment. So why does Kevin do what he does? He believes in the power and value of camp. Learning by doing is one of the most effective ways for a person to learn. Camp provides that experience in everything a child does during their time at camp. Kevin also feels that camp helps build self-confidence, perseverance, and conflict resolution skills. Most importantly, it teaches a child the importance of relationships.
We feel very fortunate at Camp Wyoming to have Kevin’s expertise and skillset. The next time you’re at camp for check-in, make sure to keep an eye out for him and say hello!
