Meet the CL Camper Care Team!

Elizabeth Kaplan - Community Care Director

Elizabeth discovered her love of Jewish summer camp as a young adult when she found herself at URJ Camp Kalsman, outside of Seattle, WA. She worked there for several summers as the Teva/Trips Supervisor, and she found a professional home for her Jewish experiences. She spent 3 years as a Program Director at JCC Greater Boston developing and implementing an innovative after school program called Discovery Club - infusing everyday activities with Jewish values and content. Elizabeth has extensive experience in JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor Food, Farming, and Environmental Education) Programs and participated in the Urban Adamah fellowship in Berkeley, CA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brown University and an MS-Nutrition/MPH from Tufts University. Elizabeth grew up in Madison, and she currently lives in New Haven with her husband David (who she met, got engaged to, and married at Kalsman) and their future camper (in a few years), Solly. She loves crafts of all kinds, riding her bicycle, and exploring the outdoors.

She is thrilled to be part of the Laurelwood team and can't wait to meet every single one of our amazing campers and staff members. Elizabeth will be overseeing Community Care at Laurelwood, which includes supervising anyone who takes care of campers. She looks forward to helping campers work through issues, guiding staff to grow and learn, and continuing to provide a space that is home to so many. You can reach Elizabeth at elizabeth@camplaurelwood.org.

Lisa Lebowitz - Camper and Staff Care Coordinator

Lisa Lebowitz is the mother of Shayna and Zac, both of whom consider Summer Hill Road their “home away from home” and have lived 10 months for 2 for the past 11 years! Both are also looking forward to returning to Camp Laurelwood for their second summer as CL staff. Her own Laurelwood life started in 2016 as a Camp Mom, but she’s best known for her role as Health Center Support Staff for the past several years, where some of her duties included keeping the gatorade flowing, doing 4,000 loads of laundry, handing out snacks and ice pops, serving meals to anyone “visiting” the health center for an extended time, chauffeuring to doctors appointments, drying tears, holding hands, giving hugs and unnecessary golf cart rides, and crowd control on the Health Center porch.

She is so excited to be joining the Community Care Team and having the opportunity to get to know all of the campers and staff. Her experience as the mother of two campers/staff members allows her a unique perspective to ensure the entire camp community (campers, staff, and parents) is well supported and has the best Camp Laurelwood experience possible. She has always loved and cared for all of Shayna and Zac’s camp friends as if they were her own, and she’s committed to showing the same care to every single camper and staff member. During the 10 months outside of the camp bubble, she loves to thrift with her kids, cook and bake, and watch every episode of Friends and The Big Bang Theory. You can reach Lisa at lisa@camplaurelwood.org.

Gretchen Miller Marino - Mental Health Professional

Gretchen is a Social Worker whose expertise comes from community work in advocacy, public policy, and educational settings. During the school year, Gretchen is a School Social Worker at Derby High School. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Gender Studies from Central Connecticut State University and a Master's Degree in Social Work with a focus in Advanced Standing Clinical Practice in Schools and Educational Settings from Southern Connecticut State University.

Gretchen is looking forward to incorporating Mental, Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Health into the everyday camper experience -- creating a culture in which each camper can bloom and grow into their most authentic selves. You can reach Gretchen at campercare@camplaurelwood.org.