Camp Team
Meet our Outstanding Staff
Camp TEAM
Camp Director
Christopher Engel is an artist, educator and art therapist. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries in New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, East Hampton, Springs and Sag Harbor and is part of many private collections. Christopher served as the Arts and Education Coordinator for the City of NY Parks and Recreation Department where he designed, developed and taught programs in visual arts, creative writing and dramatics and facilitated science/environmental programs for inner city children. Christopher has collaborated with the American Museum of Natural History/Rose Science Center and has run creative arts programs and workshops at the Child Development Center of the Hamptons (CDCH), the Charter School, the Tuller School, the Children's Museum of the East End and Art House.
Assistant Camp Director
Nicholas Behrens has a degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland with concentrations in Elementary Education and Adapted Physical Education. He was the Multi-Sport Director at Sportime of the Hamptons, where he served as the Sports Director for their summer camp. Currently he teaches and coaches at Southampton High School. Nicholas has coaching experience in tennis, volleyball, soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
Connie Judson has been the Community Program Coordinator at Ross since 2003. She has over 25 years in customer relations and account management including employment with the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, Doctors Hospital and Bloomingdale’s. Connie is passionate about environmental concerns and community service. She has been a member of the Montauk Ladies Auxiliary for over ten years.
CAMP SPECIALISTS and Instructors
Laura J. Auerbach has been an architect, installation artist and educator for over 20 years. She received her BFA in sculpture from Cornell in 1987 and an MA from Yale in 1992. She has been on the faculty of numerous colleges and universities throughout North America including: University of Michigan, Syracuse, RPI and NYIT. She has been a visiting critic and lecturer at various institutions including Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, University of Virginia, Rice University and Yale. She also enjoys teaching elementary, middle and high school students supported by public grants in both New York and Connecticut. Laura’s own creative work focuses on exploring the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, urban design and the environment.
Annemarie Brown graduated from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education K-12 as well as health education K-12. She holds a Masters degree from CW Post in computers and technology in education. She has taught physical education and health in the East Hampton School District for five years and currently teaches at the East Hampton Middle School. She coaches girls soccer, basketball and softball for East Hampton, as well as a local girls fastpitch softball traveling team. While at SUNY Cortland, Annemarie received the Red Letter Award, All Region and All State honors for pitching, and pitched for the College USA Olympic Team in Europe. In addition to teaching private pitching, Annemarie is lifeguard certified and a water safety instructor.
John Brown graduated from Jefferson Community College with an Associates degree in Liberal Arts and Science and is now completing his studies for a Bachelors degree in education. He works at the Sag Harbor Elementary School and coaches girls basketball and softball for the East Hampton School District. John also coaches a local girls fastpitch softball traveling team. For the past two summers, he was head of operations at the Hampton Country Day Camp and in charge of the program for elite tennis players ages 6-12 years.
Brendan Callahan graduated from Northwest Catholic High School, where he played varsity basketball. He played four years of college basketball at Endicott College and was team captain and member of the Conference All-Academic Team during his senior season. Brendan received his masters in sports administration from Georgia State University. He lived in New York City for eight years and worked for the New York Knicks and the NBA before moving to Spain. Currently living in Spain, Brendan is working as a program director for the Basket and English program, coaching basketball and teaching English.
Vinicius Carmo is the Director of Tennis Activities at Ross School’s new, state-of-the-art Tennis Center. Vinicius played in international tournaments and finished in the top five in Brazil's junior tennis league. He came to the United States on a tennis scholarship at the University of Tennessee where he graduated in 2000 with a degree in business administration. Vinicius has coached many top-ranking players at the collegiate level. For several years Vinicius was the Regional Tennis Director for Sportime's East End locations. He has developed tennis programs, tournaments and events for all age groups.
Megan holds a BA in literature from Bennington College and an MA in elementary education from Shady Hill School and Leslie College. She has over 15 years experience as a practitioner and educator in yoga, wellness, healing, poetry, music and puppetry.
Grant Curatola is a graduate of Ross School and is currently completing his BFA in film and television at the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Grant worked at both Boys and Girls Harbor in East Hampton and Hoops 4 Hope in Cape Town, South Africa. He has extensive experience in all aspects of filmmaking including production, direction, writing and acting. He is currently working on an independent feature due out in the spring of 2010.
World Champion Sensei Michelle Del Giorno has over 25 years of experience in teaching and training in the martial arts. During the 1990s, Sensei Michelle competed in Karate tournaments across the country, winning every major invitational competition. After securing a position on the World Athletic Karate Organization’s United States Team, she won the Gold Medal in Sport Karate Point Fighting. As a member of the 1994 United States Team at the World Karate-do Federation Pan American Championships, Michelle earned a Gold Medal in Traditional Semi-Contact Sparring. She has been teaching young adults the art of self-defense, personal safety and self-awareness since 2005. Currently she is head Martial Arts instructor at Ross School.
Liz Dobbs has been involved in the food service industry for over 25 years. She studied culinary arts at the New York Restaurant School in New York City and was the opening chef for two immensely popular downtown restaurants, Gulf Coast and Benny's Burritos. Since 1999, Liz has been cooking for Ross School. She enjoys teaching young people to think about food, both culturally and nutritionally and has witnessed firsthand how mindful eating makes a difference.
Isabel Dominguez graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is an artist and art educator who has been teaching art to early, elementary, middle and high school students for the past 10 years. Isabel has worked at The Dalton School, The Morriss Center School, Ross School and presently at Rippowam Cisqua School in Westchester, NY. She attended Reggio Emilia in Italy as well as Harvard Project Zero.
Gerard Doyle trained as an actor in Birmingham, England. His career has taken him around the world, performing with the English Shakespeare Company in London’s West End, in regional repertory theatre, as well as numerous UK television appearances. In America, he has appeared on Broadway and in a number of television shows and commercials. He is an award-winning narrator of audio books for both adult and younger audiences and his voice is heard on radio in commercials for a wide range of products. Gerard has taught privately at several schools and colleges in England and has taught drama at Ross School for the past several years.
Greg Drossel is currently Dean of Students at Ross School. In addition, Greg uses his background as a naturalist in many capacities at Ross. He has mentored pertinent Ross senior projects, created environmental clubs, taught orienteering, organized camping and backpacking trips, created numerous naturalist programs and chaperoned Ross student M-Term trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Honduras, Patagonia, Mexico, Kenya and South Africa. As a naturalist, he has appeared on the Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. He has also worked in film as an animal handler and has lectured on a variety of wildlife subjects. Greg served on the Advisory Board of the Shoreham-Wading River Science Museum, Holtsville Ecology Complex and the Cornell Marine Sciences Center. He is a New York State certified instructor for Sportsman’s Education (pending) and has served as a special investigative officer for the S.P.C.A./Exotic Wildlife division. Greg is certified in CPR/AED and Red Cross Fundamentals in Basic Kayaking.
Born in Croatia, Mia Elezovic has given concerts in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Slovenia, Spain and the United States. She completed her MA degree at the Music Academy in Zagreb and moved to Frankfurt/Main for Aufbaustudium with Herbert Seidel, which she completed in 2002. She has worked with Croatian composer Ruben Radica, presenting his chamber music on CD with Zagreb Guitar Trio at International Music Biennale–Festival of Contemporary Music. Mia has held teaching positions at Kyoto University for Music and Art, British School in Tokyo and Terra Magica Music Festival.
Laura Engel is an actress and performing arts educator. She will be teaching Early Childhood Music and Creative Dramatics at Ross School. Laura has performed on stage, film and television since the age of 14 in venues from New York City to Miami and on the East End. She received her training at Bard College, The New School and New York University. Laura is a Registered Music Together Teacher conducting classes in East Hampton with Sandpiper Music Together. She is also the music teacher at the Rainbow Preschool in Sag Harbor and Stella Maris Preschool in East Hampton. Laura is co-founder of Art House Engel Studios and has conducted music and creative drama classes and workshops in NYC and in the Hamptons at the Children’s Museum of the East End, Ross Lower School, The Art Farm and Summercamp @Ross.
Meg Floss is a horse trainer and owner of Maidstone Stables in East Hampton. She started riding at the age of six and has worked her way through the ranks as a show groom, rider, manager, agent and trainer. She has trained students for the most well known shows in the country, and her work history includes World Cup and Olympic silver and gold medal winners. This year she was especially proud to have her students at the Hampton Classic place with top ribbons. With her knowledge of the highest standards in horse management and training, Meg strives to provide students and horses with the guidance needed to bring out their greatest potential. She is dedicated to safety, compassion and respect towards horses, students and staff and wants to share this common goal in a peaceful and fun atmosphere.
John Graham was a member of the Saint John's University Men's Tennis team where he enjoyed being a member of ECAC title teams in his final two seasons. John has learned his craft at the hand of two legendary tennis coaches, Harry Hopman and Antonio Palafox. John was the Head Pro at the Cove Tennis Center and has been associated with the finest clubs on Long Island. Through the years he has developed after school programs for children, donated his time and services to community outreach programs, and implemented programs for physically challenged players. For several years, John directed the Junior Program at Amagansett Sportime and established "Lifetime Tennis," a program that brings a multi-sport approach to learning both the game and sport of tennis. Currently, John is a full-time tennis pro at Ross.
Jessica Heaney was a three-sport stand-out in high school playing field hockey, basketball and softball. She earned three All League and three All Conference awards and four team MVP awards. After high school, Jessica went on to play softball at Franklin Pierce College where she captained her team and earned a coach's award. Then she went on to coach several sports, including field hockey, soccer, volleyball and softball. Jessica has coached several sports at Ross School and was named Ross School Coach of the Year for 2007–2008 after leading the softball team to an 11-6 season.
Ty Hook, or “Mr. Tee,” as his students call him, has 11 years experience teaching golfers of all levels how to reach for, achieve and even surpass their golfing expectations. Mr. Tee has implemented and assisted with junior golf programs at several locations including The Quogue Field Club, Boys & Girls Harbor, and The Poxabogue Golf Center, where he founded the Grip It & Rip It Jr Golf Program and used games and drills to instill fundamental life and golf skills, such as respect, patience and integrity. After passing the PGAs and working as an apprentice, Mr. Tee also became certified as a USGTF level 3 instructor, and trained under the legendary PGA instructor John Sutter in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mary Jaffe has been a professional potter for the past 25 years. She started her career in clay in 1984 after a five-year studio apprenticeship in production pottery in Wainscott, NY. Mary became adept at wheel throwing, a technique which continues to be the basis for all her work. Today, she produces porcelain and stoneware in her Bridgehampton studio. Along with popular lines of functional ware, her designs include ceramic arts inspired by nature. The organic spirals of seashells she collects while walking the beach are the influence for her current work. Mary holds a B.F.A. degree from LIU Southampton and runs workshops in her studio. She has taught ceramics for a number of years at local schools, museums, libraries and summer camps.
European pianist Irena Koblar is well-known to both music lovers and music professionals. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the renowned Mozarteum University, in Salzburg, Austria, and the Professional Studies Diploma at the Mannes College of Music in New York. She has given many solo performances and appeared with chamber and philharmonic orchestras throughout Europe and the US. She has won several national and international competitions. In addition to her performing career, she is particularly experienced in teaching children between the ages of five and 15. She believes that this is the age group when one can truly influence the development of the child, broaden his/her horizons and make him/her familiar with the wonderful world of classical music. For more information visit www.irenakoblar.com.
A Long Island native, Keith Leaf has been performing professionally for the last ten years. His seriously funny, unique multi-cultural comedy juggling and fire show has been presented in America and abroad. Keith is co-founder of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Circus Association, Founder and President of Cabrillo College Juggling Club where he obtained a degree in philosophy and religion, and a member of the International Juggling Association. He has won awards in many regional festivals including Diabolo High Toss in Millbrae, CA. He was a Four Club award winner at Lincoln, NE, and a Five Balls award winner at Millbrae, Davis and Lincoln festivals. Keith has worked for the National Circus Project and with their Greatest Shows in Schools program, as well as for Marine Park Juggling, Hayground Camp, Demento Juggling Festival’s Rope Workshop, Flatland Juggling Festival, Bridgehampton Library’s Learn to Juggle Day, Project Most in East Hampton, Pyre Pixies Santa Cruz, Children's Museum of the East End, International Juggling Festival Fire Workshop in Redding and Nickelodeon TV’s Let's Just Play.
Sue Lichtenstein studied at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA. She later received her BFA from California Polytechnic State University. After living in the Caribbean for two years, Sue went back to school and received her MA in creative arts therapies from Hofstra University. She is an artist, educator and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. She has worked creatively with children for many years at the Children's Museum of the East End, in local schools, summer camps and in her private practice. For the past couple of years, Sue taught stained glass at an art summer camp in Maine. She has also enjoyed being "Master of Stained Glass" for the Ross School's eighth grade medieval week.
Maria Maciak is a documentarian, video artist and an educator. She has been at Ross School since 1996 as a filmmaker-in-residence and a member of the media studies faculty. Maria led documentary workshops, video activism, media installations, human rights projects and thesis narrative productions. Student projects mentored by Maria were broadcast nationally and received awards at the Native American Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, United Nations Film Festival and many others. Maria currently serves as Ross Institute's Media Director.
Rima Mardoyan-Smyth studied fine art at the Institute of Fine Arts "Lerchenfeld" in Hamburg, Germany. From 1977 to 1981 Rima was honored to have Sigmar Polke as her advisor/professor. Since moving to New York City in 1981 her work has been shown annually and can be found in major private collections and corporations in the US and Europe. She exhibited her paintings at the Guild Hall Museum in a Solo Show in Fall 2008. Rima is represented by Salomon Contemporary in East Hampton.
Alexis Martino received her BFA in Photography from the Parsons School of Design and studied Cinematography at the American Film Institute in Hollywood, CA. She worked as a freelance photographer and was videographer for a documentary on teens, sex and drugs in New York. Alexis also directed and produced Where I’m Coming From, a program that taught filmmaking to inner-city children, allowing them to direct and shoot films about their own visions and dreams. She has worked with three production companies producing commercials, most recently with Film Zone Productions. Alexis received the Leica Medal of Excellence in Photojournalism and participated in one individual and one group show.
Woodwind Specialist
Hal McKusick is a figure who has been on the forefront of the jazz world for over 50 years. He has played with bands led by Woody Herman, Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Claude Thornhill, Dizzy Gillespie and Erskin Hawkins, among others. He also played with Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet and Charlie Parker, and played for Billie Holiday in clubs. His musical career has been documented by the Smithsonian Institute's Jazz Oral History Collection. He currently teaches woodwinds and leads the jazz band at Ross School. In addition to teaching, Hal is a prolific composer and active performer.
Ross alumni John Messinger teaches both photography and media studies. He is currently in graduate school at the Pratt Institute for photography. John received his undergraduate degree from Boston University’s College of Communication, where he majored in photojournalism and art history. In 2006, the Boston Press Photographers’ Association honored him with the Student Photo-Essay of the Year Award for his series on U.S. Army war games. During his young career, his photographs have appeared on the pages of the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, The Daily Free Press and American Cinematographer. John has also exhibited his images in several art shows throughout the Hamptons.
Kate Mueth is an actor, choreographer, voiceover artist, and drama and movement teacher. She has worked in theater, television and film in Chicago, Boston, New York City and regional markets. Kate received a grant to study at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and was later hired there as a teaching artist and choreographer. She also studied at the acting conservatory at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre, the only accredited training conservatory associated with a Broadway theater. Kate taught theater workshops to students in New York, Chicago, at the Children’s Museum of the East End, the Bay Street Theatre’s Young Playwrights Program and at Guild Hall in East Hampton. She teaches “Drama Lit” at the Montauk School, where she developed the curriculum through a grant from The New York State Council on the Arts. Kate, an Equity Union actor, received glowing reviews for her portrayal of Germaine in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Varya in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, as well as for her role in Moby Dick Rehearsed, starring Peter Boyle and directed by Tony Award winner, Tony Walton. She recently staged a fully designed reading of Beside Herself, a play by Joe Pintauro, at the John Drew Theater in East Hampton and has directed readings at New York’s famed Neighborhood Playhouse. Kate is currently an artist-in-residence at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center.
Kryn Olson has taught Science at the Sag Harbor Elementary School for the last 10 years. Previously, she was an art instructor at the Dallas Arts Magnet High School in Texas. Combining her love for art and science, Kryn received a Master’s Degree from Stony Brook University. Her thesis was titled Teaching Science Through the Arts. As a professional painter, Kryn has shown at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, and the Spanierman Gallery and Arlene Bujese Gallery, both in East Hampton. She was also one of the “East End Ten” artists featured at the Guild Hall Museum. Most recently, her works were displayed at Cheryl Pelavin’s Fine Arts Gallery in Tribeca. As the science coordinator at Sag Harbor Elementary School, Kryn created a series of field trips to teach children the vital role each of them play in protecting their local environment.
Sophia Saridakis is a private tutor to more than 30 students in theory and composition, piano, violin, guitar and vocal performance in the Hamptons. After graduate studies in ethnomusicology at Columbia University, she became a published composer of dozens of songs with Sony Music, then went on to become a recording artist with CBS/Epic Records, releasing four records. She continued composing for primetime programming at the CBS Television Network. Sophia is a chanter and choir director at the Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton and is a board member of Axion Estin, a think-tank of Byzantine music scholars.
Clarissa Schneider is actively involved in music performance and education. She currently directs the String Orchestra program at Ross School and runs a private music studio. Prior to Ross, she held teaching positions at the Morriss Center School, Southampton String Festival and the University of Missouri-Columbia. She earned her BM from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and an MM from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Clarissa has performed with several orchestras, both as a violinist and pianist. As a student, she was the winner or finalist in several competitions, including Concordia College Senior Honors, University of Missouri concerto competition, Jefferson City Symphony concerto competition and Naftzger Young Artists competition.
Dale Scott has had a varied career. She received her BA in dance, drama and English literature from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. She then attended the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College in Florida. Dale returned to New York and studied tightwire with Philippe Petit at the New York School for Circus Arts. She performed as a clown and tightwire walker with the Big Apple Circus in New York. She moved to Paris on a Fulbright Grant in 1980 and performed in theaters throughout France. She was also Administrator, and later Director, of the Experimental Theater Wing of New York University in Paris. Dale taught Circus Arts for Actors at NYU in New York and then took a turn in her career, receiving her MLS from Queens College, University of New York. She became Head of Children's and Young Adult Services at the John Jermain Library in Sag Harbor. Dale is the Director of Library and Information Services and the Middle School Librarian at Ross School.
Kerry Sharkey-Miller has been a member of the Ross School Media faculty since 1997. She has an extensive background in animation, digital imaging and photography.
Affectionately known as “The Diva,” Anita Sorel spent 20 exhilarating years performing in American theatre before taking up the challenge of teaching in NYC and Ross School. She performed opposite Mandy Patinkin, George C. Scott and Don Johnson, toured with the National Shakespeare Co., and treads the boards of Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. She directed all the shows that are hanging on the walls of the Center of Well-Being. She directed several shows at Ross School and is a master of creating top-notch student musicals and plays.
Lars Svanberg has owned and operated Main Beach Surf and Sport in Wainscott, NY for the last 20 years. He has been teaching surfing and running surf camps through his store for as long as it has been open. This 10-time Ironman triathlon finisher has also been surfing for 30 years. Lars has traveled all over the globe surfing and competing in Ironman triathlons. He is also an avid yoga and meditation practitioner.
Mark Tompkins is a graduate of Williams College and holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Education. A veteran middle school teacher with over 20 years of experience working with young adults, Mark is currently serving as the eighth grade academic team leader and cultural history teacher at Ross School. He spends his summers on the waters in and around Noyac Bay teaching sailing at the Sag Harbor Sailing School where he is an owner. In addition to being a fully licensed United States Coast Guard Captain, Mark is certified by the American Sailing Association as an instructor. He was named Outstanding Instructor of the Year for 2007, one of 13 (out of 4000) to receive this honor.
