Hello from Chewonki!
Summer has fully arrived and we are eagerly looking forward to Sunday when we will welcome the first campers to the one hundred and eleventh season of Camp Chewonki.
I would like to provide an update about our summer camp leadership team. As we shared back in January, this will be the last summer for Camp Director Katie Goodman. Katie brought a tremendous amount of skill and passion to the role, and we will miss her greatly as she moves on to her next adventure. We are also very pleased to introduce the incoming camp director for the 2026 season, Ben King! We are thrilled Ben is stepping into this role and joining the Chewonki community. Ben will be working in tandem with Katie throughout this summer to provide a smooth transition. You can learn more about Ben in his bio below.
We have several events open to all alumni and friends in July and August, and I hope many of you will be able to join us at Chewonki. In my travels, I continue to notice the life-long friendships formed at Chewonki are the driving force behind the amazing community that keeps the Chewonki mission alive and strong. Thank you for all you do!
Ben grew up in central Ohio where rolling farm fields met creeks and ponds nestled amongst tall stands of hardwood trees. While hiking, canoeing, attending summer camp, playing soccer, hunting and fishing, he has always felt most at home with the earth directly underfoot. Ben’s first summer of camp came at the age of seven and he has been involved with a camp program in one fashion or another ever since.
Ben has witnessed the transformative power of camp in his own life and believes that in a perfect world every child would attend summer camp. The friendships made over the years at camp have evolved into family to him. That is especially true in one case specifically, as Ben met his wife Linsey when they were summer camp counselors together at Camp Nuhop well over a decade ago.
Throughout his collegiate career, Ben discovered two of his greatest passions: locally grown food and facilitating meaningful and educational outdoor experiences for others. This self-actualization was the launch pad for a career working a myriad of jobs across the country as an environmental education instructor, whitewater rafting guide, high ropes instructor, camp trips leader, ski instructor, farmer, and camp director.
Ben’s personal passions and values run parallel to Chewonki’s commitment to sustainability, support of local food systems and equitable access to unforgettable camp experiences for youth. His career in outdoor education and adventure leadership has led him to many beautiful corners of the United States but he always knew he would return home to set roots under the canopy of the mixed eastern deciduous forest. Ben and his wife, Linsey and their two young children are excited to join the community on Chewonki Neck!
It is a humbling experience for Ben to be given the opportunity to lead Chewonki’s storied summer camp program into its next chapter and further the mission of building community, encouraging self discovery and fully embracing the natural world and all of its beauty.
Degrees, Certifications & Volunteering:
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- Associates of Science in Ecotourism and Adventure Travel, Hocking College
- Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Experiential Education, Prescott College
- NAI Certified Interpretive Guide, ACCT Level 1 Ropes Course Instructor, Swiftwater Rescue Trained, Wilderness Medicine, PSIA Level 1 Instructor
- American Camp Association Volunteer Accreditation Visitor
