Directors and Admin Staff
Gabby Jones, Program Director
“Hello everyone! For those who don't know me, I’m Gabby Jones. WAMAVA has been important to me for most of my life. I stumbled across camp through my church back in 2002 and continued as a camper for 9 more years until I aged out. I was baptized here and WAMAVA acted as my church home until I was in high school. I decided to attend Ohio Valley University after finding out about OVU through WAMAVA. It was there I met my husband Andrew, who later married me in the Chapel in the Woods in 2016. During my college years, I was a counselor from 2012 - 2014, and returned in 2015 as a representative of OVU. In 2016 after getting married, I volunteered in the kitchen. As you can imagine, that was a busy summer.
It was in 2017 when I began my career as part of the admin team. I have filled about every leadership role at some point as part of the admin team over the last 6 years. I have planned arts & crafts, plunged and repaired toilets, as well as supported children with special needs. My career as a special education teacher for the last 7 years has allowed me to serve all types of campers at WAMAVA.
Additionally, I joined the Board of Directors in 2018, served as Treasurer from 2019 - 2021, and served as Vice President from 2022 until 2024. Now that I am Co-Director, I am no longer serving in the VP role. My time serving on the Board has been insightful and crucial in preparing me to lead and make decisions for WAMAVA and campers.
Before becoming director, I embarked on understanding myself and seeking where I needed to improve to best serve camp. I try to lead with a people-focused, camper-focused, and mission-focused mindset. My husband Andrew says that I lead via expectations; and try my best to ensure expectations are understood, supervised, and accomplished. In conclusion, I am passionate about making children successful and letting kids be kids.
Speaking of kids, you might see my two children around the grounds this summer - Jonah (3) and Lucy (3.5 months). They love camp, and your kids. Well, Lucy doesn't know it yet, but she will!"
Joshua Decker, Spiritual Director
"Hi! I’m Joshua Decker and I’m happy to serve Camp WAMAVA this year as Co-Director, specifically focused on ministry and spiritual community. This will be my fourteenth year at Camp Wamava and my first year as Co-Director. I was a counselor for 3 years, assistant director/admin team for three years, Bible time volunteer for six summers, and general maintenance and exuberance volunteer for two summers. After 2020, I was worried that my time with camp was over, but after 2023, the Lord led me back.
Currently, I build and design escape rooms and have been doing so for about six years now. For 7 years prior to that, I was a classroom teacher and worked in educational theatre. I am grateful and blessed to have a job within my field of study. I have been able to use my theatre background to connect with people and see the world from different perspectives. Theatre has helped me with devotionals, Bible time, and general communication skills at WAMAVA and in the churches I have been a part of. My work in escape rooms has helped me view education differently. I believe that people learn best from hands-on experiences through a mix of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning. This year, I want our Bible time to feel more like an adventure and more like camp.
I am a strong believer in imagination and play. I am an artist who likes to explore different tools and techniques. Art is meant to be shared and help people understand new and different perspectives. Creativity connects us with God and the people around us. I intend to continue using my art and creativity as a tool to connect with and inspire others. We were made as creative beings in God’s image to honor and please Him as we walk together. I look forward to the connections and creativity that we will share this summer."
JEANIE LINTON,
CAMPER NEEDS AND SUCCESS
"Hi everyone! My name is Jeanie Linton and this is my 6th summer as part of the leadership team at Camp WAMAVA. My primary role at WAMAVA is to support camper behavioral and emotional needs, and ultimately, to make each camper as successful as possible in the camp setting. I primarily use communication, counseling, and sensorimotor strategies. I facilitate camper-counselor relationships and repair relationships between campers. I also provide support and interventions to the counselors so they can be on the frontlines to meet camper needs directly.
My current job as a speech-language pathologist in the public school setting for the last 7 years working with K-12th graders with communication and behavioral needs has equipped me immensely to support campers at WAMAVA. Additionally, I have been supporting the needs of children, teens, and young adults as a foster parent the last 5 years.
In a beautiful way, it was my 7 years as a counselor at WAMAVA that actually equipped and led me into a career and ministry working with children with behavioral and emotional needs. I spent my college summers at camp running on instinct and faith as I tried to connect with campers who had a harder time being successful in the camp setting. I did everything I could think of to try to help them connect and feel safe in a new and overwhelming environment. I wasn't always successful and that was heartbreaking.
WAMAVA is a place where my faith came alive for the first time, where I felt unequipped and ran on a half empty or almost empty bucket. It is in those weary moments where the Lord is my only lifeline. Jesus beautifully met me in all the hard places, good and bad. Camp is the messiest, most unique, and most beautiful way I see Jesus love His kids and pursue their hearts. I love getting to help bridge the gap for campers so they can better connect with Him."
ANDY DILLARD,
BOYS STAFF & J-STAFF
“Howdy! My name is Andy Dillard and I am excited to be returning to WAMAVA this summer as part of the admin team for the first time. WAMAVA has been a part of my life, on and off, most of my life, as I grew up nearby in Maryland until I moved to Texas for college. I was a camper for about 3 summers during childhood and then served as a counselor for 3 years in a row, from 2013-2015. I loved Texas so much that I still call it home to this day with my wife Lizzie, and our two sons, Lucas (6) and Jackson (3).
During the school year, I have worked in education as a physical education teacher for the last 8 years. Additionally, I serve in a leadership role as the Elementary PE & Health Coordinator. In general, I am passionate about serving families and youth. I believe my time with children daily at work and at home has prepared me well to serve in my new leadership role at WAMAVA.
I have found in my experiences that it is the one who falls down and continues to get back up again finds themselves worthy in the end. One of my favorite quotes by Ted Roosevelt says it well: “...if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” Camp was a place where I experienced failure many times as a young counselor and it helped prepare me for future experiences.
I suspect being in a new leadership role will bring some failures and storms, as I grow and learn to support our staff, junior staff, and campers. I know that the Lord will be there with me. He will honor my faith as I step into unknown waters and try to walk. I want to focus on Him, lean on Him, and not the possible storm around me. Matthew 7 tells us that if you “ask, it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” I trust that the Lord brought me back to WAMAVA, He will lead me through and give me what I need as I lead and serve His kids.”
LAURA HUGHES,
GIRLS STAFF & AFTERNOON REC
"Hi everyone! My name is Laura Hughes, and I am very excited to be back at WAMAVA this summer. It is my absolute favorite place in the world. This is my 2nd year on the Admin team. This year I’ll primarily be leading the Girls’ Staff and Afternoon Rec.
Growing up nearby in West Virginia, I came to camp from many years as a camper and junior staff. During college, I served on staff for 4 years, as part of the kitchen staff as well as 3 years as a counselor. Vocationally, I have served 13 years in education; initially as a middle school teacher and now as a special education teacher, specifically a reading specialist.
My three children spend the summer with me at WAMAVA as well; Alexis (, Parker (6), Charlie (3). You may see my husband, Travis, around the grounds as well throughout the week.
Camp WAMAVA is where I found my faith in Jesus and I am passionate about serving students and their families so they may find and nurture their faith as well."
AUDRA PARKER,
KITCHEN CHIEF
"Hello! My name is Audra Parker and this is my second summer as WAMAVAs full time lead cook. Previous to that, I've spent a week every summer since 2009 as a volunteer either in the kitchen or with the Bible program. In particular, I have worked with and learned from the previous lead cook- the amazing Cheryl Brooke. She really is the best!My kids have been campers, staff brats, j-staffers, counselors and even part of the admin team. I have really loved seeing my kids enjoy WAMAVA, and now I’m so grateful for the opportunity to watch my nieces and nephew enjoy camp.
Although cooking isn’t actually my favorite thing to do, I do love feeding people. From feeding my crew of kids as they grew up, to our church family and friends, and now to WAMAVA, I want to make sure everyone feels well-loved by being well-fed.
While we aren’t able to accommodate everyone’s preferences, we try to have camp favorites along with other healthy options. And, of course, we pay attention to safety for those campers with food allergies. Further, I work hard to ensure cleanliness of food preparation and delivery areas, follow state health department regulations pertaining to safe food practice, and work with the local health department food inspectors to maintain compliance. Providing a safe environment is an explicit part of our Mission after all!
I am so looking forward to a great summer with all the campers, staff and volunteers! See y’all there! The chocolate chip cookies will be waiting for you!"