Staff Members

Joy joined the OCA as the Executive Director in early 2019, and has streamlined internal processes, engaged the camp community as strong relationship builder,  and created an environment in which others are motivated to remain with the organization. She has served as the principal professional resource to the Board of Directors and other key committees since the start of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic.

Joy has a broad background, working exclusively in the non-profit sphere spanning close to 25-years with a focus on leadership and organizational growth which includes leading teams, fundraising, finance and budget management, strategic planning,  and board collaboration. She is goal driven and can see the big picture while at the same time she can implement plans effectively in bite-size morsels to move the organization forward.

Joy has fond memories as a kid of spending many summers at the JCC Camp (now known as The Jack and Pat Kay Centre Camp) in Toronto.  She is the proud mother of two grown children who attended a variety of day and overnight camps, and her daughter is an NBB Alumni.  When she’s not at the office, you can find Joy keeping active, whether it be running, hiking, golfing, or her new hobby – SUP.

To get in touch with Joy, email her at joy@ontariocamps.ca.

Alex Houston is our Marketing and Events Manager. Her experience in strategic communications planning, event planning and communications brought her to the OCA in 2019. Since joining the OCA Alex has made a huge impact on the Associations’ communications. She has grown OCA’s social media presence and successfully launched OCA’s LinkedIn page to elevate OCA’s position as an Association of camp professionals. She created and executed a communications strategy and brand tone, and brought her professionalism and creative approach to OCA’s publications, events, and communications. She has been instrumental in the rebranding of OCA and the implementation and continued management of OCA’s website and is the driving force of technology implementation.

Alex attended Western University where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History with a focus on International Relations, and Sheridan College where she completed her post-graduate diploma in Public Relations Corporate Communications, graduating with High Honours. Alex has held jobs in many industries, and believes that this varied experience has made her an excellent problem solver and solution-creator!

She attended many overnight and day camps including Camp Scugog, Camp Tawingo, Doe Lake Girl Guide Camp, and municipal camps (Halton Region and Peel Region).

In her free time, Alex can be found at home with her husband Justin and dog Butters, baking and cooking for friends and family, or out on an adventure!

To get in touch with Alex, email her at alex@ontariocamps.ca.

Rose Attard is our Membership Associate. Rose brings a broad background of experiences to the OCA, including roles such as the Associate Director at Camp Walden for many years, and most recently she held the position of Volunteer & Office Manager at Habitat for Humanity. Rose is looking forward to helping OCA Members create healthy, happy, and safer experiences for campers, participants and through her work on OCA’s Standards and Membership!

Rose attended Fleming College where she completed her Business Administration Marketing Diploma and Algonquin College where she completed her Baking and Pastry Techniques Certification. Baking was what led her to the summer camp industry 20+ summers ago, feeding 800 campers and staff fresh baked goods daily, and managing out-tripping menus and food inventory.

Never a camper herself, Rose dove into the camp industry feet first; working with school boards to create a safe space for teachers to take their classrooms outside. She developed programs to help day camp campers move into overnight camp experiences, helped brides get the picture-perfect wedding they imagined, and encouraged tech gurus to trust the process of disconnecting to reconnect during an off-the-grid tech conference. Her greatest accomplishment is becoming a camp mom: Watching her son grow up at overnight camp and taking the leap to become a camper himself has brought her so much pride and happiness.

In her free time, you can find Rose with her nose in a book (preferably cookbooks), her hands making pasta with her son Milo, and her heart advocating for Men’s Mental Health, Suicide Awareness, and Prevention.

 To get in touch with Rose, email her at rose@ontariocamps.ca.

Rob Crew is our Projects Specialist, and brings his extensive experience and knowledge to the OCA! Some of his biggest contributions as an OCA staff member include his role in Mentorship, the creation of Director’s Resource E-Book, the creation of the Camp Safety Plan Template and Resource Document, his work on OCA Standards, and his success in building relationships with external partners. Rob plays a large role in our Annual Conference and education events, and always brings his wealth of expertise to support staff and volunteers alike!

Rob has been involved in camp and outdoor education his whole life, starting his first camp job at Sparrow Lake in 1974 and his 33-year education career as an Outdoor Education Specialist with the TDSB in 1981, returning to camp each summer. Rob worked in both Private and Agency camps and in both Day and Overnight camp settings, and has been actively involved in all aspects of camp leadership including property and kitchen management, and his role of Camp Director at 4 different camps. Rob returned to Sparrow Lake Camp as the Executive Director in 2004, a position he held until he joined the OCA staff team in 2016.

Rob was a dedicated OCA Volunteer for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Standards Accreditation (formally Standards) Committee since the mid 80’s and was the chair of the Standards Review committee until 2016. Rob was been a key player in the creation of the current standards format and the development of the Outdoor Education Standards.

Outside of his camp life, you can find Rob fishing on the French River, spending time with his wonderful family, or creating a masterpiece meal with his smoker.

To get in touch with Rob, email him at rob@ontariocamps.ca.

Elana Davis is our Bookkeeper! Elana has been working with the OCA since 2014, with 45 years of expertise.

She is instrumental to the operations of the OCA. She supports our invoicing and manages payment processing and supports members with the process, helps the OCA preparing for our annual audit, and keeps our books up to date.

She is a huge team player who is always ready to pitch in and support the OCA team with anything.

Elana has supported clients in many industries, and is very familiar with our camp community through her additional work as a Bookkeeper for Shendy’s Swim School.

Elana is the proud mother of two wonderful children, and a proud grandmother to her grandchild. When not at the OCA or her other clients, Elana can be found cooking for her family and reading.

To get in touch with Elana, email her at elana@ontariocamps.ca.

Kevin Browne is the newest member of the OCA team, joining as Operations Assistant in December 2022. He has over 20 years of experience working in the field of camps, youth work, recreation, and outdoor education. Kevin has spent a lot of time working with at-risk youth in both urban and outdoor settings and has also been involved in other forms of outdoor education. Kevin is passionate about the growth of kids/youth, especially through outdoor education where there is an element of profound inner work, reflection, team building, leadership development, and a sense of community that connecting with nature creates! Kevin is enrolled as an honors student in the Early Childhood Studies program at the University of Guelph-Humber. He also attended Brock University for his Bachelor of Education in Adult Education.

Kevin’s path to camp started with the YMCA of Greater Toronto as a camper, and the City of Toronto where he discovered his passion for working with children and youth as a young volunteer.

In his time away from the OCA, you can find Kevin at school or with friends watching movies/tv shows/anime. He also an avid board game player and having great debates about the places to get great BBQ in the city.