Jeff Lake is lucky to have a wonderful team of men and women who are responsible for the day-to-day well-being of our campers. Cumulatively, our Division Heads have been at camp for over 100 years! They are educators, guidance counselors, school administrators, parents, and former Jeff Lake campers. All of our age groups consist of multiple Division Heads and Assistant Division Heads to assist your campers on their daily needs as well as all parent outreach. We round out our Leadership Team with our Special Events Director, Tour Director, Specialist Director, Programming Director and our Allergy Specialist.
SUE RYNAR
DIRECTOR
Sue began her career at Jeff Lake Day Camp more than 40 years ago and has since worked her way up through the ranks. She was a biking specialist, worked at the pool, and eventually became our Waterfront Director — The number of day camp kids who learned how to swim under Sue’s watch is far too many to count! Equipped with a Masters Degree from Boston University, her role as a full-time Director means stepping in and working with the leadership team to create a fun, yet safe environment for campers. This is an easy job for Sue as her whole family has strong ties to Jeff Lake Day Camp — She met her husband here and both of her boys were campers and counselors!
JUSTIN EFROS
DIRECTOR
Justin is a Jeff Lake Day Camp “lifer,” having spent the better part of his life here — nearly three decades in total as a camper, counselor and member of the senior staff! He has been working for Jeff Lake full-time for the past 12 years, overseeing transportation, food, maintenance, and capital projects, and ensuring that the “behind the scenes” aspects of camp life function smoothly. His lifelong relationship with Jeff Lake has provided him with important insight into the value day camp holds for campers and staff alike. He and his wife Diana live in Randolph, and are the parents of two children, Joshua and Jordyn.
JILL ARZONICO
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
Jill has been a beloved member of the JLC year round office staff since 1985. There is nothing that Jill does not know about camp! During the year, Jill is in charge of all the administrative aspects that go into running camp successfully all year long.
EMILY KAGAN
DIRECTOR/OWNER
Emily is third generation at Jeff Lake. Her grandfather, Ira Fish, founded Jeff Lake in 1958 and her parents, Jane and Dan Kagan, are the current owners. Emily brings years of camp experience as a camper, counselor, group leader and division head to her role as Assistant Director. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College and her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. It is a dream come true for Emily to be at Jeff Lake, preserving and continuing her and her grandfather’s shared passion for summer camp and the powerful impact it has on children.
ADAM BARANKER
DIRECTOR
Adam started at Jeff Lake in 1992 at the age of 4 and has been a part of the Jeff Lake Family ever since. His mother was a Jeff Lake camper and counselor in the 70’s, so it was natural when he followed suit. During his 28 years at Jeff Lake, Adam has been a camper, CIT, AIDE, Junior Counselor, Senior counselor, Color War Captain, Assistant Director and now Director. Aside from always leading cheers and camp spirit, Adam is the CIT/AIDE Director, manages the camp’s Social Media, Staffing, and assists in Special Events and Programming.
JANE AND DAN KAGAN
OWNERS
Jane and Dan live and breathe summer camp! As the daughter of Jeff Lake Day Camp founder Ira Fish, Jane spent 25 summers at Jeff Lake as a camper, counselor and assistant director gaining the values and training that provided the foundation for her career in day camp. With her husband Dan, Jane returned to Jeff Lake in 2011, and together they are involved in all aspects of the day camp business. Jane and Dan are committed to carrying on the proud New Jersey day camp legacy established by “Uncle Ira.”
IRA FISH
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
“Uncle Ira” founded Jeff Lake Camp in 1958. For 54 years, he lived ten months for two! Jeff Lake was his lifelong passion and a labor of love. He has provided thousands of children with incredible camping experiences, lifelong friendships, and special memories. His legacy will live on as all of the wonderful traditions that he brought to Jeff Lake continue for generations to come.
DAY CAMP STAFF
Jeff Lake’s Leadership Team includes our Directors and Division Heads. Together, they have over 300 years of Jeff Lake experience. Many of them started as campers, and went on to become counselors and supervisors. They have extensive professional experience in education and child development. Your child’s Division Head is out and about during the camp day in order to stay connected to each child’s experience. From supervising and guiding staff to participating in activities, to addressing the needs of individual campers, the Division Heads are devoted to making sure that your child receives the best care.
The key to a fantastic Jeff Lake summer is our loyal and talented staff. Our staff is made up of dedicated counselors and specialists. Each group of campers has two to three counselors, depending on group size. All counselors go through an extensive selection and training process in order to ensure that the most outstanding individuals are working with your children. Our counselors are enthusiastic young adults and teachers. Our Specialists run individual program areas, teaching skills and helping and encouraging campers to discover new talents. They come to us with backgrounds in teaching and coaching.
At Jeff Lake, we are one big family. 70% of our campers return to become counselors, and over 85% of our staff return summer after summer.