Meet the Staff | YMCA Camp Silver Beach

Danny is from Lewisville, NC and has been with the YMCA since 1993. He began his Y career as a lifeguard and swim lesson instructor in Winston-Salem, NC. During his career, he has served in the roles of Aquatic Director, Senior Program Director, Associate Executive Director and Executive Director. He has been at Camp Silver Beach since 2012 and is inspired every day by the impact the camp experience has in the lives of children. His greatest satisfaction is seeing the growth in his daughter and hearing her talk of the friends she made, the counselors she learned from and what they mean to her.

Rachel is from Cape Charles, VA and has been working at Camp Silver Beach since June 2018. In addition to working at Camp Silver Beach, she also has worked at other camps on the Eastern Shore. She has a BA in Sociology and Communication Studies from Randolph-Macon College. Rachel is our Administrative Director, assisting with registration and with whatever parents may need. Rachel loves seeing how happy campers are during their stays at camp and hopes that children from all over could experience the positive effects camp can give. 

Laura is from Cashville, VA, and joined the YMCA Camp Silver Beach family in May of 2022 as the Food Service Director. She has 25+ years in the food industry from management to owning her own restaurant. She has competed in professional Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) and Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) competitions and took home several trophies. In her spare time, her passion is walking on the beach, baking, and trying new cookie recipes. 

Ray is originally from Delaware and has lived on the shore for about 30 years. He has a background in construction, plumbing, and electrical fields. Ray is also a former law enforcement officer. He enjoys spending time with all his family and being outdoors. Seeing and hearing the joy from the campers is amazing and being a part of that makes what he does fun!

Norman is from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He joined the Camp Silver Beach team during the summer of 2023! He comes from a wealth of background knowledge. We are excited to have him on the team and he is one of our newest “Blue Crabs!”

Camp Silver Beach employs 80+ men and women from all over the world to work and play with children in this coastal camp environment. Our counselors are highly motivated, dedicated and willing to spend their summer with children. Many of the summer staff return each season providing continuity of leadership. New counselors come highly recommended and are carefully selected after a comprehensive interview process. Staff members are recruited from around the world to enrich the diversity of the camp community.

Staff members attend a week-long training program to strengthen leadership skills in specific activities and in group settings. Many of the staff attend an additional week of certification and training to qualify them as instructors in specialized activity areas. All counselors are CPR and First Aid certified. Junior Counselors are rising high school seniors. Senior Counselors have graduated from high school or equivalent.