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While some of us have been here since the beginning, and some of us are new faces – ALL of us are committed to creating the summer of a lifetime for each and every teen that joins our summer programs.
We know our stuff and can’t wait to get to know you! The better we understand you, your summer goals and any concerns, the easier it is for us to help you find the perfect program suited to your needs. We are ready to provide you first-rate client service in everything from picking your perfect program, questions about health or safety, making flight arrangements or anything at all. There are many subtle differences and some large ones in choosing the perfect travel program and a live conversation is the best way to explore that decision. Please contact us!
Mitch Lerner
In 1990, Mitch brought years of camp experience to his role as a summer leader on the American Voyageur. After that first summer, having just as powerful an experience as a staff as it is for our teens, Mitch was hooked! He made a name for himself heading up over 9 western and European tours. While finishing his education at the University of Toronto, Mitch found his passion in speaking with families of prospective travelers outside of his studies. After seven months of backpacking in Southeast Asia and Australia, Mitch joined Mark Segal in the New York office. Three years later, Mitch returned to his native city where he manages our Toronto office, speaking with many teens and parents each year to share his vast knowledge of our programs. Mitch, along with Ira Solomon, oversees our overall enrollment and participant experience. He is also the Product Manager of our Volunteer division and various Global Adventure programs. He helps manage staff training, and is a Company Director who visits programs during the summer, with many other responsibilities. Be sure to call him by his nickname “Mr. Meetch”. Mitch loves the outdoors, skiing and water sports. Yet his favorite thing is visiting our programs each summer, coaching our Program Directors and getting to know the teens and staff! He and his wife Wendy have had the pleasure of seeing their own teens experience our programs and have the summer of a lifetime! Contact Mitch
Ira Solomon
Ira joined our family in 2002 and brought his experience in owning and running the operations of Teen Tours of America (TTA). He operates our Boca Raton, Florida office and along with Mitch Lerner, oversees our overall enrollment and participant experience. Ira uses his expertise in program planning and ability relating to teens to spearhead our European, Career Experiences, and Pre-College Enrichment programs, along with various Global Adventures. Among his many responsibilities Ira most enjoys managing our website development, developing marketing materials and hiring and training the best summer staff. He has a sincere passion for travel and has done the pioneering development work to create a number of itineraries in Europe, Costa Rica, Peru and Ecuador. Ira is committed to surpassing the expectations of our clients in all aspects of our enrollment process and in delivering an unforgettable traveler experience. In his free time, Ira loves riding dirt bikes with his son and in the winter skiing with his family and watching football. Speaking of football, Ira’s skill for outdoor barbeque cooking can be experienced by his friends and family at his legendary tailgates before Miami Dolphin games. Ira’s passion for inspiring teens to achieve their goals was recognized when he was named Broward County High School mentor of the year. Contact Ira
Lindsay Ebert Dwonszyk
(She/Her/Hers) Lindsay fell in love with the recreation industry and has developed her passion working at day camps, overnight camps, and outdoor adventure programs across the country. She earned her degree in Recreation Management from UMass Amherst, with a minor in Psychology to further develop her skills with children and teens. While studying in Barcelona, Lindsay discovered her enthusiasm for travel and its profound effects on one’s perspective. After graduation, she pursued her career in outdoor education and leadership, and continued to spend her summers on the water providing a thrilling and safe environment for teens. She assumed safety leadership roles as a Lifeguard & First Aid Instructor, certified boating operator, and Water Safety Instructor. Lindsay joined the WCC family in 2012 and now runs our Mamaroneck, NY office. She helps families choose the program that is the best fit for them, interviews and hires talented summer leaders, supports programs on the road, manages our summer communication center, and is part of our safety & risk management team. Like so many others in the company, she shares a passion for both camp and travel that can be seen in her big smile that wins over participants and staff alike. Contact Lindsay
Symon Hay
(He/Him/His) Symon began life at WCC back in 1998 when he took his first group of teenagers out west. At the time he was living abroad teaching children with autism in London. That incredible experience on our western program inspired him to move back across the pond to take his years of experience working with kids and teens and apply it on a year-round basis. Symon’s diverse experiences include teaching nursery school kids in Canada and underprivileged students in Israel, volunteering at children’s hospitals, and living in India, Europe, the US and Australia. Due to his nomadic nature, Symon has worked in three of our offices and now calls Toronto home where he lives with his wife Carolyn and their two young children that he loves to watch giggle together. He also loves to ski, play tennis, and volunteer with a research network dedicated to improving the lives of children with developmental disabilities. He is the Director of our School and Custom groups division, which operates programs throughout the year, and he oversees our programs in Australia and New Zealand. As a Company Director you might be lucky enough to catch up with him as he visits different summer trips and shares his invaluable experience with our Program Directors on the road. Contact Symon
Erica Jonas
Erica has the perfect job considering she minored in Travel & Tourism and has an extensive marketing background. Since 2009 she has enjoyed assisting families in planning their teenagers' perfect summer. Her patience, good nature and extremely warm personality leaves WCC families feeling supported & well-prepared for summer! Contact Erica
Sydney Kerzner
(She/Her/Hers) Sydney has been a member of our full-time team, working in the Toronto office, since 2018 after graduating from Western University. Sydney went on our U.S. Explorer program as a participant back in 2011, catching the travel bug early on. Since then, Sydney has visited over 25 countries and counting, in part thanks to her work as a Program Leader and Director with WCC. After working at day & sleepaway camps since she was 16, she is always excited to work with teens in the summer and help families during the year to create unforgettable experiences! Sydney enjoys iced coffee even in the cold Toronto months, spending time with friends and family, experimenting with new recipes, and traveling, of course! Contact Sydney
Isabella Sayger
Isabella began working for Westcoast Connection in 2017 as a summer leader. She has worked with teens & staff in all travel divisions: Pre-College Enrichment, Volunteer, Global Adventure and Active Teen Tours, in destinations like Costa Rica, Hawaii, Barcelona and more! Isabella is highly talented in helping teens build self-esteem and enjoys encouraging them to try activities outside of their comfort zone. Upon her graduation from the University of Florida with a degree in Public Relations, Isabella joined the full-time enrollment team in sunny South Florida. Now, she is able to help families find their perfect summer program based on their unique interests. In her free time, Isabella enjoys visiting art shows and exhibits, playing her ukulele and being on the water! Contact Isabella
Katie Glover
(She/Her/Hers) Katie was born in London, England and traveled around Europe with her family before moving to Canada at age 7. Since then, her love for travel has continued to grow. Katie explored Greece for the first time with Westcoast Connection as a Program Leader and knew she wanted to become part of the full-time team! Katie attended and worked at her beloved sleepaway camp for a combined 10 years, demonstrating how life-changing summer experiences can be. Katie graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Global Development Studies, bringing both her education as well as her enthusiasm for travel to the full-time team. Now, she is able to help families find their perfect summer program based on their unique interests. Katie is excited to share her love of travel and exploration with teens as they create unforgettable summer experiences! Contact Katie
Brian Chmielewski
(He/Him/His) Brian joined the Westcoast Connection team in 2019 as a Program Director after working for multiple summer travel companies in the past. He loved working with Westcoast Connection so much that he jumped at the opportunity to join the full-time team in the sunny, South Florida office. Brian’s thirst for adventure began during his teen years in Cleveland while attending monthly Boy Scout camps where his love for the outdoors grew exponentially as he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He later attended Ohio University, graduating with 2 degrees in Marketing and Management & Strategic Leadership. Brian’s excitement for travel is evident in his interactions with teens as he loves to impart his appreciation for the outdoors to the next generation of explorers. When he's not speaking with families from the WCC office, you can find him practicing yoga or adventuring outdoors. Contact Brian.
Amy Pfeffer
(She/Her/Hers) After having an unforgettable time as a participant on three WCC programs, Amy joined the WCC family as a program leader in 2018, leading programs in the Teen Tour, Community Service, and Global Adventure divisions. She then became a Program Director, and upon graduating from Wake Forest University with a degree in Child Development and Counseling, she worked for three years as a Certified Child Life Specialist, helping pediatric patients and their families feel comfortable and at ease prior to and during new medical experiences. Amy is excited to combine her love for travel and passion for working with teens as they create everlasting friendships and memories. Contact Amy
Gennifer Ram
After spending 11 summers at sleepaway camp, Gennifer joined the WCC family in 2019 and has loved leading our teens on a number of programs including Hawaii & Alaska, Californian Extravaganza, California & The Canyons and the New York Fashion Experience. After receiving her BA from Western University’s Media, Information, and Technoculture program in 2019, Gennifer explored her passion for marketing and youth culture, working with industry leaders in the fashion, event planning, and social media space. With her emphasis on empowerment and positivity, Gennifer is excited to help families find the perfect programs for their teens to create memories that will last a lifetime! Contact Gennifer
Beyond itineraries, our expert coordinators oversee every program detail, which includes verifying that all suppliers and activities meet our safety standards. Thanks to their hard work, our summer staff are able to be fully focused on getting to know “Each & Every” traveler and building that warm and welcoming group bond that makes for a summer you’ll never forget.
Pamela Nugent
(She/Her/Hers) Pam’s first experiences in camping were at a YMCA where she shadowed campers with special needs. She then went on to be a counselor and run the CIT program. In 2001, she joined us as a Food Director on our very popular California & the Canyons and helped out behind the scenes in the Communication Center. Her talent for helping to support Program Directors on the road while assisting parents with an empathetic ear led to her becoming a fixture in the summer office. After graduating from McGill with her teaching degree, Pam taught during the year and became an increasingly valuable member of our summer team. She joined us full-time in 2006 with her penchant for detail as a coordinator helping to ensure incredible European, Australian and Global Adventure programs. Having planned trips from South America to Asia and across all our program types, she now focuses her attention on managing our Planning department and supporting our meticulous program coordinators. She uses her creative talents to develop new itineraries and educational curriculums and serves as a summer Company Director. Outside of work, Pam is a “curler” having played competitively for over 20 years, going as far as the Nationals, and coaching Special Olympics. She is also a soccer player, coach, and while we don’t call her a “soccer mom” around the office, her four children have acquired a few of her soccer talents and might be surpassing her on the pitch (shh don’t let her know). Contact Pamela.
Lori Heering
Amazingly, Lori has been with Westcoast Connection since our 2nd season! After spending 10 summers attending and working at summer camp in Ontario, and earning her BA in Psychology and working with children, Lori was recruited by Stan as our second ever Program Director – and the rest is history! She directed our western trips and pioneered our first European itinerary back in 1990 and has since worked as a supervisor, Company Director and Program Coordinator. Lori has traveled extensively, is a passionate skier and tries to head to the slopes whenever possible! Lori and her husband have two sons which help her relate to the many teens she creates trips for as the architect and planner of our North American Active Teen Tours. A former east coast gal, Lori is based on the west coast close to many of our suppliers and perfectly located to greet and supervise trips during the summer months. Program Directors turn to her for advice and guidance. Her invaluable years of planning experience and tricks of the trade ensure our teens enjoy the most efficient and well run trips in the industry. Contact Lori
Michelle Lieberman
(She/Her/Hers) Michelle was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. After majoring in economics and accounting she spent several years working as a buyer for national retailer chains. She raised three children in Southern California and began her Westcoast Connection career while juggling family life, leading a Brownie troop and volunteering at her kids' schools. That combined with Michelle’s travels and love for visiting many interesting cities and historical sites in the U.S. made her a perfect fit for our program coordinator team which she joined in 2004. She is intricately involved in a myriad of details involved with managing over a thousand North American suppliers and leading our North American team of coordinators. Contact Michelle
Sandi Cyr-Pelletier
After catching the travel bug as a teen, when touring Europe as part of a music group, Sandi has since visited 27countries and 5 continents including living abroad in Japan and Australia. She uses that first-hand experience as an enthusiastic program coordinator!! Sandi grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, not too far from the Canadian Rockies and studied theater in the Fine Arts department at the University of Alberta. She has worked with youth as a program planner at summer camp, taught English while living overseas, and shared her theater and programming skills as the children’s production coordinator in her local church community. She puts together amazing and unique itineraries and is thrilled to pass the bug on to young travelers and inspire them to continue exploring the globe. Contact Sandi
Brittany Goldstein
(She/Her/Hers) After 10 years at sleepaway camp, including 4 years as staff, Brittany’s love of camp and travel led her to begin her WCC career as a Program Leader on our California & the Canyons in 2008. After a second summer out west, she was a Program Leader on our Backpack France & Switzerland program in 2010 and relished her summers working for WCC so much that she hoped to return if ever possible. After graduating from Concordia University with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Sociology, she worked for five years in entertainment, touring live shows, and three years at a company focused on team building for students. Her organized nature and extensive experience in logistics led her back to WCC full-time where she is thrilled to be part of the Planning team. Contact Brittany
Donna Litvack
(She/Her/Hers) After earning her Bachelors in Communications and her MBA from McGill University, Donna worked for several years in consumer product marketing and in healthcare. But it was her love of summer camp from her younger days as both a camper and staff, and passion for travel that brought her to join the WCC team. As the parent of two boys, she combines her mother’s intuition, knowledge of camp and travel, and her extensive business experience to help our planning department provide teens and staff with well-researched and detailed itineraries. Contact Donna
Luisa De Armas
(She/Her/Hers) Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Luisa considers herself someone who has always been curious about the world. That makes sense as she hasn't stopped travelling since her very first trip at 16 to Chicago! Luisa began working for Westcoast Connection in 2017 as a summer leader while working year-round as the Coordinator of Afterschool and Extracurricular Programs at a local private Elementary School. As a summer leader with Westcoast Connection, Luisa has worked with incredible teens & staff in Spain, Costa Rica, and South Africa. As part of our full-time team, Luisa lends her talents for coordinating intricate details and her personal experience as a world traveler in her role on our Planning Team. She loves that WCC merges together everything she loves: wonderful people, traveling, working with youth, and helping others to make everlasting travel memories! Contact Luisa.
Allison Plessett
(She/Her/Hers) The travel bug hit Allison hard during a GAP year where she traveled throughout Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. She immediately knew that her future career would involve sharing that passion with others. She then attended Coastal Carolina University with studies in ecotourism and sustainability. She spent 7 years at an overnight camp, including being a CIT counselor. She enjoyed teaching at a nature school where the great outdoors was the classroom for enthusiastic young minds. In 2018, Allison started working as a Program Leader for Westcoast Connection. She has lead programs in the Teen Tour, Community Service and Global Adventure divisions. When not working you can find Allison spending time with her dog, Bodhi. She enjoys scuba diving, skiing and camping. Allison is thrilled to be part of the planning team at WCC where she can combine her love for travel, education and helping kids make lasting friends and memories. Contact Allison
Noah Ziegler-Hazen
(He/Him/His) Noah started at WCC in 2019 as a program leader on the American Voyageur and was instantly hooked. After completing two more summers as a Program Leader and Graduating with a BA in Psychology minoring in child youth and family, Noah knew that WCC was where he belonged. In addition to summers spent with WCC, Noah's experience interning at several care facilities in both social work and recreation therapy give him the organizational background needed to be a great asset to the planning team. Through extensive travel both stateside (visiting 30 states) and internationally, Noah loves to learn about new cultures and never says no to an adventure! When he's not catching up with the many friends he's made on WCC programs, Noah enjoys drinking iced coffee and listening to Lady Gaga. Contact Noah
Mateya Burney
(She/Her/Hers) Mateya's passion for travel and cultural exchange is largely thanks to her parents' commitment to expanding her cultural knowledge and horizons. She pursued this passion and received a BA in Asian Religions from McGill University before joining WCC to help with summer operations. Soon after, Mateya joined the Planning Team and quickly became a detail-oriented and enthusiastic Program Coordinator, utilizing her first-hand knowledge of travel and cultural exchange to help create unforgettable experiences for teens. When she isn't digging into the details or exploring new additions to our programs, Mateya enjoys learning new languages, exploring Montreal's vibrant cultural scene, and discovering the limitless gustatory wonders of kitchen spices. Contact Mateya
Keely Obrien
Keely discovered her love for travel and cultural exploration when she left her hometown of St John's, Newfoundland on a language program to Quebec City at age 16. Since then, she lived in London, France, and Australia, and backpacked throughout Southeast Asia before moving to Montreal and joining our team of Program Coordinators. When she isn't traveling, Keely is passionately involved in her community and volunteers with feminist and 2SLGBTQ+ organizations. You can usually find Keely at a yoga or dance class, hanging out with her cat, or enjoying the outdoors. Keely brings plenty of travel and project coordination experience to WCC, and enjoys passing on her love of seeing the world to WCC teens! Contact Keely
Amanda Gonzalez
Amanda graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education from McGill University in 2015, where she was also a member of the varsity soccer team. She spent 7 years teaching in elementary schools while also coaching multiple high school soccer teams. Amanda’s passion for planning and travel emerged during her teenage years when she organized a 6 week European adventure, traveling through Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam, Mykonos, Athens, Santorini, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Amanda finds joy in cooking and spending quality time with her friends and family. Contact Amanda
Kristen Marriott
(She/Her/Hers) Kristen’s love for travel started in 2010 when she worked at a performing arts summer camp in Italy. She immediately knew that she needed to combine her passion for working with teens and love of travel into a long term career. Kristen joined the Westcoast summer team in 2011 and since then, has worked in the Communications Center and led programs around the world. Kristen is also a trained teacher, having taught in Canada for 8 years and abroad in Cambodia for 4. She is thrilled to be joining Westcoast as a Program Coordinator where she looks forward to putting her eye for detail and passion for expanding teens’ horizons to use. In her free time, Kristen loves to explore new destinations, try new dishes and stay active through hiking and kickboxing. Contact Kristen.
Our Program Directors and Leaders are the very soul of what makes our programs extraordinary. This is the team that vets thousands of hopeful applicants every year. They are masters at finding and training the truly passionate, caring, outstanding leaders who have a natural gift for creating the fun, safe, inclusive family feel that we’re known for.
Rich SwamiNathan
(He/Him/His) Education and travel are what fuels Rich’s interest in the world. Rich (better known by participants and leaders affectionately as Swami) has lived and traveled to every continent in the world except Antarctica… but don’t doubt that he’ll get there too one day! His passion for world travel was sparked in elementary school after he visited Africa and volunteered with his uncle who worked for the United Nations. Since then, Rich completed his Undergraduate Degree in Child, Family and Social Studies at the University of Guelph and started his Master’s of Education, focusing on experiential education and service-learning while traveling the globe. Rich loves to coach soccer, hike and play with his young sons. Rich oversees the hiring and training of our summer team of Program Directors, Leaders and Supervisors. In his different roles as Program Director, Supervisor, Director of Training and Development and Company Director, he has been able to help create meaningful experiences leading to lasting memories for teens and staff alike. Perhaps his most memorable Westcoast moment was arranging for his 40 participants to sing a song for a surprise proposal to long-time Program Director Lindsey Reid on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. Oh, and she said yes! Contact Rich
Susan Tanner
It seems like we attract summer camp junkies and Susan is part of that dedicated group of people who have a history and love for camp combined with teaching. Susan enjoyed 14 years at sleepaway camps including nine summers as staff. While a teacher for 10 years, she started sharing her summer talents with us in 1990 and after leading several western and European trips and helping support groups from the Communication Center, she joined us full-time in 1999. Her conscientious and meticulous approach helps keep the office humming smoothly, everything from our database, credit cards, welcome aboard packages, and pre-departure information packages. Outside of work she’s pretty busy with her husband Jason and their two kids. Contact Susan
Moriah Vernon
(She/Her/Hers) Moriah’s first experience with WCC was as a participant on our California Community Service program. After this unforgettable experience, she started working with us in the summers as soon as she was old enough. Starting as a Program Leader on programs such as the California Sprint and the American Voyageur. Moriah became a Program Director, most recently having led the US Explorer, Californian Extravaganza and Ultimate California programs. In the non summer months, Moriah earned her degree from Wilfrid Laurier University with a major in Psychology and minor in Organizational Leadership, while working in student affairs supporting first year students in their transition to college life. She spent a few years working in the professional sports industry leading a team of staff to provide fans exceptional service prior to joining our full time team. Now, Moriah enjoys working with our talented summer staff through hiring and training, helping to create the lasting memories WCC programs bring.
Our dedication to operational excellence is unrivaled in teen travel and is a critical element in our distinguished reputation for consistency, safety and trust. Behind-the-scenes, there are literally thousands of moving parts that need to be synchronized for programs to run smoothly and to create unforgettable summer experiences for you. These teams are led by our founder and heads of operations, IT, finance and marketing.
Stan Browman
Stan had a dream over 40 years ago to create a program for teens to learn and have fun through enriching travel. Actually, Stan just didn’t want to grow up. His many years at camp inspired him to start our company directing our first adventure program for teens in 1983. Stan, his wife Elaine, and four friends as leaders journeyed across the USA and Canada with 40 starry eyed teens on a six-week adventure, the debut of today’s American Voyageur. Since then, he has surrounded himself with a talented and passionate team, living out his dream creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our teens from around the world. Stan gets as much joy from visiting groups each summer as he does reading end of summer surveys with rave reviews from parents and participants. He takes great pride hearing about new friendships being made, skills learned, and cultures explored. Stan hires many of our senior Program Directors, is involved in scouting new destinations, and leads our strategy and vision. From humble beginnings, who knew years later we would be operating offices in two countries and escorting participants across six continents? Contact Stan
Mark Segal
Mark joined WCC in our 3rd summer and combined his love for summer camp with his enthusiasm for travel and was a leader out west. Seeing Bryce Canyon and the Canadian Rockies and sharing it with a group of teens, he was hooked on the beauty of our National Parks. Mark directed programs in his summers during law school at McGill and in 1990, he established our New York office. He has worn many hats over the years from staff recruiting and training to driving WCC’s development. After 30 years full-time and 35 summers, he transitioned to Director Emeritus, still using his years of experience to support our team and help programs run smoothly in the summer, while allowing him more time for his passion of cycling, hiking and kayaking. Contact Mark
Jason Tanner
Jason’s foundation is deeply rooted in summer camp. He spent 20 years at CBB of Ottawa, from youngest camper to working with teens and eventually helping to run the place as Assistant Director. After years of us calling him to check references on his former staff that we were hiring, he became intrigued enough to see if we might have a need for his talents too. Sure enough in 1999, we lured him to our New York office where he joined us in meeting and speaking with inquiring families. That summer he also directed our American Voyageur. His soft-spoken style, selfless leadership, tireless stamina, and legendary patience were immediately in full evidence. After a few years in New York, Jason’s phone calls with our other office led to a wonderful Westcoast “Connection” when he and Susan from our Montreal office got married in 2002 and that led to him moving back north. He has a great head for systems and somehow manages to help thousands of moving parts come together and make it look easy. He manages much of our extremely complex operations and logistics which includes about 5,000 flights a summer, our warehouse, distribution of equipment and/or supplies, and is our self-taught tech guru. Jason is the Product Manager of our North American Teen Tours. During the summer, you can always see him in his trademark shorts (okay during the other three seasons too) as he loves being on the road visiting our western tours mentoring our Program Directors and leaders and lending a hand in any way he is needed. As a Company Director, Jason wears many hats but perhaps due to his love of the “camp experience,” one of his favorites is his secret planning of the surprise program at our annual Program Directors’ training retreat. Contact Jason
Guido van den Bogaard
Guido was born and raised in The Netherlands where he completed university and started his career in accounting. His passion for travelling brought him around the world discovering new cultures including an international exchange program with an Australian firm in Melbourne. It was also pretty special to see kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitat. Additional adventures included trips to Malaysia and Singapore. Climbing Kota Kinabalu in Borneo to the summit (towering at 13,435 feet) feet during the night to see the sun rise was a once in a life time experience. But one trip changed his life most. Visiting Ecuador and the Galapagos he saw many lizards and shared beaches with many sea lions and seals. In this magnificent setting he met his significant other Sandrine, a Canadian who shared the same passion for traveling and after a few years in The Netherlands they moved to North-America with their two boys. With his CPA and CA designations, and 20 years of international accounting experience and wanderlust in his heart, it was most fitting for him to land at an international travel company. Guido is our controller, making sure that while so many of us are busy playing and having fun, the very complex accounting and finances are running smoothly. It is no easy task juggling Euros, British pounds, Swiss francs, Peruvan nuevo sol, Costa Rica colons, Thai baht, and dollars (US, Canadian, Aussie & Kiwi)! His efficiency, systems and attention to detail helps Program Directors and Leaders focus on the students in their care and making sure they enjoy a lifetime experience. Contact Guido
Brandon Steinmetz
From his first taste of WCC as a participant on our American Voyageur in the summer of 2002, Brandon knew the moment he got home that he wanted to work for us one day. He honed his counseling and leadership skills working at a traditional summer camp in Ontario, Canada and 5 years after his own participant days, he joined our family as a Program Leader on the very same itinerary. In the fall of 2009, Brandon joined our full-time team where he now manages our IT department along with many operational aspects of our business from our online forms to our flight database. Outside of the office Brandon manages a minor league hockey team, and enjoys adventure travel with friends and family. Contact Brandon
Jordan Respitz
Jordan joined our full-time team in 2023, after spending two incredible summers as a program leader on our Californian Extravaganza, California and the Canyons, and Northwestern Odyssey Teen Tours. As a graduate of Concordia University with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics, Jordan has taken up the role of Operations Coordinator, bringing his passion for travel, attention to detail, and creative mind to help create unforgettable summers for participants.
Angela Guezen
(She/Her/Hers) Angela joined the team in 2017 and she now oversees the marketing department. With 10+ years of experience in travel marketing, working with brands such as BritRail, Eurail, Renfe and Trenitalia she handled international marketing and communications for these partners, as well as, traveling Europe by train. After growing up in Morin-Heights where she worked as a lifeguard at a local camp, her passion for travel started thanks to family trips to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Her love for writing, photography and marketing is the perfect combination to help fuel marketing strategies for WCC!
Sean Lumley
(He/Him/His) Sean joined our marketing team in 2018 and has taken on the role of Digital Marketing Specialist. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, he spent 4 years studying Marketing and gaining experience with a number of organizations through the co-op program. As the undefeated Bananagrams champion of the company (self-proclaimed with a 2-0 record), Sean is right at home working on content creation and digital marketing campaigns to help grow the WCC brand.
Mélanie Edmunds
(She/Her/Hers) After completing a 3-year degree in Graphic Design at Dawson College, Mélanie joined the team in 2022 as a Graphic Designer. Outside of work, Mélanie's curiosity and explorative mindset have led her to a wide array of artistic and linguistic passions - she speaks English, French, Chinese, and Italian! As part of the WCC team, she hopes to encourage teens to explore with an open mind and have new inspiring and memorable experiences through travel.
Shadi Deeb
Shadi joined the WCC team as an accounting clerk in 2022, but his love for travel began in 2003 when he moved to Dubai. After living there for 15 years, he headed to Canada with his family to complete his studies in major accounting. Outside of work, Shadi has a passion for the outdoors and loves camping, scouting trips, and safaris. He has even volunteered as one of the assistants in preparing scouting activities for Scouts Canada. Shadi is thrilled to be joining the team at WCC where he can combine his professional skills with his passion for travel.
Jake Rudin
(He/Him/His) After working as a Social Media Specialist during the summer of 2022, Jake knew he had a passion for travel marketing. The following spring he graduated from Western University’s Media & Digital Communications Programs, and was ready to join the team as Marketing Coordinator. Jake loves all things marketing and social media, which is the perfect complement to WCC’s storytelling efforts. In his spare time, Jake enjoys watching reality TV (especially for the banter) and trying new restaurants around the world. He is excited to create and share all of the amazing content our different programs capture!
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