Our People
Our Directors & Leadership Team
Rachel and Jamie Chadwin, Owners & Co-Directors
Rachel and Jamie Chadwin have spent much of their lives in the world of overnight camp—first as campers, then as counselors, athletic/program directors, assistant directors, and now as Co-Directors. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to Camp Mah-Kee-Nac.
Rachel and Jamie began dating as camp counselors, graduated from college, married, and then returned to camp to pursue not only a career but also a meaningful life together as a family.
Rachel, who has a background in middle school teaching, has spent the majority of her career in the camping industry. She has worked in traditional, specialty, and academic camps, partnering with families from around the world to provide children with exceptional summer experiences.
In addition to his many summers at camp, Jamie brings over 20 years of coaching experience (including college, high school, and international basketball) and 16 years of teaching elementary school to his role at Mah-Kee-Nac.
Together, Rachel and Jamie share a deep understanding of the transformative role camp plays in a child’s life. They firmly believe that collaborating with parents is essential to ensuring each child’s success and growth at camp. Rachel holds a B.A. in Psychology and Physical Education from Denison University, while Jamie earned a B.A. in Health and Physical Education from the University of Delaware.
The Chadwins live in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, with their three daughters: Paige and Reese (17-year-old twins) and Shay (12), and their dog, Lenox!
Kevin Lilley, Associate Director
Kevin began his journey at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in 2002 as the Baseball Director. From the start, he felt a strong sense of warmth and community at Mah-Kee-Nac. Over the years, Kevin took on various roles, including Athletic Director, Program Director, and Operations Director, before becoming the year-round Assistant Director in 2009. Now serving as Associate Director, Kevin is deeply involved in residential life, staff recruitment and training, program development, IT, and facilities management. Throughout, he has built strong, positive relationships with campers, parents, and staff.
Kevin lives year-round in the beautiful Berkshires with his wife, Rebecca (Entrepreneur and Owner of Bliss Crumbs and Coffee), and their two sons, Fletcher (12) and Turner (10), who are both proud Mah-Kee-Nac campers.
Ryan Butler, Head Counselor & Staffing Coordinator
Ryan Butler hails from Cornwall, England, and has had a deep passion for the camping industry since 2016. Over the years, he has had the privilege of working with a wide range of campers and dedicated staff, helping to create unforgettable experiences.
Since joining the Mah-Kee-Nac family in 2022, Ryan has focused on developing engaging and meaningful programs while building a dynamic, supportive team each summer. As Head Counselor, he ensures that both campers and staff have a fun, enriching, and supportive experience. Ryan is committed to continuously improving and evolving the camp’s offerings to make each summer more memorable than the last.
Driven by his passion for growth, Ryan strives to foster an environment where campers, staff, and the entire Mah-Kee-Nac community can thrive and create lasting memories.
Fabi Baez, Junior Camp Leader & Camp Administrator
Fabi Baez is from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and loves spending her summers in the Berkshires. Before joining Mah-Kee-Nac full-time, she worked as an elementary school teacher. Since 2018, Fabi has called Mah-Kee-Nac home, holding various roles including Summer Office Administrator, Mini Mak Director, and, most recently, TJC Campus Leader (Team Junior Camp).
Fabi is passionate about running, teaching, and helping others. As a dedicated camp leader and experienced staff member, her creativity, enthusiasm, and nurturing nature are key to supporting our youngest campers. Fabi takes the time to understand each camper’s individual needs and is committed to fostering a spirited, safe, and welcoming environment where both campers and staff can thrive.
Our Staff
The strong sense of community at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac is both created and cultivated by our staff members. Rachel, Jamie, Kevin & Emily see this bond as the most influential takeaway that is shared with campers. MKN’s warm environment builds a sense of safety and encouragement that helps each boy to take healthy risks, develop new interests and make lifelong friends.
With staff from all over the world, MKN is proud to have on average a 70% staff return rate each summer. This element provides an extra sense of comfort for the boys and allows the Leadership Team to exercise and implement more long-term, in-depth training.
The leaders of all our programs are experienced coaches and teachers, assisted by more than 100 skilled counselors, many of whom are young teachers or students majoring in education or another child-related field. All counselors are hired to coach or teach in a particular area to ensure that MKN campers receive the most specialized instruction.
The people at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac have always been the foundation of its honorable 90 years of camp excellence.
Our Kitchen & Food Services
Our team of chefs, cooks, and kitchen staff is led by the incomparable Chef Monica Hawkins!
We are extremely lucky that Chef Monica can take four months of her year to join us at camp. Chef Monica has worked at numerous summer camps and programs and we are extremely proud of our Food Service team and menu creation.
We safely accommodate children and staff with all types of allergies and dietary restrictions including but not limited to egg, dairy, soy, sesame, wheat, fish and shellfish (none served at camp), gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan. Staff or parents with children who require special diets are strongly encouraged to contact Rachel Chadwin to discuss their options and plan. Rachel works closely with Chef Monica and our Allergy Certified Chefs to make sure that each child is safely and comfortably taken care of.
Our Program and Operations
Jessica Hoepfl, Program Director
Jess brings many years of teaching, coaching, and camping experience to Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. She has served as a counselor, athletic director, and program director in her camp career. Jess grew up a camper, spending many summers of her childhood at a coed overnight camp in Pennsylvania. Her experiences in the camping world allow her to truly appreciate and understand the benefits of camp for each camper.
Jess is a teacher, the Health Department Chair, JV Girls’ Soccer Coach, & JV Girls Lacrosse Coach at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, NJ. Jess has been a Teacher and Coach for 17 years. She taught Physical Education and Health to all grades K-12 and coached at the middle school, upper school, college, and international levels.
Jess met her husband, Robert while working as camp counselors and married a few years later. Working closely together at both camp and school, they appreciate and value family and are committed to instilling that value throughout the camp community. Jess graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology from Temple University where she also played Division 1 Lacrosse. Jess holds an M.S. in Education from Gwynedd Mercy University. Robert has a B.A. in History from Northwest Christian University where he played Varsity Basketball. Rob also holds an M.E. in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University and an M.S. in Educational Administration from Fort Hays State University. Jess and Robert live in Bridgewater, NJ with their boys, Grayson (7 years old) and Charlie (6 years old) who are tried and true Mah-Kee-Nac Campers. Rob too, joins us at camp as much as his time allows away from his job as the Dean of Students at The Pingry School.