By Linetta Alley, Brethren Woods executive director
Betty Taylor is retiring as administrative assistant, and Pieter Tramper has resigned as program director at Brethren Woods, a camp and outdoor ministry center near Harrisonburg, Va. Brethren Woods also announces the hiring of Megan Babcock as office manager.
After six years on the full-time staff of Brethren Woods, Pieter Tramper has announced his resignation from the program director role. He will be making the transition away from camp this fall. Originally a 2012 international summer camp staff member, he has settled at Brethren Woods in recent years and has blessed thousands of summer campers, outdoor school students, and adventure participants with his deep faith commitment, expansive skill set, and good-natured humor. His social media and technology skills have shared the camp’s message far and wide. We wish him and his family all the best as they seek God’s leading for the next season of their lives.
After 27 years, Betty Taylor has announced that she will be retiring from her role as administrative assistant. Her last day in that role will be Aug. 23. Brethren Woods has been blessed by her presence and work from her part-time beginning in 1997 and then her transition to full-time work in the early 2000s. She is often the first contact that people have with camp. Each are greeted in person, on the phone, or via email with the warmth, hospitality, friendship, and love that she embodies. She has patiently persisted in moving camp forward from paper to computer to online registration, rental reservations, staffing, and donations. She has added many “hats” over the years and now juggles roles like receptionist, registrar, financial secretary, reservationist, host, secretary, proofreader, and many more. While we all knew it would have to happen eventually, we will surely miss having her with us on a daily basis in the camp office.
Brethren Woods is excited to welcome Megan Babcock as our new office manager. While this is a new role for her, she is no stranger to Brethren Woods. She has been a camper, a junior staff member, a summer staff member, and a summer intern on our leadership team. In 2022, she graduated from Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia with a degree in Outdoor Recreation Management. This fall, she is starting an online program to earn a master’s degree in Executive Leadership. She is already on-site to work with Betty Taylor to make a smooth transition in this role.
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