Our Schoolhouse Team - Schoolhouse of Wonder

Our Admin Team

Here’s our team who is dedicated to nurturing curiosity, celebrating courage, and most of all, caring for the whole of every child.

Wendy Tonker (she/her), Chief Executive Officer

Wendy has more than 30 years of experience as a nonprofit director and organizational development consultant. She joined the Schoolhouse staff in August 2011, after one year of service on the Board of Directors and three years as a camp parent. Wendy earned a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Appalachian State University and a Masters of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University. Wendy finds joy in spending time with her family and friends or seeking out hunting and fishing adventures.

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Marty Jorgensen (she/her), Chief Operating Officer

Marty grew up in Casper, Wyoming, and spent her childhood rambling around, snowshoeing, and climbing trees on her family’s land on Casper Mountain. Inspired by her time outdoors, she followed her passion for the outdoors to Green Mountain College and earned a degree in Adventure Recreation. Marty worked for a number of summer camps and outdoor organizations before bringing that experience to Schoolhouse of Wonder. Since 2016, she has helped start and manage our Orange County location, been our Program Director, and now our COO. Outside of camp, she likes to grow food, play ukulele, make inventions, and generally goof around.

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Jamie Nippgen (she/her), Administrative Director

Jamie has an interesting history with Schoolhouse as she originally worked for us from 2012 until 2016 when her family moved to Wyoming. Since 2022, she works remotely as our Administrative Director, which means she takes care of the back-office and will likely be the one to help you out with any financial questions. Jamie has two young children, both of whom love being outside and seem completely unfazed by the cold/snow/wind in Wyoming. She enjoys XC and alpine skiing in the winter and hiking, running and mountain biking during the brief summer months. Jamie appreciates the open, direct, and caring communication style that exists not only in Schoolhouse camps but between coworkers, as well.

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Jim Kennedy (he/him), Customer & Program Support Specialist

Jim is originally from metro Atlanta and spent his childhood playing in his neighborhood creeks and forests building forts, playing hide and seek, and chasing critters. His love for the outdoors continued into adulthood where you can find him hiking, biking, backpacking, rock climbing, playing disc golf, and soaking in that Southern sunshine. He was an art teacher for the past 5 years and then traveled to volunteer and sightsee in Asia for 5 months. Jim likes to draw, paint, take photos, read, watch movies, do yoga, play games, and enjoy quality time with family and friends. He just relocated to Raleigh and is thrilled to be a part of the Schoolhouse of Wonder Team.

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Our Camp Team

Luke Newton (he/him), Durham Site Manager

Luke is from North Carolina and loves seeing others experience the beauty of this special place. After more than a decade working in residential camping, he joined Schoolhouse for the organization’s particular focus on investing in young people to help deepen their sense of empathy while encouraging in them a lifelong curiosity. When not at Schoolhouse, Luke will often be found outside hanging out with friends, taking a walk, playing disc golf, or reading a book.

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Lydia Hendrick (she/her), Durham Lead Counselor

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Hannah Green (she/her), Wake–Whispering Pines Site Manager

Hannah has been with Schoolhouse since March 2023. Her life motto is “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” Her favorite thing about working with kids is being able to encourage them to try new, scary things and watch their confidence grow! Originally from Florida, Hannah loves to be out in the sunshine and on the water any chance she gets. When she’s not outside, you can find her reading a book or picking up a new creative hobby!

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Robin Green (she/her), Wake–Whispering Pines Assistant Site Manager

Growing up on the Jersey Shore, Robin grew up exploring the coast line and the woods her family. Since leaving New Jersey to attend Colby College and study Ecology and Marine Biodiversity, Robin has lived up and down the East Coast. After working seasonally in education jobs from the hardwood forests in Maine to Georgia’s barrier islands, she is so glad to have found a home in the North Carolina Piedmont. Her favorite things about working at Schoolhouse are watching campers grow in confidence by trying new things, seeing new faces turn into familiar ones, and getting to share her passion for the animals and plants in the forest! When not in camp, you might find her hiking with her dog Phoebe, playing chess at her favorite coffee shop, swimming in the Eno, or reading with her cats Earl and Clementine.

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Linda Cate Collins (she/her), Wake Camp Counselor

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Dan Baldwin (he/him), Wake TB Site Manager

Dan is very excited to join the Schoolhouse of Wonder team as the new Orange Site Manager. While originally from a small town in Western Massachusetts, Dan studied marine biology in California where he worked as a SCUBA diver and as an educator at an aquarium. He loves being outdoors with students of all ages, and cannot wait to explore his new surroundings in North Carolina. In his free time, you might see Dan out running the beautiful trails at Brumley or catch him playing pickleball, cycling, or just reading at home next to his cat.

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Gabby Casini (she/her), Wake–Loblolly Assistant Site Manager

Gabby grew up in Des Moines, Iowa where she spent her childhood rolling logs, going to the zoo, and exploring the corn fields. She spent a lot of time with her grandfathers, who taught her the importance of nature and conservation. She followed in her grandfather’s footsteps and attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in Animal Ecology and Environmental Studies.

Throughout her career, Gabby has worked across the country, including in Hawaii and at Walt Disney World! She is very excited to find home in the triangle area, and is even more excited to join the Schoolhouse of Wonder team! Gabby is passionate about connecting kids to nature, and making nature accessible for all people. Outside of camp, Gabby likes to hammock, eat good food, hang out with her guinea pigs, and travel.

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Parker Klinck (he/him), Wake–Loblolly Lead Counselor

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Maya Reed (she/her), Orange Site Manager

Maya has been a part of the Schoolhouse family since 2017. She started working here over the summers, but has continued to return to Schoolhouse and now is our Site Manager for Durham county. What has continued to attract her to Schoolhouse is the value placed on creating good humans. She loves making sure the kids have fun, but also teaching and showing them respect that will stick with them for much longer than they are in our camps. Maya is passionate about herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians) and has a wide range of unusual pets, including snakes, turtles, and caimans. Maya’s even been taking her daughter herping (looking for herps) since she was just a week old.

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Jack Felder (he/him), Camp Counselor

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Nick Andrews (he/him), Wake–Loblolly Site Manager

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Noelle Eaton (she/her), Wake–Whispering Pines Lead Counselor

Maya has been a part of the Schoolhouse family since 2017. She started working here over the summers, but has continued to return to Schoolhouse and now is our Site Manager for Durham county. What has continued to attract her to Schoolhouse is the value placed on creating good humans. She loves making sure the kids have fun, but also teaching and showing them respect that will stick with them for much longer than they are in our camps. Maya is passionate about herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians) and has a wide range of unusual pets, including snakes, turtles, and caimans. Maya’s even been taking her daughter herping (looking for herps) since she was just a week old.

Contact Noelle

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