Jeff Laferriere
Executive Director
Email: jlaferriere@graniteymca.org
Jeff’s Mi-Te-Na journey started all the way back in the early 90s, when he showed up as a young camper with no idea just how much this place would come to mean to him. Over the years, he returned summer after summer first as a camper, then as a staff member, and eventually stepping into roles like CIT Director, Staff Development Director, Village Head, Summer Director in 2021 and now returns as the Executive Director.
All told, he has spent 30 summers at Mi-Te-Na. Camp is where he found his confidence, how to lead, and discovered the power of community.
Before returning full-time he was a teacher, principal, and college professor after earning his Ph.D. in Teacher Education.
Rick Ross
Staff Development
As a kid, Rick spent 7 great summers at Camp Mi-Te-Na as a camper. He went on to earn a BS in Psychology and Recreation from North Georgia Military College in the beautiful mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia. During the summers Rick returned to Camp Mi-Te-Na where he completed the Counselor In Training program and went on to hold several positions including Senior Counselor, Village Head, and Trips Director. He went on to spend four years in the military as a US Army Ranger. In 1986 Rick completed the military service and joined the YMCA team full time as Youth Director and Assistant Director of Camp Mi-Te-Na. In 1997 Rick became the Director of Camp Mi-Te-Na and served in that role 16 years before retiring and now returning to continue to assist at camp. Overall this is Rick’s 57th year at Camp Mi-Te-Na.
Lauren Frazier
Enrollment Coordinator
Email: lfrazier@graniteymca.org
Lauren grew up in New Jersey and moved to Manchester, New Hampshire in 2009, where she now lives with her husband and two children, Eliza and Quinten. Lauren brings over 20+ years of overnight camp experience with her as both a camper and a staff member! She has worked at The Granite YMCA since 2012, starting as a counselor at Camp Gundalow at the YMCA of the Seacoast, but this is her 12th summer in this role. She is excited for her own daughter to attend Camp Foss this year!
During her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, spending time with her family and friends, and attending concerts. With her camping background, Lauren loves being involved with camp again and being able to use her knowledge to lend a helping hand at both Camp Foss and Camp Mi-Te-Na.
Jason Holdsworth
Program Director
Ben Gorelick
Cabin Life Director
This is Ben’s 20th summer at Mi-Te-Na. He holds a B.A. in Music Education from Boston University, and works as the Chorus Director at Bishop Guertin High School. He has loved the Waterfront since his first swim test as a camper and has been an aquatic aficionado ever since. Ben believes that all people deserves to know the joy of swimming and other aquatic activities. Ben is passionate about biking, teaching, and scoring films. He holds YMCA Lifeguard Certification as well as a commercial boating license. Ben understands many aspects of camp, especially what it is like to be a camper. He wants to make sure everyone has an excellent experience at camp.
Bobby Squires
LIT Director/Staff Development Team
Bobby is excited to be returning for his 12th summer at Camp Mi-Te-Na, after graduating from Northeastern University this April with a BS in Math and Economics. He is grateful for the many years he spent on Halfmoon Lake as a camper, which taught him to feel comfortable being himself and provided a supportive environment to practice character development. The high-ropes courses at Mi-Te-Na also exposed him to rock climbing, a hobby he still loves. As LIT director, he is excited to give the oldest campers at camp an unforgettable experience, focused on making lifelong friendships, learning new skills, growing as people, and of course having fun!
Zeb West Groover
Counselor-In-Training Director/Staff Development Team
Zeb spent his years as a camper primarily on the Sportsfield. His fondest camper memories are from his time on the Four Square court, running drills with his friends and learning the lore of Camp Mi-Te-Na. Now 16 years into his tenure at Mi-Te-Na, he has widened his horizons by picking up new hobbies such as teaching swim lessons, rock climbing, and throwing campers off the Rock-it. Zeb loves classic camp activities such as Four Square, 9 Base Kickball, Camper Hunt, and the Campfires, but he also loves Camp’s new activities like Horrified and Funflatables with Foss. He always looks forward to whatever new activities our staff cook up to make camp feel fresh every summer. As the CIT Director, Zeb shares his experience with budding staff and works to help them reach better versions of themselves. He’s proud to say he has had the opportunity to work with the future leaders of Camp Mi-Te-Na and beyond.
Ricardo Dauger
Pioneer Village Head
This is Ricardo’s 4th year both at camp and also as a Pioneer Village counselor. As part of our international staff, Ricardo has expanded his cultural horizons thanks to the grand array of international campers over at Camp Mi Te Na that keep coming year after year! If you seek to find him 99% of the time he’ll be either in the Pioneer Village or over the Waterfront (his two favorite places at camp). As this year’s Pioneer Village Head, and knowing that the Pioneer Village represents the very best of camp, Ricardo hopes to help the Pioneers in becoming kind-hearted, generous, and compassionate while also making sure that camp becomes a core memory for campers and the place where they wish to come back for years to come!
Owen Wilson
Sportsfield Director
Owen has been living and breathing the Sportsfield at Mi-Te-Na for what will be 9 years now. On staff he loves being able to coach and develop campers’ skills every day. His favorite camp original sports are definitely Bennis Ball and Mooyah Ball. He studied Sports Business at Arizona State University and is now majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sports Management at the University of New Hampshire. From camper to staff member, some things never change: you’ll still always find him at the basketball courts. Owen is also the undisputed King of the Hammer Throw, a title he secured from years of practice on camps disc golf course, perfecting his technique and feel for the game. His other favorite parts of camp are Four Square, the stars at night, watching the sunset over the lake, and the character development that camp offers.
Ben Eichler
This is Ben’s 19th summer at Camp Mi-Te-Na. He started attending Camp in 1993 as a camper, moving through all three villages, and eventually becoming a counselor in 2003. Later that year, Ben joined the US Air Force working in audio-visual communications and information technology systems until retiring in the fall of 2021. During this time, he volunteered many summers when he was available, assisting with administrative tasks and supporting the Hobbies team when needed. Ben returned to staff full time in the summer of 2022, picking up the mantle of Hobbies Director the following year.
During the off-season, Ben is pursuing a B.S. in Outdoor Education, Leadership & Tourism at Vermont State University. In his spare time, he can often be found spending time with his spouse Laura and their two children Autumn & Brenna, adventuring in the outdoors or hiking in the White Mountains, attending concerts, or practicing his DJ skills—usually for an audience consisting of a dog and two cats.
Wolf Sheppard
Waterfront Director
This is Wolfgang Sheppards 11th summer braving the shores of Half-Moon Lake. Though Wolfgang was absent from camp last summer, this year his triumphant return is set to make waves across camp! Last summer Wolf was spotted up in the great north of Alaska where he learned how to become one with the water. This year Wolfgang will be down where the land meets the lake, leading the glorious Waterfront staff to a great year! While everyone knows the Waterfront is the best place on camp, Wolfgang can still be seen out on the 4-Square courts having a great time. Wolfgang can’t wait to feel the energy of camp again, and is so grateful for being given the opportunity to be the Waterfront Director for summer 2026!