Meet Our Staff

Greetings! I have been the Executive Director here at Camp Minikani since October 2008, and have truly enjoyed meeting all of the wonderful campers, families and alumni as well as working alongside the incredibly dedicated staff.   I was a “Y brat” and grew up going to camp and being a camp counselor. I can’t imagine doing anything else besides working for this great organization and being able to have a positive effect on so many kids and families that we serve each year. I have two great kids, Brady and Ellie, who both enjoy time at camp throughout the year!  They are happy to have a mom who works at such a “cool” place and I enjoy sharing time at camp with them.

Before taking on this role, I held positions as the Branch Executive at YMCA Camp Matawa, Senior Program Director at YMCA Camp Kern in Ohio and as the Teen and Camp Director at the Southwest YMCA in Greenfield, another branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. I hope that if you have any questions, concerns or comments you will not hesitate to contact me directly at jfeltz@ymcamke.org or give me a call at 262-251-9080 ext 6401

Hi, I started at Camp Minikani in March of 2009 and really enjoy being part of the Camp Minikani team. I'm originally from England, having grown up not far from Sherwood Forest where I spent my child hood running through the woods pretending to be Robin Hood!!  I have two wonderful kids, Jayden and Liam. Jayden loves coming to Minicamp in the summer, and while Liam is not yet old enough to attend camp, I know he is very envious of his older brother. I have worked for the YMCA since 1993 having started with the YMCA of Greater New York at their summer camps (where I met my wife, who is now a teacher in Milwaukee), and over the years I have held many roles within the YMCA from summer camp counselor, to Outdoor Education Instructor, to Program Director at our sister camp YMCA Camp Matawa.  Most recently I was the Director of Information Technology for the YMCA here in Milwaukee, so as you can see I have had a varied career so far. 

In the role of Director of Business Operations I am responsible for much of the behind the scenes work that makes camp a reality and the entire team works hard to make sure you have the best experience possible!!! If you have any questions for me just send me an email or call camp at 262-251-9080 ext 6408

Hello, I began my position as Equestrian Director for the YMCA in 2004 at Triangle Y Ranch in West Bend, WI. In 2004, when the new equestrian center was built, I moved the year round lesson program to Camp Minikani where it continues to grow with new students and summer equestrian campers.

My passion for horses began at a very young age. I started taking lessons at the age of 4 in England, which led me to competing in junior jumpers, dressage and eventing. Having made the decision to make instructing a life long career, I became a British Horse Society Instructor teaching students of all ages and competing extensively in dressage and eventing.

After moving to the US in 1998, my travels quickly led me to the east coast and then onto Wisconsin where I currently reside with my two sons Ian and Christopher. My career to date has included managing Olympic barns, designing equestrian facilities, 6 years in the warmblood breeding industry, owning my own teaching business and building a year round equestrian program for the YMCA. One of my greatest honors is being involved with the US paralympic equestrian team and travelling to Athens, Greece and Hong Kong as barn manager for the past two Paralympic games.

My goal at Minikani is to provide an equestrian program that allows both children and adults to follow their dream of learning to ride regardless of their ability to own a horse. Along with the safety of my students, I encourage all students to become involved with the care of the horses through educational programs, camps and year round volunteer opportunities.

My love of teaching also extends to working with cognitively challenged students which brings me immense amounts of pleasure. In general, I just feel very blessed in being able to work with my passion and being passionate about my daily work. I can be reached by email or you can call me at 262-251-9080 ext 6451.

My love of the outdoors started at a young age in Central Wisconsin where I grew up on a sheep farm. I spent the majority of my youth playing in the woods by my house and 2 weeks each year in the wilds of Canada canoe camping. In 2005 I graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Education/Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. After an internship at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station I found myself at Wisconsin Lions Camp working with children who have various special needs. I then joined the Americorps program at Camp Minikani. After two years teaching environmental education at Minikani I became Program Director in the summer of 2007. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to email me or call camp at 262-251-9080 ext 6407.

I joined the Minikani Team on New Year’s Day 2007. Working with children has been an important part of my life since I was 11. Through babysitting, teaching Sunday School, earning my Assistant Caregiver license, Bachelor’s Degree, and now completing the Administrator’s Credential series, my dedication to the field of Early Learning has grown exponentially. Whether we’re catching frogs at Mud Lake, reading a story under the “Spooky Old Tree,” or learning about horses from our equestrian staff, the opportunities are endless. Our dedicated staff and commitment to quality through Accreditation create a magical place for children to grow! I look forward to serving your family, call or email any time, or call 262-251-9080 ext 6413!

I joined the Camp Minikani Family in November 2007 as the Center Administrator. I have enjoyed working with the families, schools, groups and staff. I have two wonderful kids, Abigail and Joshua who enjoy coming to summer camp every year. I enjoy taking time out of the office and helping out to make this a great camp. When I am not at camp I enjoy coaching Soccer and Baseball with my kids.

If you have questions about your camp registration please email me or call 262-251-9080 ext 6406.

I started part time at the YMCA in 2002 at the Northside Branch. Shortly after starting, I realized that the Y was where I belonged. Within a month, I had left my full time job and was at Northside full time. I worked there as the Head Custodian for two years until an Assistant Property Manager job opened up at West Suburban YMCA. After 2 years there, I moved out to my current and hopefully forever home, Camp Minikani. Every day I get up and am glad to go to work. One of my favorite things is to stand out in the middle of Norris Field, raise my hands and tell people “This is my office.” Camp is my home, and I love improving things for the campers and user groups that we serve. I can be reached via email or by callling camp at 262-251-9080 ext 6412