Executive Staff
Marcus ”Gopher” Roskamp – Executive Director
Marcus grew up on a farm in Minnesota, but has called the PNW home since 2016. He earned his Bachelor’s from Dordt University and his Master’s degree from Western Theological Seminary. Before coming to Camp Fire Samish, he spent thirteen years as a Lead Pastor in two different churches. Marcus has always had a heart for serving youth. He has been a youth mentor in various schools for over ten years, served as Board President of a TeamMates Mentoring chapter, and coached many different youth sports teams. He is incredibly excited to be part of Camp Fire Samish and to play a role in helping kids have a great camp experience. Outside of work you’ll find Marcus spending time with his wife Amy and their three kids (ages 12, 8, 6), playing golf, listening to music, baking, or working out in his yard.
Direct Line | (360) 255-7554
Email | marcus@campfiresamish.org
Kathryn “KitKat” Deshaies – Executive Camp Director
Kathryn, otherwise known as “KitKat”, has more than fifteen years of experience working at Camp Kirby. She attended as a 2nd generation camper and as a counselor before taking on the role of Camp Director in 2014. Kathryn and her husband, Aaron (“Olaf”), and children, Keith (“Wiggles”) and Kelly (“Belle”), live in the Gatehouse at Camp Kirby. They share their home with their three cats, Basil, Sage, and Sassafras. Kathryn has a BAE in Exceptionality and Disability from Western Washington University, and loves working for an inclusive organization. When not busy with Camp, you can find Kathryn traveling throughout the United States with her family, playing board games, or spending the day at the Zoo.
Direct Line| (360) 255-7765
Email | kathryn@campfiresamish.org
Communication & Office Staff
Cindy “Ripple” Katzenberg – Executive Assistant
Cindy moved from Arizona to Bellingham in 1980, when Bellingham was still a small town. She and her husband opened a cafe near the Old Town section of Bellingham and immediately felt at home. Over the next 15 years, she and her family moved back East, yet always returned to Bellingham where she’s stayed for over 20 years! Cindy spent most of her professional life as an office manager, restaurant bookkeeper, and working at the Farmers Market selling organic dog treats, fun doggie collars, and cat toys. In her spare time, Cindy enjoys long walks and hikes with friends in and around Bellingham. But mostly, she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren… eight of them! She was a Blue Bird and Camp Fire Girl, and her mom was the group leader! She went to Camp Fire camp in Arizona and remembers how impactful that was in her life. Cindy feels so fortunate now to work for a non-profit, working to support those who are changing children’s lives.
Email | info@campfiresamish.org
Kendra “Mushroom” McConnell – Communications & Marketing Manager
Born and raised in Skagit Valley, Kendra attended Western Washington University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Management. Some of her sparks are macramé and jewelry design and she often finds herself inspired by nature, the 1970’s, and houseplants (she owns over 50, and even named her cat ‘Cactus’). With a wide variety of business, event planning, and creative skills in her toolkit, she has come to put them to great use in her work here at Camp Fire.
Email | marketing@campfiresamish.org
Eli “Sidewinder” Brown – Office Manager
Eli grew up in California and moved to the pacific northwest to get a BFA from Emily Carr University. As a kid, they went camping at Dillon Beach every year, and attended summer camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains. They’re passionate about animals (especially the weird ones), enjoy drawing, writing, playing RPG’s, and making spreadsheets, and they’re a parent to a shelter dog named Guinevere.
Email | officemanager@campfiresamish.org
Noah “Pinch” Rogers – Bookkeeper
Noah has been calling Bellingham home for the previous five years. After graduating from Western
Washington University with a bachelor’s in finance, he moved to Arizona briefly. He missed the trees and
his community, so he decided to move back closer to his family. His main joy in life comes from spending
time outdoors and exploring what is out there! Noah also has a cat named Henny that he also spends a
lot of his time with, if not outside. With a background in finance and a love for the outdoors, he really feels
at home in his position!
Email | bookkeeper@campfiresamish.org
Camp Kirby Staff
Riley “Fawnerfly” Judd – Program Manager
Riley grew up in Arizona, and has recently moved to Bellingham after spending her summers as a camper, then as a staff member at Camp Kirby. She spent 4 summers as the outdoor living skills specialist at Camp Kirby, and is excited to continue working in outdoor education. She has a BS in Biology from Northern Arizona University. Some of her “sparks” include hiking, camping, fishing and outdoor activities in general, as well as storytelling, sewing and skiing.
Email | outdooreducation@campfiresamish.org
Aaron “Olaf” Deshaies – Facilities Manager
Aaron is a recent transplant from Bellingham and lives in the Gatehouse at Camp Kirby with his wife, Kathryn, son Keith, daughter Kelly, their three cats, and dog. He attended Camp Kirby as a camper and returned in 2012 as a staff member. He has filled many roles at camp since then, from Archery Specialist to Head Cook to Director of Operations. He still fills in the occasional crack during the summer as well as tending to the maintenance log. His values are strongly rooted in integrity, self-worth, and being as ridiculous as possible.
Email | operations@campfiresamish.org
Ian “Shipwreck” Shipley – Maintenance Assistant
Ian was born in England and raised on a small dairy farm in Devon. In 1980, after a five year spell as a professional soldier in the British Army, he emigrated to Canada. His journey took him north, where he was employed as a smokejumper, fighting wildfires in the Yukon and Northern Territories. During Ian’s time off, he sailed tall ships and ended up emigrating again. This time to the United States! He has resided in this country since 1994, and worked as an able seaman in the merchant marines for twenty years. He likes to think of himself as “semi-retired“. Ian, an avid outdoorsman, and his wife Julie now live in Anacortes. He is a USCG recognized survival instructor and his wife, “Unruly Julie” works as a deckhand on the Guemes Ferry. Their hobbies include canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and camping
Corporate Board of Directors
Tracy Osborn – President
Tracy started Camp Fire in Kindergarten, in 1985, when she became member of Sparks. Her Mom was her group leader and Tracy loved making new friends, being outdoors, and doing all of the arts and crafts that were included in the meetings. Her group then moved up to Bluebirds and Tracy was in her Camp Fire group until she was in the 7th grade (around 7 years). She grew up in Bothell WA and moved to the Bellingham area to attend Western Washington University. There, she received a Communication Degree with a minor in History. Tracy now works as a Senior Training Specialist for Peoples Bank and enjoys training and teaching her fellow employees different aspects of Banking. After having her daughter Taylor, Tracy could not wait to join another Camp Fire group so that her daughter could have the same fun experiences herself! Tracy joined the Camp Fire Samish Board in 2020 and is excited to share her Camp Fire experiences with the Camp Fire family as a whole.
Dave Roetcisoender – Vice President
Dave Roetcisoender is a Senior Project Manager with Fisher Construction. He is a third generation Skagitonian who always shares his love and experiences of anything outdoors with family and friends. Dave says, “The great Skagit Valley, Samish Island, outdoors, and supporting kids is an amazing recipe for enriching our young people’s experiences and memories.” Despite often living elsewhere for construction projects, Skagit Valley is where Dave calls home. He is committed to supporting kids, the community, and Camp Fire Samish to ensure that Camp Kirby and our youth continue to thrive.
Kayla Kennett – Treasurer
Kayla grew up in the Pacific Northwest with enthusiasm for all outdoor recreational activities. In her free time you can find her camping, fishing, kayaking, practicing her archery skills and riding motorcycles with her husband and son. She loves to be involved in the community and spends time playing recreational sports during the summer. Kayla jumped into a career in public accounting as soon as she graduated Western Washington University, eager to put her Bachelors in Accounting to use. Excited to offer her accounting skills to Camp Fire Samish, she was voted into the Treasurer position in 2021. She is very proud to be serving on the board of Camp Fire Samish where children get to find their spark and individuality. She believes creating a solid foundation early on of individuality and character not only to help them reach their full potential, but will also result in better societies as a whole.
Bonita Haggith – Secretary
Bonita grew up in Whatcom County with her four siblings. She graduated from Ferndale High School in 1974 and then went on to earn her nursing degree. After working across the Western US and traveling around the world, Bonita returned to Whatcom County to work as an emergency room nurse at St. Joseph Hospital and then a flight nurse with Airlift Northwest. She has been transporting patients in the skies above Western Washington for over 30 years. Bonita lives in Birch Bay with her husband. She has one son and a daughter who lives in Seattle. Bonita enjoys spending her free time on the water in the beautiful Salish Sea, traveling, scuba diving, reading, and skiing. She is excited to serve her community as a board member of Camp Fire Samish and support empowering youth through connecting to others and this beautiful land on which we live and play.
Tia “Salal” Smith
Tia has been involved with Camp Fire Samish since 2017, when she joined the Camp Kirby staff, and has been involved either as staff or a volunteer every year since. She believes that summer camp holds a special place in the hearts of those who experience it and that it changes lives for the better. Working with organizations that help children feel inspired and reach their fullest potential has always been a passion of hers, whether that is through camp or school. She attended WWU for her education degree and recently graduated from WGU with her master’s in education. In her off hours from teaching, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, playing tabletop games, sewing, and more.
Tom Bluhm
Tom grew up in Edison where his parents owned a grocery store and managed the Post Office. He currently resides in Anacortes and has lived in the Skagit Valley his entire life. His family has a beach house on Samish Island and enjoys the “island life” as much as possible. Tom recently retired from Island Health in Anacortes after 39 years as the Director of Information Systems/Technology. He has one daughter and son-in-law, and is blessed with two young grandsons he adores. Tom enjoys golfing, landscaping, traveling, and spending time with his grandsons.
Corey “TreeTop” Gerberdolan
Corey fell in love with Washington when she moved to Bellingham from the northeast to join the year-around staff at a summer camp on Lake Samish. Today she’s the Day Camp Director for Camp Fire Central Puget Sound. In addition she completed a masters in Business Administration from Western in December 2022. Corey, A.K.A “TreeTop,” is passionate about screen breaks for kids, (and adults), zero-waste entertainment and maximizing budgets. In her free time she is an avid disc golfer and loves and anything to do with friendship string.