Director: Shepherd Baum
Shep grew up in Manhattan and was diagnosed at a very young age with severe dyslexia. After many years (and tutors), he grew to embrace his disability and use it as a strength. Shep graduated from the University of Maryland and entered the world of finance. He then bought, ran, and sold small businesses- but never felt fully satisfied. It wasn’t until Shep’s second child was born that he figured out his life calling. His daughter Lila was diagnosed with a P-ten mutation. In addition to severe learning disabilities, and growth challenges, Lila has an abnormally high chance of getting cancer. That’s when everything changed. Shep decided to give up everything to enrich the lives of children with special needs and their families. Shep’s wife, Amanda, has been teaching special education for over a decade, and is now at the Winston Transitions program in Midtown Manhattan. Their two children are Chase (10 years) and Lila (8 years). Shep now has three passions, in no particular order: his biological family, his Summit Camp Family, and The New York Giants.
Assistant Director: Leah Love, MS
Leah Love joined Summit in 2013, after years of working in Philadelphia and the surrounding area providing a variety of services for youth with autism spectrum issues and their families. Leah has a Master’s Degree of Counseling Psychology and has experience providing group therapy, social skills training, and behavioral treatment for youth with a wide range of abilities and diagnoses in school, home, and community settings. Leah also formerly served as counselor, site director, and camp director for Philadelphia County’s summer therapeutic program, a day program servicing youth with autism diagnoses throughout the city.
Growing up in central New Jersey, Leah spent her summers at girl scout Camp Hoover, an experience providing lifelong friendships and memories. Now living in central New Jersey once again, Leah enjoys activities with her daughter, Rezza (nee 2016).
Travel Director & Director for Weekenders: Thea Mullis
Thea Mullis, a native of Savannah, Georgia joins us as the Summit Camp Travel Director and Director for our Weekender program. She has been a counselor, travel lead, and eventually head of our tour programs starting in the year 2014.
Thea spent her collegiate summers and onward working at various sleep-away summer camps for special needs youth. Throughout college, she worked with special needs individuals in school and recreational settings. Thea was active in her community by volunteering with programs including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Special Olympics. Through the University of Georgia, she studied abroad in Ireland, where she worked in a school for children with autism. In May 2013, Thea earned her BS degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders from Armstrong Atlantic University. Thea continues to be an active member of organizations that advocate for our populations including CHADD and LDA.
Thea plans and executes each facet of Summit’s Travel and Weekender program itineraries. Her incredible insight and experience ensures that our trips will meet our campers’ needs and will be stimulating socially and personally in ways that have a lasting impact.
Program Director: Caron Daly
Caron Daly a British citizen and former resident of Perth, Australia. Her background is in Fitness, with a Bachelor of Sports Science degree from the UK. She has also worked in vocational education, teaching high school age students and recent graduates for the last 5 years and delivering and assessing Certificate III and IV in Fitness and Diploma of Sport Development.
Caron worked in commercial fitness, running her own business with her husband since 2005, which included multiple venues specializing in school–based sport and fitness programs. Caron created and chaired a not-for-profit organisation, Care Through Fitness, to bring fitness to children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum. Caron is passionate about the benefits of exercise for all children but especially those with special needs or challenging behaviors that mean they are not always successfully included in mainstream programs.