Press Release

Christian Camps and Conferences Inc. are pleased to announce that Melissa Yonan will be joining the staff as the Director of Alumni Relations and Development.  Melissa has been a member of the camp family for a long time. Her first trip to Camp Deer Run was in 1982 as a camper, she finished the Leadership Development Program in 1985, served as counselor in 1987, Unit Director in 1990, and Program Director in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2001.  During the 2000-01 academic year, Melissa lived at camp and worked with the Conference Center and planned the Winter Reunion.

Melissa’s background in higher education will be a great asset to the camp as it develops the alumni program.  The alumni contain active groups across the country that meet occasionally to reminisce, but also to have new shared experiences.   Melissa’s job will be to help the alumni find their cabin mates and plan events for them to tell stories over s’mores.  In addition, Melissa will develop a strategic plan for our needed capital improvements.

Melissa will be leaving her position at American University’s Kogod School of Business as the Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services where she has worked for four years.  Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., she worked as an advisor to student organizations on their programming initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of South Carolina-Columbia, and Indiana University.  Melissa received her B.S. in Elementary Education and M.S. in Education in College Student Personnel and Administration from Indiana University.

Camp Brookwoods was started in Alton in 1944 with only 8 campers.  The ministry has now grown to include a girl’s camp, Deer Run, which opened up in 1964.  Approximately 800 campers attend the camps each summer.     This summer the organization is opening up a new camp in Maine, Great Adventures at Moose River Outpost.   This new 7,000-acre property was donated to the organization back in 1999 and the camp has been busy constructing cabins over the past 5 years in anticipation of this summers opening.