Meet Our Team

Chris Getoor - Executive Director

Chris has had the great fortune of leading Strong Wings for the past 15 years. A graduate of St. Joseph’s College, he studied History, English, and Secondary Education. Among other positions in education, Chris taught Spanish and Ecology at the Nantucket New School prior to his tenure at Strong Wings.

An accomplished surfer, bowhunter, gardener, outdoorsman, jiujitsu practitioner and adventure enthusiast, he has a true passion for sharing his love for nature, challenge, and adventure with people of all ages. He and his wife have a home on the property and his sons are diehard campers. Fostering the growth of this amazing organization is his life’s work and he could not be more grateful for the opportunity to lead such an amazing staff.

Claire Winship - Director of Programs

Claire started her Strong Wings journey as a bike camper in 1996. After graduating from Warren Wilson College with a B. A in Environmental Studies, she returned home to Nantucket and to Strong Wings in 2011 to work as a group leader. Claire accepted a year-round position in 2012 and has been in her current role since 2014. Often the first point of contact for new families and
campers, we are grateful for the warmth and joy she brings to every conversation. A talented administrator and a gifted, caring educator; Claire is an invaluable member of our team and family.

Andrew Trott-Kielawa - Director of Operations

Andrew "TK" started his journey with the organization in 2011, working seasonally as a group leader. Years later; after graduating from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, he accepted a year-round position as the Assistant Director of Programs. TK is an avid surfer, shellfisherman, and outdoor enthusiast with a passion for working with children.

He loves helping campers experience the island's beauty through outdoor education. TK holds certifications from the American Red Cross in lifeguarding, first aid, and is a Water Safety Instructor. When it comes to keeping our waterfront activities safe and fun, TK is the man.

Scott Tanch - Activities Coordinator

Scott has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont and is currently pursuing his master’s there. Scott is a former camper, and this is his 11th year on staff. In addition to handling all things logistics, Scott enjoys working with campers in the garden and greenhouse and is the primary care person for our ever-growing flock of chickens and turkeys.

Leslie Brannigan- Early Camp Coordinator

During the school year, Leslie teaches at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA. She and her kids (9,12, and 15) countdown the days to her summers with Strong Wings, where a dynamic staff works hard to bring out the best in each one of our campers. She and her husband have observed in their own children, just a week at Strong Wings can be more empowering and impactful than their entire school year.

Miranda Celine (Mo) – Early Camp Coordinator

Miranda (Mo) is so excited to return to Strong Wings! Mo is a psychology graduate from the University of Glasgow who splits their time between working with a forensic research group at Boston College and traveling the world working with animals. This will be their third summer on Nantucket and they can’t wait to get back to their passions: outdoor education, biking, and beaches!

Dalilah Degen - Lead Counselor

Dalilah (Dee) is so excited to return for a third summer at Strong Wings! Dee spent a year teaching PE and after-school programming at Nantucket New School before traveling to Thailand to work in animal conservation. They studied music and dance in New York City and in their free time they love to bike, swim, and read.

Jamie Rowley – Director of Leadership Development

Jamie is from McKean, PA, and has grown up spending summers on Nantucket. He is currently finishing his junior year at Penn State University with a finance major and a French minor. In the fall, he will be applying to law school and hopes to work in the professional sports world in the future. This will be his fifth summer at Strong Wings, and he’s pumped to be back! He loves to fish and be out on the water in his free time.

Luke Gumpert - Group Leader

Luke is from Naples, FL. He attended Florida State University for undergrad and law school. He has been a Strong Wings group leader for nine summers and carries a wealth of institutional knowledge and genuine passion for the Strong Wings mission. Luke enjoys surfing, spending time with family and friends, and investing in the lives of young people. Luke can be found in the water or on the bike path at 5:15 am with Chris every morning. They haven’t missed a “dawn patrol” in six years!

Liam Cuddy - Group Leader

Liam is from the North Shore of Boston and studies education at UMass Lowell. He is a former camper and CIT. This will be his tenth year on the staff. Liam is passionate about health and fitness, a wide range of sports, biking of course, and is a lover of fine food. He loves spending time with his family and friends and lives for his time at Strong Wings. He has the biggest heart of anyone you will meet and is going to make an amazing teacher.

Aiden Roberts - Group Leader

Aiden was born and raised on Nantucket, and has been a part of the Strong Wings community since he was ten years old. This is Aiden's fifth year as a group leader, and seventh year as part of the staff. He is 21 years old, and is a rising senior at UMass Amherst, studying biology. Aiden loves music, surfing, biking, skating, playing all kinds of sports, and has been a competitive swimmer his whole life!

Kayla Hudzik - Group Leader

Kayla was born and raised on Nantucket Island. She is a graduate of Lynn University in Boca Raton as well as Landmark High School in Beverly, MA. She is currently a teacher at the Landmark Elementary Middle School where she teaches 7th grade social studies and tutorials. In addition to teaching, she is working on earning her master’s degree from Boston University. Kayla spent her summers as a camper of Strong Wings, then a CIT and now will be returning for her sixth year as a full-time staff member. Kayla brings her passion for working with children and her love of the island to Strong Wings.

Jakobe Stevens - Group Leader

Jakobe was born and raised in Arizona. He is pursuing a degree in biology at Mesa College and will be transferring to The University of Arizona to further his education in the field of neuroscience. Jakobe loves all things outdoors whether it may be biking, surfing, hiking, running, climbing, or snowboarding - just to name a few. He also enjoys vegan cooking, reading, meditation and gardening. Jakobe has grown up vacationing on Nantucket with his family. This will be his fifth year as a group leader! He can also do a standing backflip on command! If you see him around, don’t hesitate to say hello!

Sydney Ryder - Group Leader

Sydney was born and raised on Nantucket and is a graduate of Nantucket High School. She is a rising junior at the University of Miami and is double majoring in ecosystem science and policy as well as art. Sydney is a former camper and this will be her sixth year working at Strong Wings. She likes going to the beach and spending time with her friends and family.

Lilla Sharman - Group Leader

Lilla was born and raised on Nantucket and currently attends Salve Regina University where she is majoring in social work. She loves to swim, spend time with friends, and travel. She has worked at Strong Wings for three years as a group leader and was a CIT and camper for many years before that. She is so excited to be returning this year!

Elizabeth Giroux - Group Leader

Liz is 20 years old, and from Cave Creek, AZ. This year Liz will be starting her sophomore year at Emmanuel College in Boston. Liz grew up coming to the island in the summers and is a former camper and CIT. She is very excited to start her third summer as a group leader! Liz loves working with children and spending her free time biking around the island with her friends and family. You’ll never see Liz without a smile on her face.

Alex Pruchnic - Group Leader

Mesa, AZ is Alex’s stomping ground. He currently attends the University of Arizona in Tucson and is going into his senior year. Alex is majoring in education and minoring in English with the hopes of teaching high school English in the near future. Summer 2023 will be his second year as a group leader and he is ecstatic to see familiar faces and new campers. He enjoys staying active in the gym, running, biking, and just about anything that keeps his body in motion. That said, he also enjoys his leisure time by playing board games, watching movies and reading books (Stephen King as of right now).

Payton Koch - Group Leader

Payton Koch will graduate from New Canaan High School in June, 2023. She will be a freshman at Chapman University in Orange CA this fall, and will be studying environmental science. She was a camper at Strong Wings for eight years and has worked as a CIT for two. This will be her second year as a group leader. Payton enjoys competitive dance, lifting, and learning new things like surfing! She has spent every summer on Nantucket for the past 15 years, and Strong Wings has been an incredible experience that brings her back every year!

Jack Cooney - Group Leader

Jack is from Philadelphia, PA, and has spent every summer on Nantucket. He will be a sophomore at the University of Miami this upcoming fall and is majoring in marine biology. Jack was a Strong Wings camper for nine years, spent a year as a CIT, and this will be his second year as a group leader. He enjoys scuba diving, mountain biking, travel, and skiing. He’s also an accomplished blacksmith!

Caroline Harding - Group Leader

Caroline was born and raised on Nantucket. She is a rising senior at Belmont University studying music business and music production. She is a former camper and this will be her second year working with Strong Wings, and she is so excited to be back! She loves playing all types of music, singing, traveling, and being active. She loves to explore new places and be outdoors as much as possible. Caroline is so excited to be a group leader at Strong Wings this summer!

Will Johnston - Group Leader

Will is from Charlottesville, VA and attends the University of Richmond where he studies leadership studies and entrepreneurship. This will be his second summer at Strong Wings, and he’s stoked to be back! Will has grown up visiting the island each summer and has countless fond memories of friends and family and can’t wait to make more this summer! Will loves going on runs, exercising, spending time outdoors and doing anything active!

Mamta Katarina - Group Leader

Mamta lives in New Hampshire and is a high school senior. She was a former camper and this will be her second year as a group leader. Mamta is the younger sister of Rani, one of Strong Wings’ most beloved group leaders. Mamta enjoys writing, drawing, swimming, tennis, and helping others. She is positive, creative, motivated, has loads of energy, and is so excited for the summer.

Dylan Miller - Group Leader

Dylan was born and raised on Nantucket. He is a rising junior at Plymouth State University, where he is studying tourism management & policy. Dylan began his love for Strong Wings at age six and continued as a camper for the next seven years. He enjoys fishing, biking, boating, skiing, and hiking. Dylan is looking forward to his second year as a group leader.

Emma Felger - Group Leader

Emma is from Wellesley, MA, and is a freshman at Tulane University. Emma started Strong Wings when she was in first grade and is excited to come back as a group leader. She loves anything to do with water and the outdoors, including body surfing, scuba diving, and biking.  She can’t wait to see everyone and spend time with campers and friends.

Tyler Grodsky - Group Leader

Tyler is from Longmeadow, MA and is a freshman at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Tyler has been coming to Nantucket for his whole life and has been a camper at Strong Wings since he was five. He loves to surf, ski, and be outside. Tyler is returning because of how much he enjoys the sense of community at Strong Wings, and seeing the kids go home happy and exhausted after a long day of exploration and learning.

Rowan Drant - Group Leader

Rowan is a rising junior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. He has been a CIT for the past two summers and has spent time on Nantucket for his whole life. Rowan plays on his school’s football and tennis teams along with being a baseball coach on the weekends. He loved getting to be part of the Strong Wings community last year and looks forward to being a full member of the staff!

Nick Altman - Group Leader

Nick is from Bedford, NY and is a rising sophomore at Boston College studying engineering. Nick is a Boston sports fan and loves living so close to Fenway. Nick has been coming to Nantucket for his whole life, and has spent many summers as a camper at Strong Wings. He loves the outdoors, surfing, biking, and fishing, and it is these activities as well as his amazing memories as a camper that have brought him back to Strong Wings this year.

Henry Schoettle – Group Leader

Henry Schoettle is a rising freshman at Connecticut College in New London, CT. He was a camper for eight years, and a CIT for two. This will be Henry’s 12th year at Strong Wings and his second year as a group leader! Growing up, Henry’s favorite things to do on Nantucket were surfing, working at camp, and spending time with his friends and family. He has been playing lacrosse since he was in second grade, and he loves talking with campers about sports. Henry could not be more excited for the summer ahead!

Keegan Rowley - Group Leader

Keagan is from Erie, PA and has grown up spending her summers on Nantucket. She is an incoming freshman at Penn State. Keagan is a competitive equestrian and spent the winter in Wellington, FL. This will be her second year as a group leader, and she can’t wait to be back!

Jermey Caspe - Group Leader

Jeremy was born and raised on Nantucket and will be graduating from Nantucket High School this June. He will be a rising freshman at the University of Rhode Island this fall, where he will be studying secondary education and playing football. He is a former camper and this will be his first summer as a group leader. During the school year Jeremy is always found on the sports field or doing something outside with friends. He is very excited to start his first year as a group leader.

Letitia Casperson - Group Leader

Letitia is from New York City, and she is a rising sophomore at Union College where she is studying computer science. Letitia has come to Nantucket every summer, and enjoys biking and going to the beach. This is Letitia’s second summer working for Strong Wings. Letitia enjoys going skiing and hiking in her free time at school and hanging out with friends.

Charles Davies - Group Leader

Charlie is a rising senior at Georgetown University, where he is studying history and environmental studies. Charlie is from Short Hills, NJ, and grew up vacationing on Nantucket. This is Charlie’s third summer as a Strong Wings group leader. Outside of his academics, Charlie enjoys playing and coaching squash and spending time with his siblings and cousins. His quiet confidence and gentle nature are huge assets to the Young Explorers.

Cody Grodsky - Group Leader

Cody is a senior at Longmeadow High School and will be attending UC Boulder next year to study business. Cody likes to skateboard, play volleyball, and ski. Cody has been with Strong Wings since he was five years old, and it is his first year as a group leader. Cody has liked Strong Wings as both a camper and staff member, because it has brought numerous friends and fun times into his summer.

Alex Zisa - Group Leader

Alex and I’m from Westchester, NY, but has lived in Madrid, Spain for the past 6 months studying and traveling. She will be a junior at Suffolk University next year and is studying Biology and Spanish with hopes of being part of Doctors Without Borders. Alex is an avid reader, yogi, and has a passion for ballet and the outdoors. Alex is so happy to be returning for her second summer at Strong Wings!

Marisa Britt - Group Leader

Marisa is from Springfield, MA and is a sophomore studying nursing at her local college. This will be her second year working for Strong Wings and she is super excited to come back! She has had a passion for working with kids ever since teaching children’s dance classes when she was in high school. In her free time she enjoys reading, dancing, fitness, and doing art.

Harrison Cribbins - Group Leader

Harrison is from Toronto, ON, and is a senior at Upper Canada College. He was a Strong Wings camper for eight years and a CIT for two. This will be his 11th year at Strong Wings and his first as a group leader. He enjoys surfing, biking, swimming, and fishing in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Harrison is looking forward to spending another summer with the camp.

Julian Borg - Group Leader

Julian is from Toronto, Canada. He is in his final year of high school at Royal St. George’s College and headed to University of Western Ontario in the fall. He hopes to study law one day. Julian likes biking, hunting, and cars. Julian came to Strong Wings as a 10 year old camper and fell in love with the camp. He was a CIT last summer and looks forward to sharing the fun of Strong Wings with campers as a counsellor this summer.

Elena Isabella Fasullo - Group Leader

Elena grew up in Albany, NY. She is currently a rising junior at the University of Vermont in Burlington where she is an environmental studies major and philosophy minor. Elena is extremely passionate about environmental conservation and the outdoors. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, crocheting, and baking. This is Elena's first summer on Nantucket and she is very excited to be working at Strong Wings!

Patrick Dublin - Group Leader

Patrick is from Wellesley, MA, and is a rising sophomore at Clemson University studying architecture. This will be his first summer at Strong Wings, and he couldn’t be more excited! He has grown up visiting Nantucket every summer and has made countless fond memories with friends and family on the island and hopes to create the same for the campers. He loves being on the water, spending time with family and friends, adventuring, fishing, surfing, and camping.

Jack Dewalt - Group Leader

Jack is from Richmond, VA. He is currently a senior at Penn State University studying criminology. This will be his first year at Strong Wings and is excited to make lots of new memories. In his spare time he loves to read, mountain bike, long board and run. Jack is looking forward to working with everyone at Strong Wings and making new friends.

Samantha Funkhouser - Group Leader

Sam is from Richmond, VA and is a rising junior at the University of Virginia. She is on the pre-med track and is majoring in kinesiology. In her free time, Sam enjoys running, playing field hockey, baking, and traveling. Sam has visited Nantucket every summer since she was born and is excited to explore the island with campers this summer.

Dan Salon - Group Leader

Dan was born and raised in Hingham, MA and has spent his summers vacationing on Nantucket. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder and is studying film. This is Dan's first summer at Strong Wings, and he is very excited to be part of the Strong Wings team. Dan spends his free time climbing and skiing, but when he's away from the mountains you can find him on the beach and spending time with his dog Bella.

Loghan Hughes - Group Leader

Loghan is from Vermont, and studies molecular and cell biology at UConn. She is a member of the cross-country and track teams at UConn as well. In her free time, she loves to be outside running, biking, hiking, or skiing. She also grew up sailing in New Jersey each summer, so she loves being on the water! Loghan is super excited to get to know the campers and the island as a group leader!

Lizzie Slocum - Group Leader

Lizzie is from Houston, TX and is an incoming sophomore at the University of Texas. She is majoring in special education. Living in Connecticut for a few years, she had the chance to visit Nantucket and is so excited to be back! This will be her first year working with Strong Wings. She loves being with her family, friends and dogs. In her free time, she enjoys doing anything outside such as reading, swimming, running, being on the beach - you name it! She can't wait to meet everyone and spend the summer with new campers and friends.

Taylor Barberio - Group Leader

Taylor, a high school senior living in Guilford CT, summers on Nantucket every year. She played tennis, basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer during her younger school years. Camp became an important part of her childhood too. It’s where she found her passion for acting. Since then, her interests have included songwriting, improv and screenwriting. Taylor is beyond excited to be part of Strong Wings and to give kids a memorable summer.

Finn Broder - Group Leader

Finn is from New Canaan, CT, and will graduate from Deerfield Academy in May. He will be a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall and hopes to study either biological engineering or finance. Although he has not been involved with Strong Wings since his days as a very young camper, he is excited to spend time with the team this year on Nantucket - his lifelong summer home. Finn loves New York sports teams and rowing crew, and he started a math tutoring business on Nantucket during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Holdon Davenport - Group Leader

Holdon was born in Salt Lake City, UT and grew up just about everywhere else. He was a year-round swimmer in Oregon for his high school career and has plans to join his college’s swim team in the coming years.  He is a rising sophomore at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA and is pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science.  This is Holdon’s first summer with Strong Wings, and he intends to make it a good one!

Libby Stockton - Group Leader

Libby Stockton is a rising sophomore at Providence College. She was born and raised in Summit, New Jersey, and has loved spending past summers on Nantucket. She plays club field hockey at Providence, has an energetic personality, and is excited to have fun and meet new families and friends through Strong Wings. She has spent time as a mother's helper in her hometown, giving private and small group field hockey lessons, and loves working with kids. She loves to spend her free time hanging out with her friends and family and going for long walks or runs around her neighborhood.

Luke - Group Leader

Luke is from Boston, Massachusetts, and is a rising sophomore at the University of Miami studying computer science. Luke’s favorite things to do is lacrosse and skiing. Luke has been going to Nantucket every summer since he was born. He attended Strong Wings for as long as he can remember and now wanted to join the team. Luke is very excited to start seeing how everything works at Strong Wings.

Emma Donovan - Group Leader

Emma is a rising senior at Saint Louis University, studying nursing. She was born and raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, and has loved vacationing on Nantucket with her extended family ever since she was born. She plans to specialize in neonatal or pediatric nursing when she graduates next year and moves back East. She has always loved working with kids and is excited to meet the campers and staff this summer! She loves traveling, live country music, and spending time with friends and family.

Gerry Holmes - Group Leader

Gerry Holmes is a Nantucket native with over 14 years of experience practicing primitive survival skills as a profession and hobby. He graduated from Sterling College in Vermont with a B.A. in Outdoor Education and went on to work at several therapeutic outdoor programs including a wilderness therapy program and a boarding school. He is an avid forager, hiker and martial artist and has been working as an ESL teacher for three years both on and off the island. This will be his fourth summer working at Strong Wings. He lives on Nantucket with his wife Laura and dog Blueberry.