Board of Directors

My first summer at Camp Olson was as a staff member in 1957.  The next summer I returned where I met my lovely wife Jan and we were married at Camp a year later. I have been on the Board of Directors twice and served as Board President in the 1970's.  My three grown children have all enjoyed the wonders of Camp Olson.

My wife Pat and I have three children and ten grand children. I have been associated with Camp Olson since 1964, Gay Thomson's first year as the director.  I served the camp in number of areas, working through the days of the joint operations to the autonomous Y we are today.  I took a leave of absence from my job in 1978 and spent a year working with Dave Rogers in the camp office and followed that as president of the board. Currently I spend most of my time volunteering in community activities, my church and maintaining a clock repair and restoration business. Life is good.

I was a Camp Olson camper for many years and worked on staff from 1971-1974.  I learned to sail at Camp Olson and eventually worked as Boathouse director and sailing instructor my last two summers. I earned a B.A. Latin, M.B.A. Finance and was in the hotel business in the US and France for the Sofitel chain for 17 years before starting a software company. I sold the company at the tale end of the dot com era and retired to a sailboat on Lake Michigan. I am married to a beautiful woman, Ann, who I met as a freshman in college; we are the proud parents of two college age students.  This is my second year on the board.

I have shared over four decades of Northwoods adventure as a participant in many of Camp Olson’s programs. I started coming to Camp Olson as a family camper, and later participated in many summer youth programs. I began my work at Camp Olson as a counselor and trip leader eventually leading many youth on canoe experiences in northern Minnesota. My final years on staff included leading our teenage youth as CIT Director in the 70s. I joined the Board of Directors in the 80’s serving for six years and Board Chairman from 1983-1986, I joined the board again in 2003 and served as Board Chairman from 2004-2006. 

During one of my summers as a counselor, I met a beautiful woman named Wynne, who was on staff as the craft shop director; she would later become my wife. We continued our passion for Camp Olson by bringing our own family to family camp for fifteen summers.  I have two daughters and a son who have attended youth camp. My son is currently on staff as an assistant counselor.

I serve as a board member of five companies and I am an investor and advisor to emerging growth companies at Perkins Capital Management.

I was originally from Winona, MN and now reside in Minneapolis.  I attended Camp Olson as a camper in 1969 and continued on through 1976 as a CIT, Rover and Trips Counselor.  I now attend Family Camp with my husband Neal and our two 11-year-old daughters who love catching frogs!  This is my third year on the Board.

I currently live in Stillwater, Minnesota, with my wife Leslie and daughter. I was a family camper from 1974-1980, soccer camper in 1983. I worked on staff for seven years and filled a variety of positions including CIT director, program director, and assistant director. I created a Master's thesis on environmental education programs in YMCA camps and for Camp Olson.  My favorite spot at camp: floating bog.  This is my fourth year on the board.

 I have a long association with Camp Olson.  I was a camper and I served on the staff through most of the 1970s.  I was a counselor, trips director, and Homestead director.  Many members of my family have been involved in camp, including my son and daughter.  The Third Shurd Lake remains one of my favorite places in the world.  My career has focused on the arts and I currently provide fundraising services to several arts and cultural organizations in the region.  I live in Mahtomedi.

I am the newest (and youngest) addition to the Camp Olson Board.  I have a 20 year history at camp including; camper from 1987-1992, staff member from 1997-2003 and volunteer from 2003-2006.  Camp has been an intricate part of my life and the lives of my family and friends.  It is a great honor to be able to be a part of something so special.  I look forward to helping pass along the lessons and tales that are so easily shared through youth camping.  "I have never seen a place that means so much to so many....."

Maureen Spanier – St. Cloud, MN

I have been involved with Camp Olson for over 30 years in various capacities: camper, CIT, kitchen staff, fall weekend staff, counselor, parent of a camper, and now as a board member.   I look forward to my first term on the board because of the significant impact Camp Olson has had on my life.  I hope my work on the board will help ensure that Camp Olson continues to give youth and their leaders the life changing experiences it gave me.  I currently live in St. Cloud with my husband Charlie.  We are recent "empty nesters" with our two children now both in college; both of whom have been Olson campers and staff members.

This will be my first year on the Camp Olson Board. I live in Rochester, MN with my wife Meegan, two year old, (future camper) Johannes and pound dog Moseley. I am a financial advisor with The Van Straaten Wealth Management Group of UBS Financial Services.

I started on staff in 1988 and spent the next four years at Camp in various roles (from maintenance, counselor, windsurfing dir, to CIT director). After my time at Camp, I decided to spread the Olson spirit westward to Colorado. I worked four more years at a wilderness camp in Steamboat Springs, where I met my wife Meegan. Camp Olson will always be part of the foundation of who I am.  It provided me many life lessons, a positive peer network, and representing all that is good in this world. The staff all came from such diverse backgrounds but united in the spirit of Camp.