Honorary Directors

Meet our Honorary Directors

Wenonah has been supported by many remarkable people in the years since it was founded. The Honorary Director position was established as a way to acknowledge a group of accomplished Summer Camp leaders who have given so freely of their time and expertise to the continuing evolution of the Wenonah experience.

Our Honorary Directors are, among other things, camp professionals, educators, entrepreneurs, and authors. They offer their leadership in various ways to Camp, and demonstrate an enduring commitment to the success of Wenonah. The Honorary Director designation formalizes a permanent connection for this special group to Camp.

Jane McCutcheon

Jane’s career in camping spans four and a half decades – from camper to staff to co-owner – all at Camp Tawingo, on the shores of Lake Vernon in Huntsville, ON. Jane is a graduate of Western University (B.Sc) and The Ivey School of Business (M.B.A.). An accomplished camping professional, Jane developed and co-authored ten books on camping and outdoor recreation. She provided leadership to conferences on camping and outdoor education on five continents, including as Chair of KUMBAYAH 1994, the third International Camping Congress. An Honorary Life Member of the Ontario Camps Association (OCA), Jane is the recipient of multiple awards including the Dorothy Walter Award of Excellence from the OCA, the New Brunswick Camping Association Award of Service, the OCA International Development Award, and the Canadian Camping Association’s Ron Johnstone Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also honoured by Ernst & Young as the Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997. Jane retired from camping in 2002 when she met and married Ted Tiemessen (who is the creator of Wenonah’s 10-year camper and staff awards). Jane and Ted own their own business, Think Muskoka Inc., and Jane remains active as a consultant for clients in a variety of entrepreneurial businesses. Jane is a member of the Wenonah Management Board, serving as Management Consultant.

Andy Rodford

Andy was involved in summer camping for over 25 years, first as a camper in Quebec, a Counsellor, Tripper, and Program Director. Andy then served as Director at Onondaga Camp, in Minden, ON. Andy is currently the Director of Senior School and Deputy Head of School at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, BC. Prior to that, Andy was Head of School at Kempenfelt Bay School in Barrie, and held other leadership roles at Brentwood College School and Albert College. Andy has degrees in Biology, Geography, Education and has a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management. A fellow with the Society of Camp Directors, Andy has been a frequent workshop leader at camping and educational conferences. He served ten years on the Board of Ontario Camps Association, and currently sits on the Advisory Board for “Our Kids Go To School” magazine. Andy is passionate about arts and athletics, particularly rowing, having participated and coached at various levels, including the Varsity programmes at Trent University and the University of Toronto. Andy’s interests include wood carving, boating, outdoor adventures, and increasingly gardening, as he and his wife Liz take on a yard of runaway year-round perennials.

Catherine Ross

Catherine was the Owner/Director of Camp Mi-A-Kon-Da for girls in Parry Sound, ON, from 1979-1998 with her husband George. She currently serves as a Board Member with Kids In Camp Charity. She has served as President of the Society of Camp Directors and as a Board Member with the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) and Canadian Camping Association (CCA). She is an Honorary Life Member with the OCA and past Chair of Eglinton St. George’s United Church in Toronto. “CR” is a recipient of the Dorothy Walter Award of Excellence from the OCA and Award of Excellence from the CCA. An accomplished writer, Catherine has authored several books on camping including How to Be a Camp Counsellor, Preparing for Camp (an Our Kids Media E-book), The Mi-A-Kon-Da Story, Tanamakoon: Where We Never Grow Old, and When the Wilderness Beckons: A Canoe Tripping Handbook. Catherine is a former junior high school teacher. She is mother to David, Andrea, Cheryl, and Neil, and grandmother to Makaila, Quintin, Ariella, Orly, Finley, Aidan and Amelia. A master canoeist, CR spends her spring, summer, and fall seasons on Lake Wah Wash Kesh near Parry Sound, and her winters travelling to sunny climates. Catherine authored Moments, Memories, Magic: The Wenonah Story (So Far!), the commemorative book celebrating Wenonah’s 20th season.

Eric Shendelman

Eric Shendelman was a Camp Director at Crestwood Valley Day Camp from 2005 – 2014 and 2020 – 2021, as well as director of Camp Arrowhead from 1997 – 2004 in Innisfil, Ontario. Eric is a Past President and former Standards Chair of the Ontario Camps Association.

Eric is a member of the Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition and sits on a variety of committees that utilize his expertise in Aquatics, First Aid and Crisis Response. He continues to work with several summer camps helping to develop their aquatic, first aid and safety management programs. Eric is the owner of Shendy’s Swim and CPR Training Centres in Toronto, Ontario Canada (since 1992). He is a certified Lifesaving Society Instructor/trainer, Lifeguard Examiner/Trainer, First Aid Trainer, Safety Inspector and Auditor. Eric has helped draft policies with Ministry of Health representatives, the Canadian Camping Association and local school boards. Eric was also a Primary, Junior, and Intermediate school teacher who worked with the York Region District School Board over a 12-year period.

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