Meet Our Year-Round Team

Jodi Sperling
Director

Jodi Sperling, who joined our team as Camp Director in January, 2004, has been actively involved in informal Jewish education and camping – particularly with teens – since she was a camper herself. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Jodi has her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Journalism and Jewish Studies, and her Masters of Social Work and certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the University of Michigan. Jodi's professional experience includes Camp Solomon Schechter, the Alexander Muss High School in Israel Program, Tamarack Camps in Michigan, Young Judaea, and Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park, Ontario. In 2005, Jodi was selected as one of 14 resident  camp directors nationally to be a Mandel Senior Fellow through the JCC Association's Mandel Center for Jewish Education. In 2006 she was named a participant in the Foundation for Jewish Camping's two-year Executive Leadership Seminar. Jodi just completed her 6th summer at Camp Wise and is excited to be receiving her 7-year shirt in 2010!

Sean Morgan

Assistant Director

Sean Morgan is looking forward to his second summer at Camp Wise! Sean started his camping career at Camp Sabra, the St. Louis JCC’s overnight camp. He spent 14 summers there, starting way back in 1990 as a camper and ending as the full-time Assistant Director in 2006. Before joining the Camp Wise Team in 2009, Sean worked as the Assistant Director of Camp Lakeland, the Buffalo JCC’s overnight camp. It’s safe to say camp is in his blood! Sean looks forward to those crazy summer days out on the sports fields or playing by the pool. Mostly, he’s excited to cheer and sing at the top of his lungs at lunchtime in the Chadar (Dining Hall)! Sean graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2003 with a BS in Education. Ask him any day and he will tell you, “There is no better classroom than camp.” Sean was recently selected to be 1of 20 assistant directors to participate in the Foundation for Jewish Camp's Yitro Fellowship program.

Jennie Post

Program Director

Jennie was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Dartmouth College in the spring of 2008 and just completed her master's degree in science education from the University of Florida. Her first camp job was with the Sarasota JCC's Camp Etgar as a counselor and canoe specialist. After receiving 10 years of letters from  her little brother Michael postmarked from 13164 Taylor Wells Road, she finally arrived for her very first summer at Camp Wise in 2007. She fell in love with the contagious spirit of CW after her first day! Jennie has been a village supervisor at Camp Wise for the past three summers and is super excited to work for camp year round.

Cathy Becker

Camp Registrar

Cathy Becker is a native Clevelander who graduated from Shaker Heights High School and Washington University in St. Louis. She is a retired school teacher who started at Camp Wise in 1994 as her "summer job." Atfer eight summers she began full-time as the camp registrar. Cathy is married to Paul and is the mother of Allison (Aaron), a CW alum, and she's the proud grammy of Isaac and Brooke, future CW campers! When you call the Camp Wise office, it's Cathy's friendly voice you'll hear on the other end of the line!

 Jessica Semel

 Retreat Center Coordinator

Jessica Bell Semel’s first summer at Camp Wise was as a counselor in the early ‘80s. A native Clevelander, Jessica earned her BA from The University of Michigan, and her Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Jewish History from Baltimore Hebrew College and The University of Maryland. After 10 years of working in Ithaca, NY as the Associate Director of Cornell Hillel, Jessica returned to Cleveland with her family. Back home in Cleveland, she has worked at the JCC in various capacities for 13 years. After working as Camp Wise’s 100th Anniversary Coordinator, she couldn’t tear herself away (Editorial Note: And we couldn’t part with her!), and so she has continued her work with camp as the Retreat Center Coordinator, developing the use of our newly-winterized facilities.  All three of her girls were at Camp Wise for the summer of 2009 – Rebecca as a counselor; Kari an SIT, and Jamie an Ohalim camper.  When she is not taking reservations for camp rentals, she is working a New York Times crossword puzzle, trying a new yoga pose or selling great gifts at Mulholland & Sachs.

James Clay

Camp Caretaker

James joined our year-round staff in the winter of 2006 and quickly became part of the family. Originally from Virginia, he moved to Ohio from Kentucky, where he was working at a community arts center. James has worked in theater and film, with extensive experience in audio and set building. He brings creativity and dedication to everything he does, and can always be found with a smile on his face! James lives at camp with his wife, Vanessa, their son, Avery, and their two dogs, Velvet and Chewy.

Larry Logan

Camp Chef

Larry Logan has been our esteemed camp chef since the summer of 2003. Originally from North Carolina, Larry loves spending his summers (and now many winter weekends) at Camp Wise. He’s best known for his Shabbat chicken, toasted cheese, and chicken fingers, although he can make any meal taste great! Larry even has his own cheer, “L-A-DOUBLE-R-Y, Larry is our cooking guy, go Larry! Go Larry!”