​Email: colette@acail.org
Phone: 312-332-0833 ex  1
​Cell: 312-343-1070

Colette  MarquarDt

Executive  director​

Currently serving as the Executive Director of the American Camp Association, Illinois (ACA Illinois,) Colette has a deep passion for helping current and rising camp professionals run safe and quality camps! Throughout her career as a director of overnight and day camps throughout the Midwest, Colette remained actively involved in the American Camp Association, including serving as the chair of the region's largest professional development community, Mid States. Other notable roles Colette has held within the camp and outdoor communities are instructor for the Accreditation Program and as faculty for the Student Camp Leadership Academy, New Director Orientation, and the Basic Camp Director Course and certified instructor for Wilderness Medicine and Search & Rescue. Colette is also the recipient of the ACA Illinois New Professional Award  and the Marcy & Bob Brower Award for innovative program design in adult education. After serving on the ACA Illinois Board of Directors and the National Council of Leaders, Colette joined the staff of ACA Illinois to continue her passion of helping get more children to camp and working to make camp more inclusive, safe, and effective for all those involved - from camper to staff.  In 2018, Colette was humbled to be the first recipient of the Dare to Lead Award for her leadership and commitment to the creation of the first ever Women In Camp Summit. The Summit offered a space for women in camp from all over North America to address their needs and challenges in the workplace. In 2019, Colette also received the Special Recognition Award for Innovative Professional Development to Meet societal Needs, along with the five other visionaries for their work on the Women In Camp Summit. 

Colette is a frequent speaker at workshops, training events, and conferences on many topics including: community building, creating inclusive and welcoming environments, staff training and leadership, organizational culture, event/education/meeting planning, trip & risk management training, and running effective and quality camps. To learn more or request Colette as a speaker, please contact colette@acail.org today! 

​Email: stacy@acail.org
Phone: 312-332-0833 ex  2
​Cell: 312-343-1352

Stacy  Harper

bookkeeper  &  executive  assistant

Stacy is the Associate Director of ACA Illinois and has been working in and directing camps since 2003 in the both the Midwest and in New England. Involved with the Mid States Camp Conference for many years, Stacy has served as a member of the Conference Leadership Team and was the inaugural director of Camp Mid States, the first children’s day camp hosted by a camp conference. Stacy is an ACA Accreditation Visitor who loves to see the ways that camps work to create intentionality in their programs, look at systems and processes, and help directors think critically about their practices. As a camp director, staff development and intentional ongoing training were the highlights of Stacy’s summers. In their work now, Stacy is invested in continuing their own growth and helping camp staff reach their full potential.

​In 2019, Stacy received the Special Recognition Award for Innovative Professional Development to Meet Societal Needs for their work on the inaugural Women In Camp Summit in 2018.