Meet the American Camp Association, Illinois Staff

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! 

E: colette@acail.org
P: 312-332-0833 ex  1
​C: 312-343-1070

Stacy Harper, Associate Director

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. 

E: stacy@acail.org
P: 312-332-0833 ex 2
​C: 312-343-1352

Kimberly Steiner, Membership & Program Services Director

Kimberly Steiner is the Membership and Program Services Director for the American Camp Association, Illinois. She is deeply passionate about spreading the idea that camp is a real job and supporting those young camp professionals in their blossoming career! In 2019, Kim received the Emerging Professional Award. Additionally. in 2019, Kim received the Special Recognition Award for Innovative Professional Development to Meet Societal Needs because of her work on the inaugural Women In Camp Summit in 2018. Kim has been working at camp since she was sixteen years old and over the years served as cook, aquatic director, grounds crew, and program director. Outside of ACA Illinois, Kim regularly volunteers in her free time and enjoys an active lifestyle of Target runs!

E: kim@acail.org
P: 312-332-0833 ex 3
​C: 312-343-0236

Allie Boyaris, Membership & Program Services Specialist

In her role as Program Specialist for the American Camp Association, Illinois, Allie promotes camp by helping bring to life Professional Development programs, the Accreditation program, and all things DFI Title XX. She is passionate about the power experiential activities like camp have to develop healthy emotional and social skills in all people. Allie has bopped around in many roles at camp including cabin staff, trip leader, and waterfront director, and especially loves to lead outdoor activities. She also has a strong background in the mental health field where she has worked to facilitate therapeutic programs in several settings. Allie loves to learn about how people learn and grow. Outside of ACA Illinois, you can find Allie eating as much ice cream as possible and geeking out about science! ​

E: allie@acail.org
P: 312-332-0833 x4
C: 312-965-7398