Staff

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Kate Metts
Director
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 23
Email: kate@donleecenter.org

Kate grew up in New Bern, NC and in the Methodist Church. She was a camper at Don Lee as well a counselor. She has brought her son, Cooper to camp for many summers. She is well connected throughout the NC UM Conference. Personal experiences at camp have allowed Kate to fully understand the spiritual, life-changing impact camp has and the very foundation upon which this ministry was built.

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Captain Taylor Lilly
Assistant Director
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 27
Email: taylor@donleecenter.org

Taylor has worked at camp since 2015, starting out as a summer staff counselor. He returned in Spring 2017 on Coastal staff, worked on summer staff and then in the fall, began lead hosting of weekend retreat groups. He has served as head male counselor and summer camp coordinator. In 2019, he joined the full time team as a program specialist, handling a wide variety of duties at camp. This past summer, he oversaw the kitchen and dining hall operation and cooked a lot of meals! He most recently completed his US Coast Guard captain's license and has his Commercial Driver's License---a real plus at camp!   He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of camp, working with the staff and the facility to receive guests. Taylor believes camp is so important for young people because camp is place for them to come and be themselves. With all that's going on in our society and pressure from every angle, camp is a place where they can feel at home and be a part of the camp community that wants truly the best for them.

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Katie Lilly
School Programs & Environmental Education Coordinator
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 32
Email: fieldtrips@donleecenter.org

Katie began working at Don Lee 8 years ago after graduating from NC State University with a degree in Marine Biology.  She grew up in Wilmington and has always loved the beach and Southeastern NC.

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Julia Royall Johnson
Administrative & Program Specialist
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 21
Email: julia@donleecenter.org

Julia Royall Johnson grew up in Eastern North Carolina and is a lifelong United Methodist.  She has a long history with Camp Don Lee starting with attending as a camper in her elementary school years, serving on Summer Staff in 2017 and leading retreats as a Youth Director in her former job.  Julia has experience working with youth of all ages in a variety of settings such as the YMCA and the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church youth ministry.  Julia enjoys boating, the beach and lives in Beaufort with her husband and two dogs.

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Caitlin Delemar 
Faith Formation Coordinator
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 31
Email: caitlin@donleecenter.org

Caitlin grew up in Fredericksburg, VA and received a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School in 2015. Caitlin is an Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church with her home conference being the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Caitlin has served in ministry in local church, non-profit, hospital chaplaincy, and children’s and youth ministry settings. Caitlin was the Duke Divinity intern at Camp Don Lee in the summer of 2014, where she met her husband, John Delamar, our former assistant director for sailing. John and Caitlin have been married since 2017 and have one daughter.

 

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Augustus Fleming
Food Services Manager
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 25
Email: augustus@donleecenter.org

Growing up in a small Adirondack town in Upstate New York, summer camp was an every year occurrence. Augustus' favorite part of Boy Scout camp was volunteering to help the kitchen. After working in New York City for some years life brought him to North Carolina. Working in corporate dining helped him develop techniques for many different types of food from various cultures around the world.

 

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Captain Tanner Lilly
Waterfront Coordinator
Phone: 252-249-1106 ext. 34
Email: tanner@donleecenter.org

Tanner has worked at camp since the summer of 2015, working as summer staff, coastal environmental education staff, and as a full time staff in charge of all waterfront activities. Tanner attended camp for many years as a camper and is originally from Jacksonville, NC.

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Kathryn Wynne
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Phone: 252-249-1106 x 22
Email: kathryn@donleecenter.org

Kathryn is an ECU graduate who worked on summer staff while she was attending college. After working for several years in Raleigh at The Methodist Home for Children, she has returned home to a place that God has blessed. Kathryn and her husband live in New Bern with their beloved golden retriever.

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Woody Spruill
Maintenance Coordinator
Email: woody@donleecenter.org

Woody was born and raised in Merritt, a town in Pamlico County. After high school, he served in the Marine Corps for 21 years. Upon retiring from the Marines, Woody enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program at ECU. During this time he began working part-time in the maintenance department at Camp Don Lee. Woody has received many certifications for waste water treatment as well as drinking water during his time working at camp. Woody also serves our local community on the volunteer firefighter and swiftwater rescue technician. Woody's wife of 30 years works as a nurse at Craven Regional Medical Center.

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Samantha Nanney
Housekeeping Coordinator
Email: samantha@donleecenter.org

Samantha grew up in Richlands, NC. However, Samantha attended Pamlico County High School for two years and she fell in love with this small community. Her husband was born and raised here and they couldn't think of a better place to raise their four children. Samantha got my Associates degree from Pamlico Community College and is soon going to pursue her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. While she has never attended camp, her children have and will go to Camp Don Lee for summer camp!