Our Team It’s all about Connection
Your Guides for the Summer of a Lifetime
Each summer, about 60 adults work at Odyssey Teen Camp, helping us fulfill our mission of delivering a one-of-a-kind, transformative summer experience. Our team members work long hours – but they always make time for having fun! Meet the members of our core staff, who return year after year to help us make OTC a success:
Adam Simon Founder & Executive Director
Adam founded Odyssey Teen Camp in 2002 with a vision to create a space where teenagers would feel safe and encouraged to try new things. He recognizes that teens face many obstacles, and OTC provides them with a judgment-free environment where they can explore who they are while pursuing their passions.
Adam has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from the University of Connecticut. He lives in Westchester with his wife, Jena, a nurse practitioner; his stepson, Zubin; daughter, Aviva; and a couple of Bernese Mountain dogs.
OTC Camp Staff
Alexa Baiano Staff Manager
During the year, Alexa works as a teacher and a mechanic and is involved in mutual aid networking around the country. Alexa is an expert at growing and building tradition at camp. She knows how valuable communal spirit is and has helped countless teenagers learn more about themselves and form their most cherished relationships. We are so lucky to have her on our team!
Riley Thomas Co-Director
Riley is passionate about creating identity celebratory spaces where authenticity and belonging flourish. Whether it be advocating for equitable access to education throughout the year, or helping to build camp magic behind the scenes, their work is rooted in an ethics of care, community, and justice. Riley fell in love with camp ten years ago working her first summer with OTC and lives her life centering joy, laughter, and hope. She holds a M.A. in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Brandeis University and proudly carries the title of first generation college student; she is the first in her family to attend and graduate from college and graduate school!
Riley is excited to bring their breadth of experience, knowledge, and goofiness to camp. Throughout the year Riley educates and advocates about rurality, education, and queerness at conferences, reads (almost) too many fantasy novels, and chases her animals and niblings around the house. You can usually find her setting up a game, singing, or writing poems.
Kokomo Kaiser Program Coordinator
A former camper with a decade of camp shenanigans under their belt, Kokomo spends their summers creating unique evening programming for our campers every night. Whether it’s a Renaissance fair, a camp-wide dance party, or an ambient soundscape listening experience, Koko loves creating nightly activities for every kind of teen and vibe. Touting a background in performance art, moviemaking, and elaborate event production, they love bringing nuanced, exciting events to Odyssey after dark! When not at camp, they work in end-of-life care, supporting people through grief and loss.
Elio Horstman, RN Healthcare Coordinator
Elio is a registered nurse and is thrilled to be a part of OTC as our Healthcare Coordinator. Elio first fell in love with summer camp attending and working at a Spanish-immersion summer camp in northern Minnesota, and had always hoped to find their way back to the camp environment. As a healthcare professional, they have worked as an EMT and emergency room nurse and hold additional experience in behavioral health and community-based healthcare. In their free time, Elio works on health autonomy-based mutual aid projects, teaches community first aid workshops, advocates for better access to healthcare for trans and nonbinary people, and goes on really, really long bike rides.
Zoe Goldman Kitchen Manager
The kitchen team prioritizes accommodating all dietary needs, offering gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options at every meal. Zoë loves when campers stop by to say hi, ask questions, and enjoy whatever music is blasting from the boombox.
Board of Directors
Marshal Coleman Board President
Marshal Coleman is a member of the New York Bar, and is admitted to practice law in the courts of the State of New York, and the Federal Courts in the Southern and Eastern Districts. He has been practicing law for 41 years and represents workers in New York City's second largest union focusing on consumer rights and consumer litigation. He graduated from Binghamton University and from California Western School of Law. After receiving his initial training with the Greater New York Mutual Insurance Company and as a personal injury and commercial litigation associate, he started his own law practice. Mr. Coleman is currently a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and is a panel member of the New York City Bar Association's Legal Referral Service.
Elena Kanner Board Secretary
Elena Kanner is an experienced marketing and strategy professional. Over her 30+ years of experience, she has held senior level positions in marketing management and strategy at Kraft Food and since 2010 has advised CEO’s and CMO’s of market leading companies in Food & Beverage, Tech and Healthcare industries. Elena holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from University of California at Los Angeles.
Joe Marra Board Treasurer
Joe Marra has over 40 years of professional experience working in both public and corporate accounting positions for firms such as Deloitte, Montefiore Medical Center, and SUNY Westchester Community College. He retired a few years ago from his position as Chief Financial Officer at SUNY Rockland Community College. Currently, Joe consults part-time as a Controller/CFO for small for-profit and non-profit companies.
Emmanuel Williams Board Member
Emmanuel Williams is an artist and philosopher living in Miami, FL. He was introduced to Odyssey Teen Camp fourteen years ago when he attended his first session as a camper. Since then, Emmanuel has joined our staff and has held positions from counselor to division head. Each summer he shares his gifts as a hip hop artist and Magic the Gathering player with OTC campers from around the world.
Michael Laliberte Board Member
Dr. Michael Laliberte brings over 25 years of proven leadership experience across the nonprofit, public, and higher education sectors. He currently consults with organizations, individuals, and leadership teams on diversity, leadership development, and operational management. From 2016 to 2022, he served as President of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Delhi, where he spearheaded innovative initiatives to enhance student success, significantly increased philanthropic contributions, and oversaw transformative capital projects. Prior to his presidency, Dr. Laliberte held executive leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Boise State University, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Lauren Muriello Board Member
Lauren Muriello is a licensed psychotherapist and the Founder of Well Being Therapy Center. Lauren provides individual, family, and group therapy, and has helped thousands of children, teens, and families make important changes to improve their quality of life. Lauren's specialty has always been children and teen issues - including parenting and family dynamics, modern trends in mental health, and the impact of tech and social media on the developing mind. Before opening her therapy practice, Lauren spent many summers at OTC working with both staff and campers. Lauren received her Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University, and her Masters Degree from Montclair State University.
Cheryl Goldstein Board Member
With over 30 years of experience, Cheryl Goldstein is an accomplished marketer. She started her career in television, ultimately winning three Emmy Awards. After leaving broadcasting, she founded Insane Creative. The company grew to encompass clients such as Ticketmaster, Miami Heat, Discovery Channel & the American Cancer Society. Camps have always held a special place in her heart. Therefore, she turned her focus to promoting this cherished industry. Her firm, Campfire Creative Marketing works exclusively with camps to develop goal-driven strategies customized for each client.
Have Questions?
We’d love to speak to you by phone or video. We talk to parents, we talk to teens. We sometimes speak to parents and teens together.
