Administrative Staff

Clay Colvig has directed Colvig Silver Camps since 1998. He grew up at CSC as a camper, and later as a Counselor and Administrator. Free time was spent studying at Colorado College and University of Colorado and traveling in Europe. After a few enjoyable years in the architecture industry, he and Tavia chose to return to Durango to lead the family vision into the next millenium. When not in the office, Clay enjoys time with his family, an afternoon ride on his mountain scooter, skiing, and hiking trails around CSC.

Tavia Colvig is the Financial Director and Food Service Manager at CSC. She graduated from Colorado College and then earned her law degree from the University of Colorado. She practiced law in Boulder before moving to Durango in 1998 to live the dream. Tavia enjoys films, culinary arts, European travel, caring for their son Conor, and spending time with their pets Mojo and CC.

Alexis Harrell came to CSC in the fall of 2007. After spending many years in the “Camping World” she thought she could bring a spirit of southern hospitality to the Office Manager position. Alexis came to us from North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2005 with a degree in Elementary Education. Before arriving at CSC Alexis spent most of her free time teaching fifth grade, volunteering in Africa, and learning the art of southern BBQ.

Michael "Gus" Gustafson first came to the valley in 2000. He served as a Head Counselor his first year, then spent five years as the Coordinator of Silver Spruce. In 2006, Michael became the in-camp Program Director, spending his summer days supervising the staff and overseeing everything from the Lodge to the Camp Store. Michael attended Fort Lewis College in Durango and enjoyed studying English literature there. He also brings a variety of camp knowledge from other camps he attended and worked at in Iowa, Wyoming, and Colorado. Michael spends his spare time reading and cheering on the Cleveland Browns.
Aaron “Eagle” Deutsch first came to CSC in 1999, working as an Assistant and Head Counselor. Through the years, he has served as a Coordinator and Expedition Supervisor, and returned in 2006 to be the Site Manager. Eagle brings a variety of talents to his position, including not only ranching and construction skills, but culinary abilities as well. Eagle currently lives in the Red Creek Valley with his wife, Gianna, and enjoys skiing and rock climbing.

 

Jack MaGill joined the CSC family in 2005 and currently serves as the out-camp Program Director. He recently graduated from the National Outdoor Leadership School and obtained a English literature degree from Fort Lewis College. Jack’s many years of experience at an East Coast camp have provided him with a plethora of knowledge to constantly expand and improve on CSC’s program. He enjoys spending time with his dog, Strider, and working on his bluegrass pickin’.

Some of our Summer Staff:

Peggy Vorwald grew up in and around Colvig Silver Camps. Her parents were on the Administrative Staff when she was younger and Peggy spent five years as a camper before returning as an Assistant Counselor in 2003. She has since been a Head Counselor and Homestead Coordinator. Peggy’s love for CSC, and Homestead in particular shines through in all that she does--special attention to campers, creative programming like “Counselor Deal or No Deal”, and a fantastic 2006 Olympics Special Day. Peggy spends the rest of her year doing biology research and instructing classes at Fort Lewis College.

 

Patrick Fleming has worked at CSC since 2005 as an Outpost Counselor and Coordinator. Pat graduated with a geology degree from the University of Puget Sound in Washington state in 2005 and brings his knowledge of natural sciences to CSC each summer. Pat’s attitude and enthusiasm make him a favorite of campers and staff alike. He currently works for Patagonia in Reno, NV, where he also finds time to row, ski, hike, and climb mountains.

Nancy Hushek and Cindy Murphy have been our chef team for the last eight years. Nancy was a camper during the first years of CSC history, and later became a counselor. Cindy has worked on our staff in various capacities, including as Expo Coordinator and Nanny. Both love to work around children all year round: Nancy works as a Home Ec. teacher in Phoenix while Cindy is a kindergarten teacher in Austin. Nancy says, “The reason that I keep coming back to camp is the feeling of one big family. Everyone works hard for a common goal - the campers. It is hard to put into words what camp does for a person. When you are at camp the mountain air is so clean, the stars are so bright, and the people are so wonderful. That is why I come back to camp every year.” David "Dave-O" Townes has spent many summers of his life in the RedCreek Valley. Dave-O was a camper for several years and has been on our staff since 2002 and served as our Outpost Coordinator in 2005. He graduated from Georgetown in 2004 with degrees in Philosophy and Government and is currently working towards his Master's in Social Work at Columbia University. Dave-O relies on his life experiences and creativity to add to his programming, which ranges from Sumo-Wrestling to Chillin'.
 

STAFF FAQ'S

Where Do You Find Your Staff?
Typically, our staff finds us! We advertise on many job- and summer camp-related websites and we are listed in publications such as Peterson's Guide to summer employment, the American Camping Association's guide to summer jobs, and several others.
Approximately 50-60% of our staff each summer are returning staff members and/or former CSC campers. This high return rate adds stability and continuity to our diverse summer program.

Who Are Your Staff?
Most of our summer staff are college students between the ages of 21 and 25. We hire a handful of 18-20 year olds as assistant counselors as well. Staff members come from diverse backgrounds and have a wide variety of previous experience, but all have a passion for working with children in an outdoor setting. Many counselors are teachers or teachers in training. Many are majoring in areas such as education, outdoor/experiential education, recreation, psychology, social work and other related fields. We also look for wilderness experience and experience with outdoor programs (such as other summer camps, NOLS or Outward Bound, adventure programs, ropes courses, etc.). We hire a handful of "specialists" to oversee specific program areas, including two wranglers to run the horse program, an arts and crafts director, and a rock climbing supervisor.

What's "special" about them?
As compared to other camps, we ask our counseling staff to do most of the in-camp program
planning. At the beginning of each term, counselors are given an open schedule. Working as a team, each age group's staff fills in the blanks by planning a wide range of exciting activities for their campers. This method of program planning gives staff a high degree of freedom and flexibility to plan activities which most appeal to them and their campers. In this manner, they are able to creatively plan activities which fully utilize their personal strengths and areas of interest and/or expertise. This helps to make each term a little different and to provide a unique experience for each and every camper.

Obviously, we rely heavily on "traditional" summer camp activities such as western riding, arts & crafts, target sports, swimming, fishing, hiking, etc., but counselors are free to plan new and creative activities to add breadth and depth to our diverse program. Many of these planning choices are based on specific camper interests. Coupled with our "choice-oriented" philosophy, this gives campers an opportunity to "customize" their stay with us to a fair degree, as opposed to being told specifically what they will be doing with us every minute of every day.

How Are They Screened?
All prospective summer staff initially submit an application to our office. Our screening process includes reference checks (both written and over the phone), an interview, a driving record check, a criminal record check (in most cases) and a physical examination. Applicants are evaluated in areas such as responsibility, maturity, professionalism, decision-making skills, creativity and enthusiasm. We also look for experience, formal and informal, in the fields of child care, wilderness, and outdoor education. The end product is a highly motivated and enthusiastic summer staff!

What about Training?
All summer staff, both new and return, must participate in pre-camp staff training, which lasts for ten days. During this time we train staff members in all areas of camp operation, beginning with philosophy, mission, procedures and policies. This training also covers areas such as specifics of camp operation, program planning, emergency procedures and discipline issues, to name a few. The second half of staff training focuses specifically on our wilderness program, stressing areas such as decision making, safety, emergency procedures, and wilderness first aid, among many others.

 

 
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COLVIG SILVER CAMPS

9665 Florida Road Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247-2564 Fax: (970) 247-2547 E-mail: office@colvigsilvercamps.com
www.colvigsilvercamps.com

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