Leadership Team

NorthBay’s Leadership Team are the current directors that provide strategic leadership, guidance and training for NorthBay’s growing team. Along with implementing NorthBay’s mission on a day-to-day basis, this team also develops long-range goals as well as provide the support for a family of successful employees.

NorthBay’s Leadership Team

Jennifer Foy

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jennifer has 20 years of nonprofit management experience with a majority of that time focused on at-risk youth and immigrant programs.  Beginning with wilderness therapy programs in North Carolina, feeding a passion for serving youth and the outdoors.  Most recently serving as SVP at World Relief’s national office leading refugee and immigrant programs.  Originally from Oregon, she has a BA in Sociology from Western Oregon University and a Masters of Public Administration from Norwich University.  Outside of work Jennifer loves traveling, quilting, canning and hiking.

Rick Garber

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Rick has a B.S. in Recreation and Parks and more than 25 years of experience developing, growing and delivering outdoor education programs. Rick started his career at George Mason University, where he facilitated team development and backcountry adventures for at-risk youth. Rick has since worked in a variety of roles and settings, teaching at Stone Mountain School, leading wilderness therapy programs in the mountains of North Carolina and coordinating youth alternative and volunteer programs with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. Rick came to NorthBay in 2007 as an educator, has served as Dean of Students and now as Director of Education. When not at NorthBay, you will likely find Rick Sailing the Chesapeake with his wife Salena and two children, Gideon and Juniper.

Ian Palkovitz

Associate Director of Education

Ian earned a masters in school counseling from Wilmington University and an English degree from the University of Delaware. He worked as an educator at NorthBay and for five years before moving to East Africa from 2016-2020 to work with a non-profit doing education and public health. Ian returned to NorthBay to manage the Accelerated Program and has recently transitioned to Associate Director of Education. When not at NorthBay you can find Ian falling off a mountain bike, jumping on a trampoline with his kids, capsizing a kayak, or building guitars.

Joe Antonio

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

With a BS in Criminal Justice, Joe worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer for 10 years before transitioning into the camping industry. Joe served in a variety of positions at several Young Life camps before coming to NorthBay in 2008. Originally hired to run NorthBay’s traditional summer camp program, Joe smoothly transitioned into his current role as NorthBay’s Operations Manager. When not at NorthBay, Joe enjoys biking and trail running in the summer and cross country and downhill skiing in the winter. He is also a Volunteer Area Director for Cecil County Young Life; where he serves alongside his wife Amy and their two children, Zach and Alyssa.

Dana Lewis

DIRECTOR OF MEDIA

Dana received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Morgan State University. She uses her experiences working in film and television to produce educational and character building content. Dana leads the media team at NorthBay developing and producing projects that come to life on stage, on the web, and in videos & photos. She is from Queens, NY and is one of six children. In her spare time Dana is a media consultant for ministries, community organizations and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about using media to make a positive impact on people’s lives. When not at work you can find Dana enjoying a good film, an ocean view or swimming.

Linda Reagan

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Linda has a BS in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources from Wilmington University. As the Human Resource Manager for NorthBay, Linda is dedicated to fostering a mutually rewarding relationship between organization and employee. When not at NorthBay, Linda is a coach in the Delaware Odyssey of the Mind program. She is also a music buff and enjoys singing as well as playing several instruments. She, her husband Dan, and their two boys, Connor and Aidan, are all sports enthusiasts, particularly baseball and are loyal to all Philadelphia sports teams.

Sharon Tietjens

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Sharon has a BS in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Penn State University. She has a 20 year history in the hospitality field working in Chicago, Washington DC and Baltimore for hotel chains including Hilton, Hyatt, Carlson and several other independent organizations. The largest Hotel Sharon managed was over 2000 rooms and oldest was built in 1924. She has a diverse background in both operations and sales and loves working with people. Sharon’s Guest Services Team here at NorthBay coordinates all the retreats and rental groups. When off camp Sharon enjoys being that “Soccer Mom” and running after her son Cole, working in the garden and cooking.

Donna Cooper

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Donna has a BS in Accounting from West Chester University and a BA in Mathematics and Computer Science from Notre Dame of MD University. Donna served on the Cecil County Board of Education from 2006-2014 becoming the first two-term elected member in County history. When she’s not crunching numbers, she enjoys spending time with her children, Amanda, T.J. & Parker, and her husband, Jack, working in the garden and listening to the Beatles.

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