Meet the Board of Trustees

Alex spent eleven summers at Kabeyun as a camper and counselor starting in the mid-1990s, including one summer as Head of Trips. He credits Kabeyun for his self-confidence, personal values, and love of shared outdoor adventures, and is thrilled to give back as a trustee. Alex’s father was also a Kabeyun camper in the 1940s and 50s. Alex earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and is now a Partner at the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, where he practices environmental law. Alex is an avid skier, fly-fisherman, and aspiring trail runner. He lives in Frisco, Colorado with his wife and two daughters.

Former Kabeyun camper and counselor Paul Ash has had a long and distinguished career in school leadership, including a decade as Superintendent of Schools in Lexington, MA, and seven years as Superintendent in Westwood, MA. He is a recognized expert at the state and national level on closing achievement gaps for minority, special education, and low-income students, human resources, financial operations, and professional development. Paul was a Kabeyun camper from 1959 to 1965 and then spent four years as a staff member. He began his teaching career straight out of the University of Massachusetts and later earned his PhD in Educational Administration at Boston College. Paul and his wife live in Newton, MA.

Andy is a current Kabeyun parent and former camper and counselor. He spent 11 summers at Kabeyun in the 1980’s and 1990’s – five years as a camper, one as a counselor-in-training, and five on staff teaching tennis and leading trips. Andy’s experiences working with children at Kabeyun led him directly to his career as a pediatrician after graduating from Yale College and University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He has been a practicing general pediatrician in suburban Boston for the past 25 years with special interests in immigrant health and infection-triggered OCD. Andy is an avid saber fencer and enjoys orienteering. He is thrilled to serve on the board and give back to the place he loves, chairing our Scholarship Committee for the past 13 years. Andy says “I attribute my experience at Kabeyun with allowing me to discover who I am and in forming the core of my self-worth.”

Steve Bernstein is part of a three-generation Kabeyun family. His father, uncle, and brother were all campers and both of his sons attended Kabeyun. As a camper from 1979 to 1984 Steve enjoyed sailing, tennis, and trips, and his family has attended Family Camp on and off since it began in 1973. Steve lives in Northern New Jersey, where he owns and runs a company in the shipping container business. He loves hiking and skiing and is passionate about flying airplanes, which he does as a volunteer pilot for Boston-based Angel Flight Northeast. Steve earned his BA from Duke University.

Deb is a current Kabeyun parent, a former counselor, and a long-time family camper whose father and uncle also attended Kabeyun in the 1960s. As a counselor, Deb worked in the kitchen, then taught tennis and later leather. She attributes her love of the outdoors and of hiking in the mountains to her many years at family camp as a child. She is honored to be serving as a trustee for a place and community that has meant so much to her family throughout the past 65+ years. Deb lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two sons, where she owns and runs a leadership development and executive coaching practice. Prior to that, Deb spent 15 years leading experiential education programs at National Geographic and The Walt Disney Company.

Kabeyun has always been part of Doug Latham’s life. He first came to camp as the son of counselor (and former camper) Nick Latham, who later became Kabeyun’s director for more than 20 years. Doug spent a decade as a Kabeyun camper and counselor, including as Head of Sailing in 1979, and later his sons were campers as well. Doug recently retired from a company that produces media and software products for educational publishers. He also continues operating the small family farm his father started and has been deeply involved in his church. Doug says, “My interests range broadly, with particular focus on education, active outdoor living, and land conservancy. In the mission of the Porter Foundation and its dedication to operating Camp Kabeyun, I have enjoyed a unique opportunity to engage my interests and professional experiences.”

Maria arrived at Kabeyun in the summer of 1973 with her father, former director Nick Latham, and has been part of our community since. She spent summers as one of the only girls at camp and went on to work at camp through college and beyond. Maria met her husband Paul, long-time member of the sailing staff, at Kabeyun. Their son Nick, a former camper, and daughter Katie both have worked at camp and are loyal Family Campers. Maria is part of our Scholarship Committee, making Kabeyun accessible to boys of diverse backgrounds, and is helping plan camp’s 100th anniversary celebration. Maria says Kabeyun instilled in her a love of nature and believes Kabeyun can foster love and respect for the environment in today’s boys. A licensed Physical Therapist for 30+ years, Maria has worked with children and teens in a New Hampshire public school district for the past decade.

Dan spent eight summers at Kabeyun as a camper and counselor in the 80s and 90s, where he learned to love hiking, camping, and kayaking on trips in the White Mountains and rivers across Maine and New Hampshire. Dan is now a lawyer in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife Alison and their two boys, who have spent their summers at Kabeyun since 2016. Dan has hiked, kayaked, rafted, and skied with friends from Kabeyun across California and the West, and has enjoyed watching his boys head off on their own adventures with their camp friends. Dan is a Trustee and former board president at the John Thomas Dye School in Los Angeles, a member of the Board of Advisors for the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, and a former member of the Board of the Yale Law School Fund.

Jane is the mother of two Kabeyun campers and counselors and the grandmother of five campers, two of whom are now old enough to have become counselors. After earning a BA at Stanford, an MA at Oxford, and a PhD at Yale, Jane taught for 30 years in Yale College. She has served as a trustee of the Foote School, Hopkins School, and Amistad Academy. Kabeyun gave her sons and grandsons a love of kayaking and hiking, good friends, self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, and good judgment. She is honored to give back to a place that has given so much to her family.

Chuck Platto is the father of three former Kabeyun campers, Jamie, Carey, and Terry, and has been a trustee for 25+ years. When Chuck was in his 40’s, Kabeyun’s director Nick Latham allowed him to live out his dream by hiring him as tennis and cabin counselor for two seasons. Chuck worked alongside two of his sons while the third was a camper. Chuck and his family began attending Family Camp in 1982. In 2019, he enjoyed Family Camp with his grandchildren for the first time. Chuck spent his career as a lawyer. He is now an arbitrator/mediator and a professor of law in New York City.

Bill Ricker has been part of Kabeyun since 1958. He served as our Assistant Director for 25 years (1975 – 1999) and as a Trustee since 1980. Bill holds advanced degrees in Social Work, Supervision & Administration, and enjoyed a long career as a social worker in Connecticut public schools. With his life’s work guiding young people and deep knowledge of Kabeyun’s past, Bill brings an invaluable perspective to all board discussions. Over the years, he has served on many of the foundation’s committees. Bill currently chairs the Nominating Committee, identifying the best individuals to guide Kabeyun into its future. He and his wife Mary Ann live in North Stonington, Connecticut, where Bill enjoys kayaking, fishing, biking, gardening, and grandfathering in his retirement.

Bill spent 10+ summers as a Kabeyun camper and counselor in the 1970’s – 90’s, including one year as Head of Sailing and another as Head of Trips. At Kabeyun, Bill discovered his love of the outdoors and outdoor adventures. He earned his undergraduate, graduate, and medical degrees from Stanford University, and undertook his residency training at UCSF. He is the Chief of the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University, where in addition to overseeing the division he provides clinical care to rheumatology patients and runs a translational research laboratory that investigates rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. He founded several biotech companies based on drugs and technologies developed in his Stanford laboratory. He is an avid mountain and road biker, skier, whitewater boater, climber, and enjoys pretty much any outdoor activity, particularly when it is an adventure that includes long-time friends from Kabeyun. He has multiple nephews and relatives who are current and former campers and counselors, and is excited to give back to Kabeyun as a trustee.

Jackson was a camper in the 1990s and a counselor in the early 2000s. His older brother was a camper as well, and his two nephews are current campers – the tradition lives on! Jackson now lives in New York City and is excited to be a member of the board of trustees. He looks forwarding to helping Kabeyun continue to thrive and be the special place that it has always been.

“Andy Von” lives with his family in Oakland, CA, where he has taught Middle School for more than 25 years. In his free time loves hiking and chasing trout with a fly rod; he also participates in MOTH events as a storyteller as much as possible. After his years as a Kabeyun camper, Andy was a backpacking trips leader and Head of Trips in the late 80s and 90s. Andy’s two sons, Matthew and Nico, attended camp for many years. Stan von Mayrhauser, Andy’s father, was a Kabeyun guy back in the late 50s and early 60s.

Jake is a former Kabeyun camper and counselor who spent nine summers at camp. Jake lives in the Boston area and works at Cove Hill Partners, a long-duration investment firm. Prior to joining Cove Hill, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company and attended Yale College. Jake spends as much time as possible outside – hiking, sailing, skiing, and running. He is honored to be the youngest member of the Porter Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and is excited to bring the perspective of campers and counselors from the 2000’s to the table. Feel free to reach out to him with ideas or suggestions.