Towering Pines Blog
Welcome!!!
We’d like to welcome Jonathan Shirley to our camp family!! Jonathan is going to serve in the role of Associate Director of Towering Pines and is working in collaboration with Jeff and Will to create a terrific TP trio!! He is also a part of the entire leadership team for both TP and Woodland. Recently Jonathan and his wife, Taylor, as well as his family, visited and spent about ten days exploring both camps. It was awesome to have them here with the rest of our leadership team to work together on all of the amazing things to come in the Summer of 2021.
Jonathan grew up in south Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana State University in 2003 with a degree in Marketing. While never attending a traditional camp growing up, Jonathan spent college summers in Maine at Camp Laurel, and in Michigan at Camp Miniwanca. After graduation he spent the next eight years as the Boys’ Director of Camp Champions, a residential summer camp outside of Austin, TX.
In 2012 Jonathan left Camp Champions to pursue a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership, as well as to run leadership programs for the University of Houston Bauer College of Business. In 2016 he returned to camping, this time in the nonprofit world, as the Camping Director for YMCA CAMP CLASSEN, a residential camp located in Davis, OK.
Jonathan and family returned to Louisiana in June of 2019 where Jonathan works for the University of Louisiana – Lafayette in the Mood College of Business. Jonathan creates and implements Entrepreneurship Programs in minority and impoverished communities as well as in rural communities. Jonathan also runs leadership development programs for students in the business college.
Jonathan has an incredible wife (Taylor), two girls (Clara and Eleanor), and a son (Henry). They are extremely excited to be a part of all of the amazing experiences that TP & Woodland offer campers and counselors. We are happy to have their family joining our camp family live and in person in the Summer of 2021!!
Interesting fun facts about Jonathan:
- He’s left-handed.
- He has hatched alligator eggs!
- His favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate cherry.
- His favorite ice cream at Cathy’s is Mississippi Mud!!
Grab your bug juice and evening snack and meet Jonathan via Zoom on Tuesday, October 20th from 7:00 – 8:00 PM CST. Stay tuned for more details!!
The Jordan Family,
Jeff, Jenny, JoAnne & Susan