Directors and Year Round Staff

Plantation’s Directors, John Chakan and Kelly Marston, took over management of Plantation in 2003. They bring their love of the outdoors and are committed to making Plantation a place that nurtures each and every child so that all children discover their personal best.

John first joined the Plantation family as an 11-year old camper. His love of Plantation and the positive impact it has had on children for generations has brought him back, year after year, as a camper, a Counselor, Assistant Director, and now Director. He is currently serving on the Board of the American Camp Association’s Northern California Section and participates on the Education Committee. John graduated from Stanford with a BA in Drama and a concentration in Psychology.

Kelly’s outdoor adventures started running rivers with her family at the age of 10. She has continued her explorations through her extensive travels including trekking on glaciers in Pakistan, rafting the Grand Canyon, and a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course. During her career, Kelly has worked in the corporate and non-profit arenas leading, managing, and training diverse teams. Kelly has degrees from Princeton and Wharton.

As just the fourth set of directors in Plantation’s history, Kelly and John, along with their sons Reilly and Aidan, work to maintain the magic that has made it such a special place for generations.
 

Nell Western has longtime connections to Plantation. She was a camper in the late 1970's, a counselor from 1987-1992 and, after a 15 year hiatus, she is our office manager. Nell's time at Plantation helped shape the person she is today. Living and learning with a diverse group of people helped engrain tolerance and cooperation in her life and has served her well working with several non-profit organizations. She has a BA in Psychology from UCLA with certification in Early Childhood Education. Nell is married with two daughters.

Summer Staff

To learn more about the great people who are our summer staff, please click here.