Fall 2021
Denice and Jim Dunn Announce Retirement Plans in 2022 Dear Merrie-Woode Community, After serving as the Co-Executive Directors of Camp Merrie-Woode for 20 years, Jim and Denice Dunn will retire in September 2022, at the conclusion of the camp season. The Dunns have led Merrie-Woode with vision, humility, and tireless care. Under their steadfast leadership, Merrie-Woode remains vibrant and true to its mission and the camp spirit, caring for every girl and young woman as she comes through the gate each summer, and maintaining those friendships with campers, staff, alumnae, and families as they go out into the world. Jim and Denice began their tenure as CoExecutive Directors of Camp Merrie-Woode in January of 2003. They moved to camp four years earlier, when Denice began her role as Merrie-Woode’s Development and Program Director in 1999. The Dunns have continued the many traditions and the timeless mission of providing outdoor opportunities for girls, building on the legacy of their predecessors. They have worked to preserve the historic grounds and our surrounding land, as well as Merrie-Woode’s history and unique story within the American camping movement. A few of their successes include: • ensuring full sessions for 625 campers for 20 summers; • pursuing land acquisitions to protect and grow our campus from 250 acres to over 400 acres; • enhancing our land use and conservation efforts; • improving virtually every building on the property, including the rebuilding of Chapel and Castle; • implementing the Merrie-Woode Foundation’s strategic plan; • maintaining our American Camp Association accreditation and our status as leaders in the ACA and the North Carolina Youth Camp
Association through their volunteer service; • strengthening our vital relationship with the Cashiers community, most notably through their leadership in the Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau, the Cashiers Rotary Club, and the Summit Charter School; • overseeing the Centennial Celebration including the weekend attended by 1,600 alumnae; • assisting with raising over $5 million for the new Castle and our ever-growing endowment; • most recently, successfully managing camp’s enhanced operations during a pandemic. Their continual focus on safety and financial stability has been the cornerstone of their tenure. They have positively impacted thousands of lives and multiple generations of campers and staff.
Denice and Jim Dunn
Inside... At Wit’s End Reflettions on 2021 Summer From the Archives Executive Director Search
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