Lou has over 16 years of experience in the summer camping industry.  He has worked in various roles, from front-line counselor to camp director, in a wide range of settings, from day and residential camps to travel camps.  Lou brings to his work a rare blend of program and activity design expertise, professional consulting presence and truly engaging and exciting facilitation.  Lou’s passion for learning stems from years of work on the front lines of education and organizational development.   Lou has worked in the classroom as well as in non-traditional educational settings, with populations ranging from executives from major corporations to young adults with life threatening illnesses. 

Lou began his partnership with the Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps (AHITW) in 1998.  Since 1998, Lou has partnered with the AHITW to facilitate staff training workshops and design and deliver specialized weekend retreats for populations related to the AHITW’s mission, including family retreats, bereavement weekends and nursing conferences. 

Joel Haber, PhD is a clinical psychologist who has devoted more than 20 years to the identification, prevention and reduction of abusive (emotional and physical) behaviors – from childhood through adulthood and in a many settings, including schools, camps, home and the workplace.  His approach to counseling and coaching is research-based, but practical.  His training programs are highly interactive, lively and engaging.

Founder of the Respect U program, Dr. Haber has held positions at University of Alabama, Birmingham Medical School, White Plains Hospital and New York Medical College.  He has authored numerous articles and led conference sessions on topics including bullying, stress management and behavior problems.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Dr. Haber received his M.S. and PhD from the University of Georgia.  His professional affiliations include the National Register of Psychology, the American Psychological Association and the Society for Behavioral Medicine.  The author of numerous publications, he has been featured in a front-page article on bullying in the New York Times, on CBS National News, NPR Radio and on ESPN radio.  He is completing the first comprehensive research study of bullying at summer camps, as well as a parent book on bullying.

Rabbi Michael Mellen, Director of Youth Programs for the Union for Reform Judaism, was ordained by HUC-JIR in 1998.  After five years as the associate rabbi and educator at Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Virginia, he started Jewish Youth Works, a company dedicated to staff training and youth programs with Jewish camps, youth groups, synagogues, JCCs and schools. 

Michael has spent over eighteen amazing summers as staff and faculty at camps or leading travel programs in the Western U.S., Alaska and Israel.  He has had fun teaching students from two to eighteen years old.  He loves exploring spirituality in nature, relationship building, group dynamics, leadership skills and creativity.