Our Staff
Crafting an environment where kids feel comfortable trying new things is a big job. In fact it's a lot of big jobs, which is why we hire only experienced staff who have demonstrated competence and caring with children. We train them to nurture, respect and support every camper, and we supervise our staff very closely to make sure they deliver the caring and the attention that every Forest Cliff camper deserves. We continually hear from campers that their Cabin Counsellors were single best part of camp. At Forest Cliff we work very hard all year to ensure that we employ the most qualified and highly trained camp staff in our industry.
Even though the majority of our staff grew up at Forest Cliff, we scrutinize every applicant with reference checks and face to face interviews. Through our intensive training process we equip our staff with the tools to care for your children and support them in their week at camp. In addition, our mature and experienced Summer Leadership Staff and Executive Director, Sara Petker, work daily with staff to support them and ensure the very highest quality of care for our campers.
Sara Petker, Executive Director
Sara has been Executive Director since 2000 and had served as a volunteer at FCC every summer since 1988. She is a graduate of Tennessee Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Art and Education. She also graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Masters Degree in Education. Following university, Sara worked as a teacher in various high schools and elementary schools. She has also served as Adjunct Faculty at both Heritage College in Cambridge, ON and Bethel Bible College in Sussex, NB.
Sara brings a wealth of experience from her 32 years in camping as a camper, counselor, business manager, volunteer, and director of two day camps. She served on the board of directors for Forest Cliff Camp from 1998 to 2000. Sara is a regular presenter at the annual conferences for CCI/Canada and the Ontario Camps Association. She was awarded the 2010 President’s Award by CCI/Canada for her leadership in Christian camping. She is a long –time volunteer in the Ontario Camps Association where she has served on various committees and is presently on the board of directors. Sara is a fellow in the Society of Camp Directors.
Sara has three children; Will 24, Andrew 22, and Katie 18.