Welcome to the Camp Chi Family

The Camp Chi team is growing once again! We first want to wish Kyle and Natalie Kolling mazel tov on their baby boy, Chase, who was born on January 22. We’re also excited to be expanding our team to meet the needs of our families, campers and staff. We have three new additions to the Camp Chi team, two are new to the Chi Family and one is returning to her home away from home! A huge welcome to Samantha Isenstein, Assistant Director, Jennifer McCarrel, Administration Manager and Jonno Appel, who has joined as our Outdoor Adventure Coordinator.

Jennifer McCarrel

Hi, I’m Jennifer McCarrel, and I am our Administration Manager at Camp Chi. I joined the Camp Chi team in February 2023, and I will be working with Natalie to keep the background of camp running smoothly.

I bring to the Camp Chi family a long history of administrative and technology support in the financial industry. I am super passionate about “The Great Outdoors” and its impact on youth development and am very excited to be a part of this team.

Jonno Appel

Hi I’m Jonno Appel, and I’m super excited to join the Camp Chi family as the Outdoor Adventure Coordinator! My passion is exploring how adventure and healthy living can help folks find a deeper sense of connection with themselves, with others, and with the natural world.

After graduating from UW Madison (go Badgers!), I spent a few years traveling the world, developing international volunteer programs, guiding multi-day group tours for young adults, and having more than a few adventures of my own. At the end of 2019, I returned home to Los Angeles, and spent the past handful of years managing a non-profit Urban Farm and developing garden and nature-based life skills curriculum for families experiencing homelessness. I’m thrilled to bring my experience with me to Camp Chi, where I’ll be overseeing the growth of the budding The Outpost Village program, managing the logistics for the PNW trip, and running Camp’s overnights and outdoor adventures. I couldn’t be happier to join this amazing community and to be a part of the magic of Camp Chi!

Samantha Isenstein

Hi, I’m Samantha Isenstein, aka Sam, and I am so excited to be returning to camp as the Assistant Director. Camp Chi has been apart of my life for the past 25 years, where I spent 12 summers at camp. I was a camper, SIT of 2002, counselor, PNW Trip leader, and a village leader and even a parent participant at August Family Vacation. Camp Chi holds a very special place in mine, and my family’s heart as I met my husband Brian at camp, and we got married overlooking the Cove. As Assistant Director, I will be supervising village leaders and their villages, our Outdoor Adventure Coordinator and Outdoor Adventure programs, our Shlichim (staff from Israel) and many other aspects of camp.

Before joining the Camp Chi team, I had been working for over a decade as an educational director and youth director at two Chicago area synagogues. Working as a counselor, is what motivated me to pursue my master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary’s William Davidson School of Jewish Education in New York. As a camper my favorite specialties were water skiing, horseback riding and outdoor cooking! In my free time I love spending it outdoors hiking and exploring nature with my family; my son Micah, daughter Ilana, my husband Brian and our dog Jerry.