Meet the Camp Kupugani Directors
Kevin Gordon (Camp Director)
A Harvard University graduate in psychology and the Canadian-born son of Jamaican immigrants, camp director Kevin has worked with children for almost forty years. He has been in the camp business since 1990, when he first worked at a girls camp in Wisconsin.
After earning his BA at Harvard, Kevin continued working as an assistant camp director, backpacked across Europe (shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall), traveled throughout Africa, and wrote Not Yet African, a book chronicling his African adventures. While gaining valuable experience at camps from Pennsylvania to California, Kevin earned his JD from the University of California-Berkeley School of Law. He went on to work for a top-100 law firm, where he gained additional expertise in management and organizational psychology.
Besides spending time with his wife Natasha and adventurous son Mico, camp director Kevin enjoys playing goalie on his men’s ice hockey team. Please feel free to e-mail Kevin with any questions at kevin@campkupugani.com.
To see more of Kevin discussing camp on YouTube, follow this link.
Kevin’s Camp Favorites
- Favorite Camp Activity: Ga-ga!
- Best Camp Memory: Every first day of camp!
- Favorite Camp Meal: Chicken Kiev!
- Hobbies as a kid: Tennis, hockey, soccer
- Favorite Core Value: Personal development… it’s always good to see people challenging themselves!
- Goofiest Thing I’ve Done at Camp: Threw a gummy bear 100 feet in the air and caught it in his mouth!
Natasha Jackson (Camp Director)
Natasha (Miss Natasha) is passionate about creating a world where we listen, love, and laugh together. With her Master’s degree in Education, Miss Natasha is a certified elementary school teacher and a proud mother. She grew up in Canada where she attended the University of Manitoba, graduating with a minor in psychology. In addition to years of teaching and summer camp counseling experience, Miss Natasha is a born performer, having spent many of her adult years as a singer, children’s performer, dancer, and face painter. Among Miss Natasha’s favorite childhood memories are the times she was able to spend as a camper; she gained independence and enjoyed learning new skills. That’s why she is a big fan of camp. It allows your child to practice all the wonderful skills you’ve taught them, as well as learn new ones.
Miss Natasha’s Camp Favorites
- Favorite Camp Activity: Snack time!
- Best Camp Memory: Polar bear dip in a frozen lake… in April… in Canada… brrr!
- Favorite Camp Meal: Dessert… any dessert… yum!
- Hobbies as a kid: Biking and dancing.
- Favorite Core Value: Community… I love seeing kindness and respect for others.
- Goofiest Thing I’ve Done at Camp: Acted as a bridge over a mud puddle for my cabin campers.
Miles (Mico) Gordon (Favorite Child)
Mico has spent most of his life in camp settings and loves it! In addition to Camp Kupugani, Mico has had significant experiences at several strong programs that emphasize cultural competence including the Mosaic Project, Camp Winnarainbow, and Camp Butterfly, in addition to attending several regional summer camps.
Favorite Organizations
Mosaic Project: An outdoor school bringing students from different backgrounds together. The Mosaic project addresses issues of difference and community, and works towards a peaceful future by reaching children in their formative years. It unites young children of diverse backgrounds, provides them with essential skills to thrive in an increasingly diverse society, and empowers them to strive for peace.
Girls on the Run® (Northwest Illinois): A life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls in 3rd through 8th grade. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.
Mico’s Camp Favorites
- Favorite Camp Activity: Hanging out with campers…and Ga-Ga!
- Best Camp Memory: Dam jumping when I was only three years old!
- Favorite Camp Meal: Chicken Kiev!
- Hobbies as a Kid: Hockey, dancing, soccer, reading, and doing math
- Favorite Core Value: Environment… I’m all about respecting camp and nature!
- Goofiest Thing I’ve Done at Camp: Played “tips” during Siesta instead of napping