Meet Our Year-Round Staff
Danny Herz – Executive Director
danny@campbarney.org | 678.812.3844
Danny has been a leader in overnight camping for more than 13 years, and most recently served as Executive Director of URJ’s 6 Points Sports Academy, 6 Points Creative Arts Academy, and 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy. He has a 15+ year career in education, serving on the senior administrative team at Jewish schools in Southern California and South Florida. He’s held the roles of teacher, coach, dean of students, and athletic director. Danny has been involved with Jewish sports for more than 20 years, starting with coaching at the JCC Maccabi Games®, and was the first coach in Broward County, Florida, to coach a McDonald’s All-American. He is an avid public speaker at camp conferences and other youth-related events. Born in South Africa, Danny has lived in the U.S. since the late 1980s. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from Ohio University. He is a certified camp director by the American Camp Association (ACA) and a certified athletic administrator (CAA) by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
Taylor Bashuk – Assistant Director, Family Experiences & Administration
taylor@campbarney.org | 678.812.4034
Taylor, originally from Macon, GA, has been deeply connected to Camp Barney Medintz since 2013, beginning as a teen camper and progressing through roles as a camper, counselor, unit head, and supervisor to staff in training. She graduated from Mercer University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, focusing on marketing and management. After relocating to Atlanta in August 2020, Taylor joined the MJCCA Day Camps team as a counselor at Club J, the after-school program. She advanced to Assistant Director of Club J and later took on the role of Assistant Director of Camp Isidore Alterman (CIA) and Day Camp Programs. She is also a proud member of the inaugural M2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, Atlanta cohort.
Reach out to Taylor for general camp questions, camper applications and registration, staff applications, your online Camp Barney Medintz account, forms for campers and staff, camp tours, communication at camp, or to talk about a job at camp in our office.
Sidra Kennedy – Assistant Director, Camper Experience
sidra@campbarney.org | 678.812.3763
Sidra brings extensive experience in Jewish camping, having worked at Camp Barney Medintz, 6 Points Sports Academy, and Kutz Leadership Camp. Over the years, she has held roles as counselor, unit head, director of first-year camper care, and now Assistant Director. Sidra joined Camp Barney Medintz as the inaugural Director of First-Year Camper Care, collaborating closely with the Community Care team, campers, and their families. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Service Studies and Public Policy with a focus in education from Elon University and has experience coaching, mentoring, teaching, and fostering inclusion for people of all abilities. Passionate about experiential learning, outdoor activities, and cross-cultural connections, Sidra is dedicated to creating meaningful camp experiences for every camper.
Reach out to Sidra with questions about your camper’s experience at camp, cabin grouping, to share information about your camper that helps us provide them with the best experience possible, or to talk about a job at camp as a counselor or unit head.
Shachar Levy – Assistant Director, Specialty Areas
Originally from Israel, Shachar brings extensive experience in Jewish education, youth development, and summer camp leadership. As a senior trainer with the Jewish Agency for Israel, he has trained more than 500 Israeli staff members. Shachar began his camp journey at 6 Points Sports Academy as a counselor before going on to oversee Israeli staff and programs. He joined the Camp Barney Medintz family in 2023 as Head Activity Specialist and returned in 2024 as Program Director. Before joining CBM full-time, Shachar worked as a software engineer at Microsoft and Western Digital, and played professional basketball for Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa.
Passionate about fostering Jewish identity, Shachar strives to create camp experiences that connect campers to Judaism, Israel, and the values of community, kindness, and spirit. Outside of camp, he enjoys snowboarding, scuba diving, hiking, traveling, and all things sports—bringing the same energy and curiosity to everything he does.
Reach out to Shachar if you are interested in being hired as an activity specialist, director of a specialty area, or to discuss new specialty programs at camp.
Sam Waldman – Director of Strategic Operations
sam@campbarney.org | 678.812.4030
Sam’s camping career began 20 years ago at URJ Eisner Camp, where he progressed from camper to counselor, to logistics lead, and eventually year-round retreat host. After earning degrees from the University of Hartford, the University of Southern California (Fight On!), and Hebrew Union College, Sam has had the privilege of working with dozens of camps across the country. Passionate about creating “camp magic” from behind the scenes, Sam has focused his career on vendor management, operational efficiency, and maintaining high-quality facilities. Most recently, he served as Associate Director and Director of Operations at Camp Poyntelle, a Jewish nonprofit camp in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Sam is now excited to bring his passion for the Jewish community and his ability to empower others to lead to Camp Barney Medintz.
Reach out to Sam to speak about security, vendor relations, facilities, transportation, or places to visit for a new resident of Georgia!
Emily Shapiro – Director of Community Care
Emily first attended Camp Barney in 2008, and she has since grown into a dedicated leader on our team. She spent many summers working with the Chalutzim unit and with staff members who graduated into our vocational program. Emily holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Clinical Social Work with an emphasis in Disability Studies, from the University of Georgia. Emily joined the Camp Barney team in 2018 as Inclusion Director and played a key role in creating and implementing our Community Care program. In her current role, she works closely with parents and guardians to ensure campers receive the mental and emotional support they need while at camp. She also develops training and support plans for staff and supervises the professional team members within Community Care. Outside of camp, Emily maintains a private practice in Dunwoody, providing therapy for children through young adults with a range of neurodivergent experiences, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and autism, and supporting parents in understanding and responding to their child’s needs.
Reach out to Emily with questions about our Chalutzim program for campers with special needs, our inclusion program, or opportunities to join the Community Care team.
Debbie Medintz Jacobs – Community Engagement Director
Debbie has worked in the CBM summer office since 2008 but spent much of her camp career as a camper and staff member from 1985-1997. Her roles at CBM included JIT Rover, counselor, unit head, and ultimately program director. Debbie is a graduate of the Erwin Zaban Leadership Development Committee and has served on the CBM Camp Committee for several years. Debbie holds a B.S. from University of Alabama. A proud 3rd generation Atlantan, Debbie is the granddaughter of camp namesake Barney Medintz. She is married to Ryan, and they have two sons, Harris, who attends U of Wisconsin and Justin, who attends UGA. Both boys grew up going to CBM!
Reach out to Debbie about virtual info sessions, CBM merchandise, donations to CBM, photos, social media, marketing, alumni relations, hosting international staff during their time off, or to share feedback about camp.
Kate Stansfield– Food Service Director
Kate is the heart behind every delicious (and safe!) meal at camp. With over a decade of experience in the culinary world—from small mom-and-pop restaurants to managing food operations at the historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC—Kate brings creativity, knowledge, and care to every meal. A Johnson & Wales University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Nutrition and Culinary Arts, she has been leading Camp Barney’s kitchen since 2023 and loves bringing her camp food service skills to CBM each summer. Kate is the go-to expert for special diets and food allergies, ensuring every camper feels included at mealtime. She oversees all aspects of camp dining, from daily meals in the dining hall to Pack-Outs. When she’s not in the kitchen, Kate enjoys traveling with her family and dog, gardening, reading, and exploring new restaurants.
Reach out to Kate to talk about dining, allergies, special diets, or even special events. Kate is happy to help and always excited to share her culinary expertise and make your camper’s experience deliciously perfect!
Courtney McCallister – Marcus Health Center Administrative Director
Courtney brings to the CBM team over a decade of combined experience in administration and healthcare, along with a lifetime of love for outdoor activities. She graduated from the University of Florida with her B.S. in 2012. Since her childhood, she has enjoyed camping and other outdoor activities and has shared her passion with the next generation both through recreational activities with her husband and children, and in roles she has held within her community, such as Girl Scout leader. While her daughter, Cara, has been a CBM camper since age 11, Courtney first set foot on campus as a health center assistant in June 2023 and immediately fell in love with the camaraderie between campers and staff, and all CBM has to offer. Now a member of the year-round staff at Camp Barney, Courtney is responsible for recruitment and acquisition of camp nurses and health center assistants, prescription medication intake prior to camper arrival, communication with parents and staff regarding any health-related concerns with campers, and collaboration with other members of the medical team and camp administration to ensure the health and safety of everyone at camp.
Reach out to Courtney about the Marcus Health Center, medications at camp, or employment opportunities in the Marcus Health Center.
Rachel Salba – Business Director
rachel@cambarney.org | 678.812.3825
Rachel has been an integral part of the MJCCA since 2011. She joined the Camp Barney team as Administrative Director in 2019 and oversees registration and several other administrative functions. Rachel also supervises the MJCCA information services team and is Senior Director of Information Systems and Business Operations. Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Rachel moved to Atlanta in 2006. She and her husband, Ben, have two young children, Eli and Gabe, who are both Camp Barney campers.
Miriam Quigley – Business Operations Associate
miriam.quigley@atlantajcc.org | 678.812.4070
Miriam has been part of the MJCCA family since 2018, working on both the Membership and Registration teams and supporting families across a wide range of programs. She joined the Camp Barney Medintz team in November 2025 and is thrilled to bring her experience and enthusiasm to CBM.
A proud Georgia native, Miriam graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Sociology. Her background in customer service and community engagement makes her a natural fit for Camp Barney’s business operations and registration processes. Miriam is excited to assist camp families throughout the year and to contribute to the magic that makes CBM so special.
Don Blate – Operations Director
don@campbarney.org | 678.331.9257
Don joined the Camp Barney community in February 2025. While he did not grow up at CBM, Don spent 10 years at Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS, six as a camper and four on staff, and has always been a camp kid at heart. Over the two prior summers, Don worked at Camp JORI in Wakefield, RI, as the Program and Assistant Director, where he enjoyed being with his children, who are third generation campers and now staff members. Don enjoyed a robust retail career, developing people, building businesses, leading teams, and instituting positive business cultures with Brookstone, and The Walt Disney Company, just to name a few. He also ran a FedEx Ground and truck rental business. Don earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama, and this, combined with his extensive skill, make him exceptionally well-suited for the Operations Director role. Don is responsible for logistics, transportation, and facility management, among other areas. Don believes that being a supportive and service-minded leader is a key part of his role as Operations Director, especially when it comes to building strong relationships with families and the entire community.
Reach out to Don to talk about operations and logistics at Camp Barney including topics related to transportation, or camp facilities. Please also contact Don if you are interested in working at camp in a facility, logistics, or transportation support role.
Barbara Vahaba, Financial Assistance Coordinator
Barbara.Vahaba@atlantajcc.org
678.812.4142
Barbara has been involved with the MJCCA for more than 36 years and has been in her role as Financial Assistance Coordinator for more than 16 years. Her current role at the MJCCA includes supervising programs for older adults and individuals with special needs. Previously, she served on the customer service team. Barbara has been connected to Camp Barney Medintz since her two children, Hannah and Joseph, attended as campers and then worked as staff over 20 years ago. She was also a frequent guest chef in the camper kitchen.
Barbara holds a B.A. in History and Literature of Religion from Northwestern University and a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and Gerontology from Georgia State University. She spent three years at Gwinnett County Senior Services before starting her career at the MJCCA. She is the proud savta (grandmother) to four grandchildren.
Reach out to Barbara about financial assistance opportunities for campers.