Meaghan Baumgartner

Meaghan (she/her), joined Camp Nor’wester as the Executive Director in October 2023. Before Camp Nor’wester, Meaghan spent 15 summers on staff at Camp Fire’s Camp Sealth, on Vashon Island, where she held roles as a riding instructor, Outdoor Education & Retreats Director, and Summer Camp Director, as well as time working as a Ranch Manager at another local camp, and nearly two years as a 911 operator. She earned her B.S. in Recreation Management from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!) and her Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Administration. As Executive Director now, she enjoys balancing both the big picture planning for the organization, with the on-ground time spent building relationships with the year-round team, seasonal staff, campers, and community as a whole.

Meaghan’s early experiences outdoors with her Camp Fire group, as a day camp volunteer and with her family instilled a deep love for the sense of community, the safe spaces for personal growth and skill development, and a commitment to environmental stewardship—values mirrored here at Camp Nor’wester. It is the transformative power of camp experiences, both for campers and young staff, that keep her going during the long, magical summer days. She believes it sure is a bonus to be at another camp where whales are frequent visitors!

When not working, Meaghan loves spending time with her husband, Steve, who she met working at Camp Sealth, and reading on the couch next to her chocolate lab, Oakler. She also enjoys making time for riding horses, running, crafting and travelling.

You can always email Meaghan at meaghan@norwester.org to ask when she last saw a whale!