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Senior Staff Profiles
 DIRECTOR
IRENE DRANTCH
The Kinder Ring community is thrilled to be led by Irene Drantch! Her love of camping began in the 60’s as a camper, Unit Leader, Head Counselor and Assistant Director. She came to Circle Lodge/Kinder Ring in 1999 as our office manager and later our Circle Lodge Director. Irene took a two year hiatus to work in the JCC world and realized she missed her love for Jewish camping and Kinder Ring. Her son Todd was a camper and the Assistant Waterfront Director and Harris started in lower camp and was a camper through the teen division. Her husband, Bruce can be seen on the tennis courts coaching campers. She has a degree in education and over 25 years in the camping industry. She was excited to be back as our Director in 2008 and continues to share her enthusiasm for camp with all.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
CRAIG RUBINSTEIN
Craig just finished his first full year at Camp Kinder Ring. During the off season he will be getting everyone ready for camp and during the summer he’ll be on the fields with our campers! Ruby, as we call him at camp, started camp at the age of 9 and has never lost that love for camp. He spent 12 years at Camp Winadu as a camper, counselor, specialty head, and group leader. After a decade in the Digital Advertising business, he was ready to come back to return to his roots. Ruby’s family comes from a background in camping. His wife Danielle and his 2 sons, Isaac and Griffin, will be seen at camp over the summer. Ruby is excited for his second summer at camp.
GIRLS HEAD COUNSELOR
ILENE JOACHIM
The summer of 2011 will be Ilene’s 20th. Ilene began as a Kinder Ring camper, became a counselor and group leader and then took a short hiatus to marry and start a family. Ilene returned to Kinder Ring with her children Bryan and Marisa in 2002. Ilene was the Assistant Head Counselor for 2 years and has been Girls Head Counselor for 7years. Her husband Joel, when in camp, can be seen gardening with campers creating beautiful areas throughout Camp. Ilene has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education, a minor in Teacher Education and a Masters of Business Administration. Ilene enjoys working to make the summers on Girls Side memorable and filled with everlasting friendship, love and spirit!
BOYS HEAD COUNSELOR
MICHAEL TRONTZ
This year marks the 5th summer at Camp Kinder Ring for Michael. This will be his first as the Boys Head Counselor. He has spent the last three summers working as the Upper Camp Boys Unit Head. His first summer at camp in 2008 he was the Assistant Boys Head Counselor. He spent 5 summers as Athletic Director at North Shore Day Camp in Glen Cove, N.Y. Michael’s wife is a Kinder Ring Alumni, having spent 10 years at camp. He has two daughters’ that also attend Kinder Ring, Alexa entering her 7th year and Madison entering her 5th year. When not spending his time at Kinder Ring, Michael teaches Mathematics at Bayside H.S. in Queens. He is very excited to be a part of the tradition that is Kinder Ring and looks forward to many years as part of the family.
GIRLS UPPER CAMP UNIT LEADER
CAROL BLASS
This will be Carol's 13th summer at Kinder Ring. She started as a camper and soon became waitress, counselor and group leader. Carol couldn’t wait to return to camp with her children Sydney, Griffin and Alex. She loves to spend her time sharing her expertise with girls side, especially the Upper Camp girls. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics with a minor in Business Communications.
GIRLS LOWER CAMP UNIT LEADER
BONNIE SEIDEL
Bonnie began her love for Camp Kinder Ring in the summer of 1985. She started as a waitress in our work group division, was a counselor, and worked her way up to becoming a divisional group leader. During her 15 years at home with her family, she couldn't wait for the opportunity to return with her children to her home away from home. She returned in 2007 and loves every minute of being back! During the school year, Bonnie is a second grade teacher in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District in New Jersey.
BOYS UNIT LEADER
BRIAN PURZAK
Brian Purzak began his love for Camp Kinder Ring as a camper in 1970, became a lifeguard before leaving camp for a career in education after the summer of 1982. In addition to his years at Kinder Ring, Brian spent one summer as the Swim Director at Meadowbrook Country Day Camp in New Jersey and spent 9 summers as the Director of Camp Teenaways, a teen travel camp affiliated with the Brooklyn Regional Day Camps. Brian Has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, a Masters Degree in Special Education, a Master s Degree in Educational Administration and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy with a dissertation on bullying behavior. Brian has been an educator for the past 28 years, and has been a teacher of special education, a High School Vice Principal, and a High School Principal and has coached various high school and youth sports. Brian is currently the Bullying Prevention Coordinator for a school district in Northwest New Jersey. Brian returned to Kinder Ring in 2009 after a 27 year hiatus during which time he longed for the opportunity to return to Kinder Ring. We are very excited that Brian will be joining us again this summer as a Unit Head on boy’s side. Brian's three children, Max, Jake and Sela have been in camp since they were 10, 9 and 8 years old respectively.
BOYS UNIT LEADER
JEFF ROTHMAN
Jeff is returning to Kinder Ring for his fifth summer. Jeff has been a physical education teacher/coach for the past 20 years on Long Island. Jeff has been a lifeguard, assistant manager of a pool club and swim director for a summer camp for children with special needs. His wife, Wendy, is a school psychologist and spends part of her summer in camp with their youngest son Jarrett. Their two older sons, Steve and Jack are campers. Jeff is looking forward to another Kinder Ring summer.
HEALTH CENTER DIRECTOR
MARCIA TANZMAN
Marcia has been a camp nurse for over 20 years. She has been at Kinder Ring for 13 of them. She has worked in the Critical Care Unit and the Emergency Room in hospitals but her love for camp nursing took her out of the hospitals and led her to become a school nurse, giving her the summers free so that she could work at camp. Marcia is a High School nurse where she is on the Safety Committee and is the AED coordinator for the district, teaching CPR / AED to coaches and staff. Marcia has also trained camp personal in CPR / AED, first aid and responding to anaphylaxis. |
