Leadership

Kristin Ebner Martin

Kristin Ebner Martin is the President/CEO of Ebner Camps, Inc.. She follows in the footsteps of her father (Buzz Ebner), her aunt (Barbara Ebner) and grandfather (the late Oscar Ebner Sr.), who all served as Directors of Awosting and Chinqueka, as well as President/Vice President of Ebner Camps, for several decades. Kris spent her first summer at Awosting at the age of 5 months! As a child, she attended our sister camp, Chinqueka, and later joined the staff as a CIT, counselor and Program Director. Kris has been the Waterfront Director or Director at Chinqueka or Awosting for over 30 years. As President, Kris’ primary goal is to ensure the children at all of our camps have a safe, caring and fun environment where they can grow and develop into responsible young men and women.

Kris has a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Charter Oak State College and a Master of Arts degree in Education from Ashford University. In between her time as Director of Chinqueka and Awosting, Kris served as Executive Director of a YMCA camp in Florida. Kris is one of the founding owners of Eagle Rock,. She is an active member of the American Camp Association and Connecticut Camping Association.

Kris is a mother to 3 boys. She and her youngest son, Hugh live in Connecticut, near camp. When not coordinating the operations at the 4 Ebner Camps, Kris is a 40 year member of her barbershop chorus, enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with her dog Scoot and her friends & family. She also has a new love, a beautiful granddaughter, Thalia, who will undoubtedly spend her summers at Chinqueka in the near future.

Darien Lynch

Darien has spent 5 summers at sunny Camp Chinqueka. Before joining the Leadership Team, she was a Camper, a Counselor, and the Office Manager! As a parent herself to two children, Dairen knows how important summer camp is. Her 6 year old son will be spending his third summer at Eagle Rock Day Camp and her 2 year old daughter will be returning to Chinqueka for her 3rd summer!

Darien has seen firsthand what an incredible impact camp can have on children. She believes that her son’s time at Eagle Rock played a big part in the easy transition he had to a new school, largely due to the new friends he made and the confidence he gained at camp. Her daughter blossomed into a social butterfly and loves interacting with campers and staff alike. Darien is committed to encouraging our campers to have the same experiences as her children so they can grow in similar ways.

When she’s not at camp, Darien teaches high school Spanish. She has been teaching as a certified Spanish teacher since graduating from college in 2018 and has further continued her education, earning two Master’s degrees in Education as well. Prior to teaching, Darien worked with children in a variety of settings as a nanny, tutor, and camp counselor.

Dafne Ocampo

All the way from Veracruz, Mexico, Dafne fell in love with Chinqueka when she first joined us in 2022 – the environment, its traditions and of course, the amazing people made it her happy place. With a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and ongoing pursuit of a master’s in education, she is a dedicated and passionate member of the Camp Chinqueka community. She firmly believes in empowering girls, fostering lasting friendships, and creating cherished memories in the nurturing environment of camp. Dafne is already a familiar face to every girl at camp, dedicated to ensuring that every camper’s experience is filled with fun and support. She loves traveling, reading and spending time with her dog Nymeria.

We are excited to host Dafne on an 18-month trainee program so she can learn all the nuances of running summer camps, bringing her unique skills (speaks 4 languages to start) and her knowledge from her degree programs to all of Ebner Camps.