Camp Blue Spruce is overseen by a highly competent Board of Directors that includes health care professionals, financial and fundraising experts, communications specialists, and parents of children with food allergies. Our programs are managed by camp professionals, certified chefs, and nutritionists. Here’s a little more about us!
Board of Directors
Melissa Rapela,
Acting Executive Director, Board President
Melissa has vast experience with systems management, fundraising, and volunteer organizing. Melissa is a dedicated volunteer recruiting most of our corporate supporters and working in the camp kitchen each year. Melissa is a parent of two campers. Melissa loves to ride bikes, garden, play games, and laugh a lot with her friends and family.
Contact Melissa with questions about sponsorships, partnerships and donations or anything regarding the Board of Directors.
Melissa@ campbluespruce.org
Christine Binnicker, Treasurer
Chris is excited to give back to an organization that is so important to her family and to children and families everywhere. She wants to be part of something that makes living with food allergies better. Chris brings us skills in leadership; building teams, motivating and coaching, and breaking down obstacles to make us successful. Chris brings her analytical skills to the Treasurer position.
Dr. Jessica MacDougall, Board Member
Jessica is the director of the Burghardt Food Allergy Center at Oregon Health & Science University, her passion is community and family education about food allergies, as well as providing support and a safe place for families of children with food allergies. As an allergy physician with background in food allergy education, prevention, diagnosis, and management, she has developed transitions of care curriculum for adolescents and young adults with food allergies and worked 1-on-1 with teens as part of her research study. Along with being a co-investigator on several research trials for food allergy therapeutics, Jessica is currently starting a food immunotherapy program at OHSU. She enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, Izze, as well as visiting the giraffes at the Zoo as much as possible. Her favorite rainy-day activity includes grabbing a coffee and spending hours in Powell’s book store finding the perfect book.
Carolyn Westerback, Secretary
Carolyn brings years of experience as a Development Director and fundraising volunteer for Oregon non-profits. She has experience with community relations, legal, financial management, ambassador programs, and donor relations. Previous to serving nonprofits, Carolyn worked in IT and sales management. Carolyn is a parent of a camper. She especially enjoys exploring the Oregon coast with her family, collecting beach treasures, and fishing.
Lead Staff and Volunteers
Many counselors and mentors work hard throughout the year to make sure our programs are successful! Most are volunteers and/or work on a part-time basis. We are fortunate to have this amazing group of people making life better for kids and families with food allergies! Meet the leadership team that pulls it all together.
Scott Mobley,
Development Director
Scott brings a wealth of expertise in non-profit management, fundraising, and community building, vital to the expansion of Camp Blue Spruce’s mission. As Development Director, Scott plays a key role in connecting with donors who care deeply about children’s health and food allergies. His dedication to creating a safe and worry-free environment for kids at Camp Blue Spruce stems from his daughter’s experience with Celiac disease. When he’s not working you can find him cooking with his wife, gardening, walking his dogs, or trying to get his kids to watch college sports with him.
Sarah Hinton,
Camp Director
Sarah (or Badger at camp) is the new Camp Director at Camp Blue Spruce and is so excited to be part of this amazing program. Sarah is a life-long summer camp and youth development professional, with summer camp experience ranging from camper to counselor to assistant camp director, and so many roles in between. Sarah loves listening to music (Tell her your favorite song! She is always looking for something new!), spending as much time outside and road tripping as possible (especially with her two kids and husband), volunteering at her favorite dog rescue, serving on the Beaverton Educational Equity Advisory Committee and watching Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Some of Sarah’s favorite summer camp pastimes are singing, creek hikes and stargazing. Sarah is so ready to get to know everyone in the CBS community!
Our Founder
Louise Tippens,
Founding Director
Louise loved going to summer camp as a child and wanted her (now-grown) son to have the same formative camp experiences as she did. But because of his life-threatening allergies to 6 of the top 8 allergens, she couldn’t find a summer camp that could safely accommodate him. So Louise, who is known by camper families as “Rudy Rutabega Riversong”, started Camp Blue Spruce. Founding CBS was the culmination of Louise’s career in non-profit management, program development, community involvement, and project planning. Louise loves singing (especially camp songs), laughing, and you guessed it…..camping!