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 project management, data and systems management, fundraising, grant writing, and volunteer organizing. Melissa is dedicated recruiting most of our corporate supporters, foundations and working in the camp kitchen each year. Melissa is a parent of two children living with food allergies and has several food allergies herself. She 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 or the organization.
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.
Kori Cantrell,
Board Member
Kori Cantrell is a dedicated parent of two children, one with food allergies who attends Camp Blue Spruce. She is honored to be part of such a magical organization. With 11 years of experience as a food allergy mom and 24 years as a Special Educator, Kori is passionate about inclusion, independence, and empowering others. Kori and her family love the outdoors and enjoy activities like snow skiing, camping, traveling, mountain biking, and spending quality time by the lake. Kori’s commitment to her family and her advocacy for inclusion make her a truly inspiring individual.
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.
Tracy Wallace,
Development Director
Tracy brings 30-plus years of nonprofit and fundraising experience to Camp Blue Spruce as Development Director. Raising over $35 million throughout her career, she is skilled in Proposal Writing, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Event Management, Securing Sponsors, and Budgeting and Financial Statements. She relates to campers and their families because of her own food allergies and a family member who lived with them. When she’s not fundraising, Tracy enjoys traveling, listening to music and podcasts, working in her garden and spending time with her husband Bill, dog Brownie and cat Bubbie.
tracy@ campbluespruce.org
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!
sarah@ campbluespruce.org
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!
louise@ campbluespruce.org