Abby Lovshin-Smith

Director

Abby Lovshin-Smith (she/her) began her Brown Ledge career as a camper in 1993, graduated from the JC program in 2000, and spent five summers as a Sailing counselor through the summer of 2006. She was born and raised in Vermont but spent 18 years down South.  She attended Auburn University in Alabama and graduated with a BS in Interior Design. Her design skills lead her to a 12-year career in retail management with Anthropologie in Atlanta, GA, and Nashville, TN.

She returns home to Vermont and to Brown Ledge as the next Director, following Bill and Kathy Neilsen’s honorable and cherished 36-year run.

Abby describes Brown Ledge as her place of self-discovery; it taught her to be empathetic and to feel pride in herself and others.  She looks forward to re-connecting with the BLC community and leading Brown Ledge into the future.

Marjorie Isaacs

Assistant Director

Mitchell Watson

Facilities Coordinator

Mitchell Watson started with Brown Ledge in 2019, and worked his way into his current role as Facilities Coordinator. Under the tutelage of former director Bill Neilsen, Mitchell has learned the in’s and out’s of the Brown Ledge facility. This includes camp’s intricate water and sewer system, caring for over 70 buildings, and maintaining grounds. He also is responsible for vendor relations and ensuring the bills get paid on time.

When he is not chasing around his two daughters (Dottie and Mabel), Mitchell enjoys watching football, playing pickleball, and hiking when he has the time. Mitchell appreciates the sense of community that comes with working at BLC.

Kylie Mullins

Enrollment Coordinator

Fresh off her role as Brown Ledge Connections Coordinator, Kylie Mullins (she/her) is excited to continue on with the BLC team this year as Enrollment Coordinator. Kylie was a Brown Ledge camper and Theatre JC from 2005-2010 and was a member of Theatre Senior Staff from 2012-2019. She received her BA in Theatre & Musical Theatre from Northwestern University in 2015 and then went on to receive her MA in Music & Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2019. During the year, Kylie teaches at an all-girls school in Connecticut.

This past year, Kylie served as BLC’s New Family Coordinator, a role that focused on connecting with new families throughout the off-season to help new campers prepare for their first summer. She then pivoted to the role of Brown Ledge Connections Coordinator and worked to develop and manage BLC’s virtual summer programming. Kylie can’t wait to continue working with Brown Ledge families, both new and returning, as we look ahead to summer 2021 at Brown Ledge Camp.

Kate Pastore

Program Coordinator

Kate Pastore (she/her) first came to Brown Ledge in 2007 as a camper and graduated from the JC Program in 2013. She spent five summers on senior staff working in Waterskiing and Wakeboarding and began working for camp in the off-season in 2020 as BLC’s New Staff Coordinator.

Kate studied Psychology and Studio Art at the University of Vermont, and feels fortunate to have stayed connected to camp throughout her college and post-college years. She credits Brown Ledge for teaching her the value of community and for providing her with so many meaningful relationships and learning opportunities. Outside of camp, Kate has worked as an art teacher and a barista and notes that she was drawn to these work environments for the community, creativity, and connection that they offer. She believes that these values are deeply integral to the Brown Ledge experience and is excited to dive more deeply into them in her role as Program Coordinator. In this new position, she works closely with Abby and Marjorie on staffing and summer programming needs and with Franny on social media and alumni outreach.

Shannon Elford

Operations Coordinator

Shannon Elford (she/her) is thrilled to be joining the Brown Ledge team this year as the Operations Coordinator. She’ll be dealing with all things finance and camp operations. Shannon graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with a BA in Art Studies- woodworking and sculpture. She has spent the last several years as the Head Coach and Program Director of an all-girls rowing team in Arizona. Shannon and her wife, Sam Newbery (senior staff 2015-2019), moved to Vermont right before summer 2021.

Shannon was first on staff at Brown Ledge as the Head of Swimming in 2018.

Emmie Nilsson

JC Director

Emmie Nilsson is a lifelong Brown Ledger; she started camp at the age of two, arriving at camp with her parents, waterfront counselors Hans and Eva Nilsson. Once she was old enough to move into a camper cabin, Emmie became a camper, junior counselor, and then a senior counselor. Emmie spent most of her time at camp on the waterfront, earning her Sailing Vanguard and becoming the head of the sailing department for multiple summers. Emmie graduated from the European School of Economics with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, specializing in international marketing and event management. After graduation, Emmie worked at Georg Jensen in Copenhagen in a variety of roles utilizing her online marketing and project management skills. Currently, Emmie is living in Hemsedal, Norway, working as Sales and Marketing Director for a boutique mountain hotel. Emmie leads the junior counselors (JCs) with steady and consistent support, unbridled enthusiasm for all things Brown Ledge, and a great sense of fun.