Board of Directors

It is my tremendous honor to serve on CYC’s board and to further our mission of creating unplugged, faith-filled, nature-based experiences for kids. I am a career educator with a particular passion for educating adolescents, school and curriculum design that aligns with children’s needs at each stage of development, and school leadership.

In my current role at The Holdsworth Center, I serve as an executive coach and facilitator for public school principals. I love this work and all of the opportunities I’ve had in the education field, but my favorite job to date is still my years as a teacher in an eighth-grade special education classroom in North Philadelphia.

I like to say I married into the CYC community. I became involved when I met my husband, who has been coming to CYC since he was a teenager, and I have since fallen in love with this beautiful, rustic, sacred place on Big Sandy. I am inspired by CYC’s rich history and enduring faith through the challenges of the last several years, and I truly believe that more than ever, CYC is called to just such a time as this.

In the church and in our world, authentic spiritual development experiences for kids have never been more important, and I am honored to be a part of an institution that for most of the last century has created life-changing experiences for kids as they grow in faith.

Julie holds a degree in Construction Management from Minnesota State University, as well as an emphasis in accounting from the University of St. Thomas. She has served the River Falls Gymnastics Club for 18 years as a board member, past president, and current treasurer.

During her tenure, she helped lead the planning and development of the club’s $1.2 million gymnastics facility, completed in 2019, while helping grow the program from approximately 280 athletes per week to more than 600. Through the combined leadership of a strong board and director, the club was able to pay off all facility-related debt within six years.

Her community involvement has also included service on the River Falls Community Education Board and membership in River Falls Power of 100. Julie also helped establish the Special Olympics River Falls Gymnastics Team, creating additional opportunities for children with disabilities. In 2023, she and her husband received the prestigious River Falls Lions Club Roger Horness Service to Youth and Community Award.

Julie’s connection to CYC is deeply personal. She grew up across the lake from camp, listening to generations of campers laugh and sing, and later had the joy of seeing her own daughter experience CYC. Walking the paths of camp reminds her of Jeremiah 6:16: “Ask where the good way is, and walk in it.” For Julie, serving at CYC is an opportunity to help preserve and strengthen a place where children can discover that good way, grow in their faith, and carry it with them long after they leave camp.

Joe Vandermark has served on the Catholic Youth Camp Board of Directors since 2015. Professionally, Joe is a Managing Director at Microsoft, where he leads teams focused on cloud technology, business transformation, and helping organizations solve complex challenges.

Joe joined the CYC Board because he believes strongly in the importance of giving young people opportunities to deepen their Catholic faith, build lasting friendships, and encounter Christ in a meaningful way. That mission is also personal for his family, with four of his children attending Catholic Youth Camp over the years.

Joe is grateful for the opportunity to bring his leadership and business experience to an organization that has made a lasting impact on his own family and on generations of young Catholics.