our team
We are a dedicated team of high performance coaches, nurturing & exemplary counselors, and experienced camp professionals, passionate about the ‘whole athlete’. Outside of sports specific training sessions, AC is distinguished in delivering programming focused on its pillars of Performance, Wellness, and Athlete Mindset.
Our Directors
Meet our Founders
We’re the founders of Academy Camps, three life-long campers, counselors & full-time camp directors. While the three of us are not front and center at Academy Camps, we work closely behind the scenes with Michael and the team, sharing our knowledge, passion and industry know-how.
Jon Deren
Jon Deren has been the owner and director of Camp Manitou for Boys since 1998, never having left since he arrived as a camper in 1987. Jon was a collegiate skier at Tufts and received his MBA from Columbia University. Jon served on the Board of Directors for the American Camping Association – NY/NJ Section and is active on several ACA committees. During the year, Jon lives in Westport, CT with his wife Sara, and their 3 children.
Josh Hahn
Josh Hahn is the co-owner and Director of Camp Somerset for Girls in Smithfield, Maine, which he rebuilt and reopened in 2018 after being closed for more than 30 years. He was also the founding program director of Experience Camps, a non-profit organization that provides free, one-week camps to children who have lost a parent or sibling.
Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, Josh spent 16 summers at camp in Maine. He graduated from Emory University and spent 15 years in the restaurant business in Washington, D.C. before moving to full-time camping. When not in Maine, Josh lives in Miami Beach with his husband, Adam.
Jem Sollinger
Jem Sollinger is the Managing Partner and Director of Camp Laurel. His history and career at Laurel spans over 35 years as he rose the ranks from camper, to counselor, to director and owner. Comprised of 520 campers and 300 staff, Jem’s leadership, boundless energy and attention to detail has established Laurel as a leader in the camping industry. An All New England soccer player in high school, Jem is a graduate of Union College where he was a four-year varsity soccer player and captain of the Alpine ski team.
Jem is the President of The Top of the Hill Team, an organization comprised of parents and alumni that provides the Staples Boys Soccer program (his alma mater) with supplemental resources needed to remain one of the leading programs in the state. Jem is also a former member of the Board of Maine Summer Camps, Maine Youth Camping Association and Temple B’nai Chaim in Georgetown, Connecticut. Jem lives in Weston, CT with his wife Debbie and their 3 daughters.
