Our Leadership & Staff

Ben Prosser – Executive Director, began his career at Blue Star in 2002 as a Ropes Course specialist. From his home country of Australia, he brings an extensive knowledge of and background in all types of Outdoor Adventure activities, Emergency Response/Management and Conservation/Environmental Management. Ben has worked in and directed various camp programs and operational areas in his time on staff including Director of Camp Craft, Director of Outdoor Adventure Programs and Director of the Wilderness First Responder program. Ben also manages all camp operations including risk management, programming, food service, transportation, staff training, camp emergency response ensuring safety by means of prevention, as well as providing a high quality curriculum in accordance with health and safety standards. Ben has traveled to every continent except the arctic and has saved all boarding passes from each flight he has taken! Ben met his wife, Louise Hardman, at camp in the summer of 2006. Louise is the Director of the Equestrian program at Blue Star, and their children, Harry and Isla, join them at camp during the summers.

Jillian Radetsky – Director, started camp as a Junior and spent eight summers as a camper at Blue Star. She returned as a staff member and quickly became part of our summer leadership team, first as a Senior Girl Unit Leader and then as a Camp Leader, a position she held for six summers. Jillian has been a member of our year-round leadership team since 2012 and oversees staff recruitment, hiring, coordination and ongoing staff development. She oversees the Senior and Teen Village camps at Blue Star and is directly involved in working with campers, leadership staff and cabin counselors to provide the best camp experiences for the older camps. As Lauren and Seth’s second in command, Jillian assists and supports in all areas of camp life, including camper recruitment and parent communications. Jillian graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism. Jillian is a second generation camper. Her Dad attended Blue Star as a camper, and her grandmother worked at camp. Her grandmother actually worked with our camp’s founders, Herman and Harry Popkin, in Atlanta too. Our resident “purist,” Jillian loves Blue Star and the camp traditions (her favorite is Zimriah) that make it a magical experience and summer home for our campers and staff.

Jessica Rieckhoff – Director of Communications, joined the Blue Star family in 2021 and has never looked back. She has been a part of the Health Center administrative staff and will now continue supporting Blue Star’s magic as part of the year-round leadership team. After graduating from the University of Maryland in College Park with a degree in Education, she moved to South Florida to begin her career. Jessica was a classroom teacher for several years, but soon realized her passion to have a larger impact on children and families through educational opportunities and experiences. She was the Regional Director for a family of Nationally Accredited preschools and was responsible for all aspects of day-to-day operations, communication and programming. Jessica will continue to support communication with Blue Star families both, while campers are on the mountain, and before and after their summer adventures. Jessica lives in South Florida with her husband, Manolo and daughter, Jema. Both Jessica and Jema are ‘season’ campers and live 10-for-2!

Marsha Silverman – Camp Registrar, has been on our year-round leadership team for 25 years, making her the veteran member and a foundational part of our leadership team. Prior to her many years of experience as our camp registrar and resident “favorite Jewish auntie,” she held multiple finance related positions in various business sectors both in the United States and abroad. She assists and supports camp families through the important decision-making and enrollment process. She is there to answers questions and guide camp parents through sign-ups for additional camp activities as well as setting up funds for out of camp trips and various other aspects of pre-camp preparation. Her goal is to make it even easier to help campers do what they enjoy at Blue Star by sharing the necessary information that allows parents to arrange the details of their camper’s personalized camp experience. In the summer Marsha works out of the business office and is known to offer little treats to staff members that swing by to visit. It is actually widely known as one of the perks of being a Unit Leader at Blue Star! She also assists at camper recruitment and retention events throughout the off-season. Marsha holds down the fort at our camp offices in North Carolina during the fall, winter and spring and gets to witness all of the seasons at our beautiful camp. Marsha’s great nephews are Blue Star campers.

Andrea Friedman – Medical Director, has been a Registered Nurse for almost 40 years and has worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and University of Miami Hospital before joining the Blue Star year-round team as the Medical Director. Andrea started working as a Nurse in the Blue Star Health Center in 2002 while her three sons were campers and continued running the Health Center through their years as staff members as well. As the Medical Director, Andrea collaborates with parents and health care providers in the off-season to ensure that campers and staff enjoy a safe and healthy camp season. Throughout the summer, she works closely with our camp doctors and nurses to promote wellness and provide care to the entire Blue Star community. Andrea leads the Health Center with her sage advice and sound medical decisions; our team refers to her as Blue Star’s ‘Fairy Godmother’ as she cares for all campers and staff as if they were her own children. Andrea loves spending her summers at Blue Star, and she can’t wait for her granddaughter, Benny, to join her at camp as a camper in just a few years!

Rachel Hencher – Accounts Manager, has been on the Blue Star team since 2010 when she began leading our Teen Village program. Before joining the Blue Star year-round leadership team, Rachel worked as a high school math teacher at a boarding school in Raleigh, NC, and also taught math to teenagers in London for two years. She has a Mathematics degree from UNC Chapel Hill, a postgraduate Education degree from the University of London and is currently pursuing a Masters of Statistics from NC State. Rachel met her husband, Dan, at Blue Star in 2010 and together they have worked as our Teen Village Camp Leaders for six years. Rachel has most enjoyed making sure that the Villager’s capstone summer as campers is their most special camp experience yet. She loves sharing meaningful moments with the Teen Villagers and helping them to each have an individualized camp experience that is exciting, fun and memorable. Rachel’s favorite time of the week at camp is Shabbat and she loves the Friday night services in the Elmore Solomon Chapel. Rachel and Dan have three Blue Star babies: Harry, Bryony and Millie. They love the chapel at camp so much that they even held Bryony’s baby-naming there during a Shabbat service in the 2019 summer!

Jordan Rabin – Accounts Manager, is just beginning his Blue Star career, but he is not new to the Jewish summer camp experience! He grew up at a camp in the Midwest where he was a camper and a counselor. Jordan graduated with an engineering degree from Purdue University in 2014, and has since worked as a sales professional in a variety of industries — from building and construction materials, to life-saving fire safety gear, to emergency management software. After about a decade of working in the corporate world, Jordan is happy to have found a new home at Blue Star where he can put his experience and skills to use toward a mission that he believes in: creating unforgettable summers for the next generation of campers. Jordan started his journey at Blue Star as the Teen Village Camp Leader in 2023. He now also manages many of the Business Office operations as well as administrative tasks with our communications team. Outside of camp, Jordan enjoys his free time with his family and friends — traveling, throwing a frisbee, spending time outdoors, working out and immersing himself in a good story. Ask him about what he’s been reading and watching lately, especially if you are into the sci-fi or fantasy genres.

Ben Hooper – Operations/Transportation, is from Melbourne, Australia, and has been a part of the Blue Star team since 2011. He got his start working as a counselor in Juniors, but has been a part of many different areas around camp since. Ben has worked in Granny’s Camp Store, as the Tennis Director, as a Trip Leader helping to ensure the safety of all campers while off-site, as a part of our Programming Team to creatively plan and execute camp-wide events, and more! Ben began working full-time for Blue Star in 2021, and he now oversees all transportation to and from camp for campers and staff, helps to hire our summer staff and helps to run all general operations across camp. Ben is also responsible for Blue Star’s Training Institute providing training, certifications and implementing safety measures for all camp staff. Ben loves to travel (he has visited 29 different countries!), hike, snowboard and he is an avid sports fan. He has spent many winter seasons working and snowboarding all over the world, including multiple winters in Whistler, Canada, Niseko, Japan, and Aspen, Colorado. Ben is able to use his vast experience with traveling and customer support in his role at camp to provide support in all aspects of camp life to camp parents, campers and staff alike.

Louise Hardman – Equestrian Director, brings her extensive knowledge and equestrian background to our program at Blue Star. She spent five years as a Lead Instructor and Assistant Riding Director and has been our Equestrian Director since 2012. Building upon Blue Star’s fifty year tradition as an established riding program, Louise has continued to develop and strengthen the program based on equitation, good sportsmanship, responsibility and hard work. Louise brings to Blue Star over fifteen years of teaching and management experience in the equestrian field having managed equestrian programs and camps around the world! A native of England, she has a Bachelors in Science (with honors) in Psychology/Sociology and Anatomy/Physiology from Huddersfield University. Louise is very well-traveled and her favorite spot in the world is Bora Bora! Louise met her husband, Ben Prosser, at camp and they were married in 2017. Their children, Harry and Isla, join them at camp during the summers.

Matt “Fish” Eisenman –  Pioneer Boys Assistant Director, has spent almost his full life at Blue Star. After ten years as a camper, he has worked at camp for 20 summers, holding a variety of roles and responsibilities. He earned a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2021. He also holds a BA in English and Theater from Emory University and an MA in Literary Studies from Georgia State University. In the “off-season,” he is a Grade Level Dean and English Teacher at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia. At camp, Matt works with campers, counselors, and leadership staff to facilitate positive growth outcomes and a safe, fun experience for all members of our Blue Star community. During the off-season, Matt helps with leadership development, camper recruitment, and summer planning. He earned his nickname, “Fish,” his first summer at camp as a Junior because he was a great swimmer and loved the water. He met, proposed to, and married his wife, Dana (Rookies, Juniors and Pioneer Girls Assistant Director), at camp. They were married in Blue Star’s Elmore Solomon Chapel. Their children, Reid, Sophie and Drew, join them at camp during the summers.

Dana Eisenman – Rookies, Juniors and Pioneer Girls Assistant Director, was a long time Blue Star camper and loves that she has been able to spend her adult years at her “forever home.” During the summers, Dana’s role is to ensure the safety, happiness, and health of the Rookies, Juniors, and Pioneer Girl campers. Additionally, she works with the counseling staff and leadership team members to help facilitate their relationships with the campers, helping to ensure all campers feel known, needed, and cared for. Dana also works closely with parents to help with campers adjustments to camp and ensure positive outcomes. During the offseason, Dana works on camper recruitment, camper engagement, and summer planning, while also communicating with current families. Dana holds a B.S. in Psychology from Trinity College and a Masters degree in Counseling from Wake Forest University. Professionally, Dana is also a child therapist in private practice in Atlanta. For Dana, camp is a family affair as she met her husband, Matt (“Fish”), at Blue Star. They got engaged at camp and were married in the Elmore Solomon Chapel. She is a second generation Blue Star camper, and her children, Reid, Sophie and Drew, love spending their summers at camp!