Ken Cotton, Executive Director 
Education
Lesley University: Masters of Education, Elementary Levels 1-6
Ithaca College: Bachelor of Science in Business Management
About Ken
Before accepting his dream job as Executive Director at Camp Bauercrest, Ken already had 13 years of professional experience in the field of childhood development under his belt. He was a teacher at Kennedy Middle School in Natick from 2003-2016. He coached high school boys’ lacrosse in Framingham from 2002-2014, and has been the President of Framingham Youth Lacrosse since 2010, where he still coaches the U-9 program because he “loves those little bobbleheads”.
Ken has an impressive and extensive background in camping. He spent 13 summers at JCC Camp Kingswood in Bridgton, Maine. Throughout his tenure at Kingswood, Ken served in a variety of leadership roles, including Assistant Director, Athletic Director, Waterfront Director, and Unit Head.
Ken’s love of overnight camp began at Camp Naticook in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where he spent nine years as a camper and staff member, never once needing a cell phone.
“Camp has always played an important role in my life and that of my family,” Ken said. “I feel like I spent the last 13 years of my teaching and coaching career preparing for this incredible opportunity. When I was growing up, I would hear my Bauercrest friends talk about the ‘Big House’ and ‘The Hill’. On my first visit, I could literally feel decades of stories permeating the atmosphere. With a camp that is so steeped in tradition, and with alumni who are so supportive, I couldn’t be prouder to call this place my second home and embrace these traditions while exploring new ways to make Bauercrest even better.”
Ken lives in Framingham with his wife, Dyan. Their son Jake works as an auditor for Ernst and Young in Boston. Jared will be graduating from UMaine and continues to wow everyone with his mad culinary skills. The Cottons are active members of Temple Beth Am in Framingham. In his free time, Ken likes to hit the links, bother Dyan at the beach, and hang out with his 90-pound lap dog Daisy and lovable mutt Jessie.
If you have questions for Ken about camp or anything else, you can reach him at [email protected] or on his cell at 508-251-9811.
Stacy Pollack, Camp Relations Director/Camp Mom
Education
Tufts University: Bachelor of Arts in Child Study and English; Concentration in Creative Writing
About Stacy
Stacy married into the Bauercrest family, as her husband Micah is a Bauercrest alum. Their two boys, Max and Jaden, are current campers at the Crest. Stacy did not go to overnight camp as a child. However, she did have a fruitful career as Director of Marketing and Special Events at three major Boston radio stations (yes, at one point she did have access to an endless supply of Bedtime Magic Nightshirts). This, in addition to her love of writing and attraction to all things wonderfully chaotic, makes Stacy a perfect fit for the role of Camp Mom. She works tirelessly year-round to ensure that our parents’ experiences with Bauercrest are just as amazing as our campers’. Stacy writes our Camp Mom blog. She also creates photo montages to songs our campers have never heard before that make the parents very nostalgic.
In her free time, Stacy pretends she has a show on HGTV, as she is always in the middle of a do-it-yourself project that makes her husband very anxious. She has been riding in the Pan Mass Challenge benefiting the Jimmy Fund since 2010; she is very committed to this cause. The Pollacks are active members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. Stacy is an avid Springsteen fan, yet does not enjoy hearing anyone’s stories about meeting him or touching him from the pit at his concerts.
Stacy is happy to talk to you about camp, your child, or anything else. You can reach her at [email protected] or on her cell at 781-205-9625.
Stephen Marks – Assistant Director in Charge of Programming
Stephen Marks couldn’t be more thrilled to join the Bauercrest family. Ken and Stephen have long talked about joining forces, so when the opportunity and timing aligned, it was a no-brainer.
Stephen is the Athletic Director at Ashland High School and has over 30 years of camping experience to thank for both the personal and professional paths he’s taken. His camp career kicked off at an all-boys’ sports camp in Maine, where he competed against Bauercrest in tournaments. He feels that camp has influenced almost every aspect of my life. He met his wife through camp and chose his career path as coach, teacher, and eventually Athletic Director because of the experiences he had as a camper and counselor.
Stephen’s team, which includes his wife Jamie and their two sons, Logan (3) and Lincoln (1), is looking forward to becoming a part of the Bauercrest community. He is excited to help enhance an already awesome camping experience for our campers and staff. He has already begun working on a robust program for this summer and can’t wait to get started!
Candice Masters – Office Goddess
Candice grew up in Newton, MA and spent the best summers of her childhood at Camp Robindel in Moultonboro, NH. She remembers every word to every Color War cheer song, and requires little to no coaxing to prove it. She attended the University of Vermont, where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication Sciences.
Candice currently lives in Medfield, MA with her husband, Ken, sons Max and Brody, and their 200-lb. American Mastiff, Zeus. They are active members of Temple Israel in Natick. Candic
e has been a practicing speech therapist for 17 years, helping countless
children become successful communicators while promoting their social and emotional growth. In her free time, Candice enjoys traveling, party planning, and competitive games of Monopoly, and doing special visits with Zeus, who was recently trained and certified to bring 200 pounds of therapeutic love wherever he goes. If you need to get in touch with Candice, email her at [email protected].
Danny McLaughlin – Head Counselor
Danny grew up in Rye, New York, and has been active in a variety of sports throughout his life. From football, baseball, basketball to swimming, he was a year-round athlete leading up to high school. In high school, he swam all four years and continued to swim in college at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. When he wasn’t swimming in school, he would occupy his time as a swim coach. He feels that the most important takeaway from sports is learning the value of teamwork and how to incorporate this skill into everyday life.
Danny has been working in the field of Mental Health for the past seven years. His training ranges from working at the Veteran’sAffairs Hospital located in the Bronx, NY, to a therapeutic boarding school in MA for children and young adults with diagnoses ranging from autism to Schizophrenia. He is currently enrolled in William James College on track to obtain his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD). He is ready and dive in to any issues our boys may experience, including generalized anxiety, feeling left out, and homesickness, His goal remains consistent with Bauercrest’s: to make the Crest a second home for our boys. He knows that the connections made through camp experiences last a lifetime, and he is honored and humbled to be able to be a part of it.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Danny wants us all to be mindful of how important it is to remember that every summer… every moment… is precious and should be cherished. If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach him at [email protected] He looks forward to meeting you all soon!
Rachel Kesselman – Registrar
Rachel grew up in Lynnfield, MA, and has had connections to Bauercrest for as long as she can remember. Her uncle and a slew of cousins called the Hillside home for countless summers.
After graduating from Tufts, Rachel began her career in strategy consulting before transitioning to more internal corporate roles in recruitment, event planning, and operations management. She currently lives in Newton with her husband, Michael, and sons Jared and Noah. The Kesselmans are active members of Temple Shalom of Newton. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys reading, playing mahjong, skiing those crazy Green trails at Loon, and seeing the world with her family. Her friends (this one included) consider her an expert on all things travel. She is a master researcher and organizational guru and we are very lucky to have her! If you need to get in touch with Rachel, her email is [email protected].