Dan has worked with

Aviator Sports and Events Center

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Crestwood Country Day Camp & School

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JCC Abrams Camps

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Mohawk Day Camp

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Odyssey Teen Camp

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Aviator Sports and Events Center • Crestwood Country Day Camp & School • JCC Abrams Camps • Mohawk Day Camp • Odyssey Teen Camp •

YMCA Camp Chingachgook

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YMCA Camp Gorham

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YMCA Camp Mason

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YMCA of Greater Rochester

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YMCA Camp Takodah

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YMCA Camp Chingachgook • YMCA Camp Gorham • YMCA Camp Mason • YMCA of Greater Rochester • YMCA Camp Takodah •

Northeast YMCA Camp Conference

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ACA National Camp Conference

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International Exchange of North America (IENA)

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Camp Food and Maintenance Conference

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ACA NYNJ Tri-State Camp Conference

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Jewish Day Camp Network

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Northeast YMCA Camp Conference • ACA National Camp Conference • International Exchange of North America (IENA) • Camp Food and Maintenance Conference • ACA NYNJ Tri-State Camp Conference • Jewish Day Camp Network •

What attendees have said about Dan’s trainings

  • “Dan is a concise and approachable person that leads knowledgeable seminars (on marketing and work relationships) with key takeaways, but he is also incredibly kind and willing to meet 1:1 with you to get personal and help you with any problems you may be experiencing at work so I definitely recommend connecting with him.”

    - American Camp Association National Camp Conference Attendee

  • "Dan's training helped me view problems with our marketing in new ways! He inspired me to improve our long-standing practices to recruit more campers and staff at camp."

    — Sam Pellett, Director of Communications for JCC of Metropolitan Detroit

  • "Thank you for an informative and extremely helpful training session for our faculty, and staff."

    — Margaret Velez Cooper, Owner & Director at Ivy League School and Day Camp

  • "Thank you so much for joining us! Our staff are 2 weeks into camp and the skills you taught in your training are so apparent and being used every day!"

    — Jine Andreozzi, Executive Director for YMCA Camp Chingachgook

  • “I am so glad that we chose to have Dan at our staff training this summer. His energy, knowledge, and overall approach truly helped our staff understand the importance of what they are doing. He shares tactical, fun, and interactive ways staff can make an impact on campers' lives.”

    — Sarah Cunningham Castro, Summer Camp Director for YMCA Camp Takodah

  • “Dan has a wealth of knowledge in protecting our youth at camp and has a great approach to engaging participants in his training to learn through anecdotal practices."

    — Nicole Bandura, Regional Director of Risk Management at YMCA of Bucks County

  • "Dan Weir’s session on “Remembering Why” is not only captivating, but is an attention grabber of any audience giving them that “ah ha” moment during staff training."

    — Marco Reyes, Co-Founder for YMCE Camps, China

  • "Dan's session was relatable, applicable, engaging. He broke down the information for the New Director Orientation in a way that felt digestible and thought provoking. I love the way that Dan gives a large group presentation the feeling of a one on one conversation."

    — American Camp Association Tri-State Camp Conference Attendee

  • "This was my first ACA Conference, and I focused on sessions that would help me build a strong foundation for my new/expanding Director role. Dan's session, "How to work with your boss" has been doing just that. In the conversations I've had with my boss since the conference, I feel more confident in how I talk with him. In the process, I've also identified my personal communication style and will be able to build more synergy with my staff. Thank you for sharing with us Dan. The information is going to help all of us be better Directors."

    — American Camp Association National Conference Attendee

What folks have said about Dan

  • "We had a wonderful experience working with Dan on our sales and marketing plan. He has the ability to take what feels daunting and break it down into concrete steps while offering plenty of support along the way. His outside perspective and wealth of knowledge was invaluable to us. "

    Alysa Austin, Executive Director of Community Engagement & Inclusion at Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA

  • "Dan Weir's invaluable summer camp consulting has equipped Camps With Friends with deep industry knowledge, significantly enhancing our understanding of camp owner operations and mindset."

    — Jason Mellet, CEO at Camps With Friends

  • "I have known Dan for the past twenty years and these past few years when I have needed help I feel fortunate that he was available. I completely trust Dan. He has lived through everything I am dealing with running a nonprofit camp. He always takes the time to listen to exactly what is going on with me and my camp. His honest, intelligent, and straight-up feedback and advice have consistently helped me to make better decisions."

    — Adam Simon, Executive Director at Odyssey Teen Camp

  • "Dan is the ultimate professional. He is a great listener who provides insightful feedback and genuinely cares, as demonstrated with his immediate follow through."

    — Debra Kirschner, Camp Director at JCC of Greater New Haven

  • "Dan’s insight into marketing, communications, and practical program growth has reaped immediate benefits for our program! Dan has a clear passion for the transformational power of quality summer camps and a wealth of knowledge to share. As an extremely busy Camp Director, I found Dan to be respectful of both my time and the pressure I am under. The perspective and resources he shared were immediately implementable. The impact he had on our program in this first year has been tremendous: full sessions, and a re-energized plan to make this work sustainable! Dan transformed how our small camp is thinking about operating by helping us to focus on what we currently offer, and guiding us to make plans for what we can do over the next five to ten years to be sustainable. And he is so encouraging when it comes to helping with small short-term steps for improvement, and building longer term solutions that will require more effort!"

    — Lily Mercogliano, Executive Director at Camp WA WA Segowea

  • "I am writing this recommendation to express my utmost satisfaction and appreciation for the exceptional work delivered by Dan. His contribution to our J has been invaluable, and his intelligence and dedication to operational excellence has significantly enhanced our product. Dan demonstrated a high level of expertise and professionalism throughout the summer. He was instrumental in helping our J get better. His approach, combined with deep understanding of our business needs, resulted in enhancing our camp product. In addition to his technical skills, Dan helped train our leadership talent and staff this past summer . He was patient, thorough, and effective in training sessions, ensuring our team understood operational needs to be successful. His ability to communicate effectively in a clear and understandable manner was truly commendable. Dan’s commitment to operational excellence was evident in every aspect of his work. He maintained open and clear communication and ensured that all tasks were completed to the highest standard. His proactive approach to problem-solving greatly contributed to the smooth running of our camp operations. I highly recommend Dan for engagements that require a high level of expertise, dedication, and professionalism. His contribution to our team has been significant and we are grateful for his partnership, hard work and commitment."

    — Ian Rohin, President at JCC Abrams Camps

  • “How do you accurately capture the full ability of such a dynamic professional in one paragraph? There are a few key things that come to my mind about Dan Weir. First, you can count on Dan to see the full picture. His ability to look at a hurdle objectively— seeing both the smallest of details as well as the larger scope is probably one of the most valuable and unique traits. Additionally, Dan’s sense of humor and positivity help him lean into challenging situations while remaining level headed and solution focused; providing him with the ability to guide teams through rough waters with grace and empathy. Finally, Dan’s genuine desire to help and grow others can be attributed back to his many years in the field, leading teams of young adults. His ability to connect to participants, families, part time staff, executives, board members, politicians and other community members or stakeholders is unmatched and will serve as a model for any organization to grow and thrive.”

    — Megan Ribas, Director of Summer Experience at AlphaBEST Education, Inc.

  • “If you are looking for guidance and support for creating an ‘experience of a lifetime’ for children, look no further. Dan’s breadth and history of working with youth in all ages, and his caring and charismatic approach to team work, make him an optimal resource for any Youth Serving Organization. Dan has helped several organizations not only create a quality, impactful and safe program – but did so within the Covid restrictions – even helping to write the Covid Guidelines for the state of NY for both Day Camp and Child Care organizations. Dan facilitates a full 360 degree approach when designing a program. He looks at organizational needs and capacity, while focusing on a safe and quality program for children; creating a trained, engaged and passionate staff, while helping the organization to open lines of communication with their parent community. I’m grateful to have Dan as one of my go-to resources!”

    — Laura Nese, Director of Data Management at The Granite YMCA

  • “I've never enjoyed working with someone as much as Dan, both personally and professionally. Dan centers his leadership in a careful mix of compassion, relationship building, action, efficiency, strategy and innovation. When it comes to camping and youth development he's a one stop shop for just about anything you're looking for. He has trained me on things from marketing/sales, to program design, to behavior management. In this industry it's vital to do business and work with people you trust and can get along with. Dan is incredibly responsive and cares about you and the results you desire. He will take the time to sit with you and understand your specific needs and customize a roadmap and will be there for you along the way.“

    — Nick Lomauro, Executive Director of the First Tee of Hampton Roads - YMCA of South Hampton Roads

  • “I worked closely with Dan for fifteen years. He is one the most thoughtful, intelligent and caring people I know. He is a natural at problem solving and bringing communities of people together. Dan is a systems thinker and recognizes the path to success and potential pitfalls in every project. He loves a challenge and has never shied away from hard work. He has supervised very large groups of people and gave them all equitable amounts of time and energy. If I could pick only one person to partner with on any project, it would be Dan. He lives his life with values and integrity.”

    — Jerry Huncosky, CEO at Frost Valley YMCA (2004-2023)

  • “Dan's deep and broad experience is up to any of the special challenges facing organizations serving children. When helping us at Aviator, he was attentive and responsive, passionate and wise. We would work with him again in a minute.”

    — Brian O'Donoghue, Chairman at Aviator Sports and Events Center

  • “Dan is the definition of Lead by Example.His knowledge in the camping industry is immense, and he understands the business side while also being able to communicate and display the information in a way that Camp Directors, seasonal staff, and all other positions can understand at their level of knowledge. When working with Dan on a problem, he will work with you to problem solve while also allowing you to learn in the process. Choosing to work with Dan is not only an investment in your organization, but also yourself.”

    — Kelie Cook, Camp Director at Pine Ridge Day Camp & Equestrian Center

  • “It is rare to find a professional that can truly meet the needs of every child while creating a profitable business for the long term. Dan epitomizes what is means to provide exceptional quality services that yield successful, sustainable results for every child in any business model.” I began working with Dan Weir when he was hired for our YMCA association to rebuild its summer day camp programs after several years of steady decline in enrollment and financial loss. Dan is truly an expert in the field of youth development and programming – he is incredibly knowledgeable, well-connected, data-driven, and immerses himself holistically in the business – always innovating to grow or sustain success. He adeptly oversaw everything from high-level strategy to executing the customer service experience for families, ensuring that the thousands of children we served were learning, growing and thriving in the environment. He approached the revitalization for our camps and our educational programs based on the needs of children and businesses today – utilizing research, best practices and trends, professional development, methodology, technology, interpersonal skills, budgeting and resourcing, marketing and communications, and so much more. As a marketing and communications executive in the field for 25 years, I had never worked with a programming professional who understands how to give children the skills they need to be happy, healthy, and take on the world, but also can expertly educate and sell that experience to our target audiences, and then use those insights to do better year-over-year. It was impressive to watch Dan transform our programs and children’s lives as a result. Today, I continue to be in awe of Dan’s pursuit to enrich the lives of children and families in communities everywhere.”

    — Tamar Simpson, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications at YMCA of Long Island (2016-2022)