Jennifer Tschida
Camp Program Director
Jen (camp name: Frazzle) has been a Girl Scout since 1980 and began her career at camp at the age of 16. She started working at resident camp during the summers, holding various roles from kitchen assistant to counselor and trip specialist to assistant camp director.
She has served as camp director at Camp Singing Hills (2002-2008), Camp Northwoods (2009), and Camp Elk River (2010-2019). She now serves as the Camp Program Director, overseeing and mentoring camp directors at all of our camp properties. In the non-camp season, Jen plans and manages camp operations, ensuring our camps are safe, fun, and appropriate to the campers’ ages and abilities.
She loves witnessing the countless moments where campers challenging themselves to try new things and gain confidence in themselves. She hopes that at camp, every camper and staff member learns more about who they are and their ability to trust in their decision-making skills, and that they take with them the love of being outdoors.
Lauren Patrowsky
Camp Director at Camp Lakamaga
Lauren (Camp Name: Bubbles) has been the Camp Director at Camp Lakamaga since 2021. She started attending a Girl Scout Day Camp in Southeast Wisconsin the summer after 2nd grade and has been in love with camp ever since! Having gained her own leadership skills at camp through the Counselor-in Training Program and being a camp staff member, she is passionate about passing it forward and making sure each camper has the opportunity to find themselves and their voice at camp. At camp you can find her joining a group for sunset paddleboarding, showing off her archery skills, and roasting the most perfect golden-brown marshmallows for s’mores.
Lauren has previously worked as the Assistant Camp Director at Camp Elk River and Camp Singing Hills as well as the Camp Director at Camp Edith Mayo. Lauren is also one of our Red Cross First Aid Instructors, DEI Ambassadors, is Youth Mental Health certified, and has a degree in Elementary Education.
During the non-camp season Lauren oversees the hiring of over 100 camp staff across all our camps, plans and implements large programs on our camp property, and helps develop curriculum for our camp sessions.
Katie Rowles-Perich
Camp Director at Camp Singing Hills
Katie was a Girl Scout in elementary school and had no idea that she could be a professional Girl Scout. Katie has been on staff since March 2023 and will spend her first camp season at Singing Hills in 2024. Previously, she worked as an Education Director at a theatre company and is thrilled to intertwine her love of the outdoors and education experience at camp. She is most looking forward to watching troops thrive at camp through community building and endless fun!
Outside of the camp season, Katie manages, develops, and implements programs for Girl Scouts across the River Valleys council.
Samsara Siler
Camp Director at Camp Elk River
Samsara (camp name Thumper) has been working as a camp professional for the last 6 years. They started their camp career working in environmental education, running programming for sixth grade science field trips. They didn’t know you could create a career out of playing outside and getting to know the natural world. Samsara loves the community that camp creates, whether campers are there for three days or ten.
They have worked in various roles at YMCA camps, Girl Scouts camps, and they have worked as an instructor for a Nature’s Classroom environmental education program. Samsara worked as the Assistant Camp Director at Camp Northwoods in 2023 and 2024; they’ve been with GSRV full time since October 2023. Samsara is excited to work as the Camp Elk River director; they are looking forward to watching campers and staff grow over the summer, as they find activities, whether new or old, that spark joy and inspire their curiosity.
Outside of the camp season, Samsara plans and runs a variety of programs for Girl Scouts across the council.
