Meet Our Directors
Justin & Cassie Mayer, our full-time Directors, have an extensive background in summer camping.
Having been campers, counselors, division leaders and ultimately head counselors within the Timber Lake Family of Camps, (Justin at Timber Lake/Tyler Hill and Cassie at Timber Lake West) Justin and Cassie have experienced the full range of what camp has to offer. Their daughters, Jolie and Sydney, spend their summers at West, so they really understand how it feels to be camp parents! Most importantly, Justin and Cassie consider all of their Timber Lake West campers and counselors to be their second family. During the winter months, they stay in contact with parents, campers and returning staff while also spending a great deal of time interviewing and hiring new staff members for the following summer.
Justin adds a sense of fun to everything he does at camp and is committed to providing West campers with the best possible summer experience. He spends his days and nights at camp working with campers and their families, guaranteeing that their needs and expectations are being met.
Cassie spends her summers working with prospective and current families, as well as West’s “camp mom,” a role that allows her to take care of our campers while also maintaining close ties with their parents. She does everything from clip campers’ fingernails to tuck campers in at night and her passion for West is evident from the minute that you meet her. Her Masters Degree in School Psychology provides her the base to give her all to each and every one of our campers.
Justin serves as the President and Board Member of SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education), an organization that funds “camperships” for children from low-income families attend not-for-profit sleep-away camps in the Northeast, thus providing the benefits of a safe, well-supervised and enriching summer camp experience. Justin is also an active volunteer of the American Camp Association.
Jill Lazarow, our full-time Assistant Director and Lower Camp Boys Head Counselor, has been a part of the Timber Lake West Family since 1999 when she was a Freshman Girl eagerly looking forward to an amazing summer. Since then, she has grown up at West, moving through her eight years as a camper followed by many years on staff as a junior counselor, general counselor, group leader and Assistant Program Director.
Jill has a unique passion for and connection to Timber Lake West. She is grateful to camp for teaching her about independence, confidence, dedication and the true meaning of lasting friendship. At West, Jill met her husband Andrew, who was also a camper and counselor, and in December 2021, they welcomed baby Talia into their family, their own future TLW camper!
Prior to joining the West team full time, Jill worked as a preschool teacher in Manhattan at the Bankstreet School for Children and the Blue School. Her love for early childhood education plays a huge role in her approach to supporting our youngest campers during the summer. This year and coming years, she looks forward to continuing to build strong bonds with campers and families as she introduces them to the magic of Timber Lake West.
