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 recent Past-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 Associate 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.
Jack Heitner, our newest full-time Associate Director, started his journey at West as a Freshmen Boy in 2007. After tagging along on a tour meant for his sister, his insistence on attending camp became a decision that would end up changing the rest of his life. In the years since that first summer, Jack has progressed through many roles at Timber Lake West – camper, counselor, Group Leader, Friendship Coach, and Division Leader.
In addition to those titles, campers will also often address him as “the STARFISH man” or by simply shouting the song title “Shake” referencing the various campy traditions that he helps to uphold. Whether it be telling the STARFISH story, leading a Zumba, or keeping a pen in his sock, Jack embraces the little joys that any individual moment at camp can spark. There’s nowhere else in the world that the ordinary can feel so spectacular, and that is one of the many special things about West.
Before joining the full-time team, Jack earned his Master’s of Education in School Counseling and worked as a high school counselor in Rockland County. At times over the years, he has also had part-time jobs as a youth sports coach and as an executive functioning coach in New York City, where he and his fiancée Jamie (TLW’s Special Events Director) currently live. Connecting with kids of all ages is a true driving force behind Jack’s passion for camp. He looks forward to the opportunity to have a positive impact on campers, counselors, and parents alike for many years to come.
