In 2016, I accepted the position of Director of Support Services in Westchester-Putnam Council in White Plains, NY. This was a big move for my family and I. This position was my first real move and I was excited to have a new challenge, and boy was it a challenge. The Council was running a sizeable deficit and had no real direction for it's camp program. I took on the challenge of trying to change the culture of Curtis Read Scout Reservation and was met with a lot of resistance. Read has a strong program and is a great facility with a lot to offer but the staff culture leaves a lot to be desired. My first summer we had a Norovirus outbreak and had to shut down for a week, several staff firings, a camp vehicle accident with several staff injured and one very seriously. To say the least it was a challenge and my second summer was not much better, both personally and professionally. Needless to say I choose to leave as soon as I could. 

        Regardless of the challenges I had, I did learn a lot about facility management, budget controls, program development, crisis management, and that I prefer field service much more than I thought I did. In May of 2018, after a series of different issues, some more or less beyond my control the Scout Executive choose to release me from my contract.