MarianneIt is with happiness, sadness, and a mixed bag of emotions that we announce that our treasured office manager, Marianne Langford, has decided that it’s time to choose a new hiking trail in life and begin a new journey toward the land of retirement.

Marianne has completed more than 20 summers at Tate’s Day Camp and is most recognized as being the friendly and caring voice that answers the phone; processes the registrations; reprocesses the registrations to fix the mistakes that parents make; takes care of campers when they aren’t feeling well; runs the day-to-day business so that the directors can spend time with the campers and staff members; and attends to thousands of other small details that are too numerous to be listed here.

Her radio nickname is Dandelion – a bright and vibrant yellow flower (her positive attitude and spirit) that eventually turns to a round soft ball of seeds resembling cotton and travels away in the wind to soon become more bright yellow flowers. Dandelions are beautiful and continually give of themselves.

Marianne does not have a specific exit date on the calendar and has agreed to help us work through the process of hiring and training a new office manager. Ideally, she will continue to be involved into the early spring and take on less hours as our new office manager becomes confident in the responsibilities of the job. Her main goal is to simply have more time with her husband, Larry, and her family, and she assures us that even in retirement, she will only be a phone call away.

On a personal note, as the Executive Director that interviewed and hired Marianne 20 years ago, I can’t extend enough heart-felt thanks for the service, dedication, unwavering support, countless hours, and cherished memories that she has given me. I’ve dreaded this day for what seems like a lifetime, and I am thankful that God blessed Tate’s Day Camp and me with the perfect person for this job for so many years. Although it will be on a more limited basis, we will always stay in touch with Marianne and look forward to sharing her new journey as she begins this new hiking trail.

A job description is available, and we are accepting resumes for a new office manager. Anyone interested should contact the camp office by phone at (865) 690-9208. First interviews will be conducted at the camp pond so we can see if the applicant can walk on water because obviously their predecessor can.

Keeping the campfires burning,

Chris Strevel