Welcome David Mariner!
In its near 30-year history, CAMP Rehoboth has had three Executive Directors. As most of you know, Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins are its founders. What is less known is that Jim Barr was hired in 1991 as CAMP’s first Executive Director. After a couple seasons, Murray served in that role till, in later 1993, Steve was elected to the position.
For the next 25 years, Steve was the Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth. Sadly, he passed away in March of 2018, and Murray took over the job. He has served as the Interim Executive Director since then. For the last nine months, along with the support of the staff and our members, the board has worked diligently to name a successor.
The impact these two gentleman have had on this organization, the region, and Delaware itself, is not only remarkable, it will never be fully quantified or explained.
For me, finishing my 10th year serving on the Board, and second year as President, both Steve and Murray have been my mentors and teachers. Words can’t describe the respect and admiration I hold for both of them.
Now, as CAMP Rehoboth is about to welcome David Mariner as the next Executive Director, we are hopeful and confident that he will successfully lead us into the future.
This confidence is rooted in the fact that over 40 individuals were vetted for the position. The Search Committee alone spent nearly 100 hours collectively interviewing the 10 candidates it considered in narrowing the field, through three rounds of the process.
Since announcing David Mariner’s selection, many supporters have offered their congratulations and well wishes. Others, who have known or worked with David at some point during his 11 years as the Executive Director at the DC Center for the LGBT Community, have reached out offering their endorsement of his selection.
In his response to David’s selection, Murray said, “I am proud of the extensive work done by our Search and Transition Teams, and fully support the decision of the Board to name David Mariner as the next Executive Director.”
The last year has been challenging, and none of it would have been possible without the contributions of so many people. First and foremost, the board expresses deep gratitude to the dedicated staff who ensured CAMP Rehoboth continued to provide vital services to our community. We also extend our thanks to the community members who participated in the selection process, and to our consultant, Sonia Stamm, for guiding us.
Media coverage of David’s announcement departing the DC Center ensued quickly, and is a testament to the reputation he established there over the past decade. As board chair, I heard one such comment which particularly resonated with me. Jonathan Gilad, current board co-chair of the DC Center, said in an interview with Metro Weekly, “There’s not a single brick in the DC Center that doesn’t speak to David’s contributions to the community. His contributions are incalculable. The sheer number of things he’s done for us will be felt for years after he leaves.”
Shortly after addressing the audience at the September 1 Sundance Auction, David offered this: “The welcome I received from the CAMP Rehoboth community at Sundance was overwhelming and humbling. I'm honored that you trust me to be part of the team that makes Rehoboth such a special place, and I will strive to be worthy of that trust."
Thank you, David. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to building a working relationship with you and establishing a sustainable and successful path forward for CAMP Rehoboth. Welcome aboard! ▼
Chris Beagle is President of the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors and is a realtor at Berkshire-Hathaway-Gallo Realty in Rehoboth Beach.