The Newest Leaders at CAMP Rehoboth
(Part I of 2)
Last year, in the December 2020 issue, we highlighted the 2020 Board members. This year, we wanted the community to learn about and get to know the five new 2021 CAMP Rehoboth Board members. Those folks jumped right in, though none of us really had any idea what 2021 would bring. This month we’ll feature three (Pat Catanzariti, Bea Vuocolo, and Leslie Ledogar); we’ll highlight the remaining two (David Garrett and Jason Darion Mathis-White) in our first 2022 issue.
Many CAMP Rehoboth members, and particularly our volunteers, may already be acquainted with Pat Catanzariti, who for several years has lead the CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Development Committee. As one might surmise from her name, she’s Italian—really Italian, as in both sides of the family. Her grandfather owned an Italian restaurant, Villari’s Milmarian. Says Pat, “My wife and I migrated to Delaware from New Jersey when some friends started moving here. But most importantly because of the amazing quality of life Sussex County offered openly gay people. It affords us the ability to retire, continue to grow, and contribute within the safety and comfort of a supportive strong community.” She adds, “Oh, and let’s not forget the low taxes!”
Pat spent her professional career in the clinical pharmacology industry, retiring in 2016 from Bristol-Myers Squibb as their Global Director of Data Management. Upon retirement, she jumped from science and tech into the arts arena. In 2018 she began an epoxy resin art business called Sea Screens; her fun designs can be seen at seascreens.com.
Pat was drawn to CAMP Rehoboth by its mission statement and feels grateful to have the opportunity to be part of an organization committed to making the community a better place. When asked about her work with CAMP Rehoboth, she replies that she’s excited to be the new chair of the Board Development Committee. In her own words, “Non-profits have to compete harder for every donation and it is imperative to utilize our resources as efficiently as possible. We are putting into place a new database system which will help streamline the work and help oversee membership, grant applications, and events. I love to pitch in wherever needed. I especially liked my tenure chairing the Volunteer Development Committee. The blending of staff and volunteers is the framework that makes CAMP Rehoboth strong.”
Bea Vuocolo is another new Board member at CAMP Rehoboth. She happens to also hail originally from New Jersey, and she too is Italian; she grew up speaking Italian as her first language.
Prior to her current profession in the banking industry, she was a corporate theft investigator. “But ultimately,” she added, “you really can’t beat bankers’ hours!”
There is a very evident and common sentiment the new CAMP Rehoboth Board members all shared with me, having to do with the mission. All said that it resonates within them. For Bea, it sparks her passion, and she loves that being an all-inclusive and safe place is at the heart of all CAMP Rehoboth does.
Bea’s goal as a Board member is to make sure that the organization is fiscally strong and moves into the future with programs that serve a wide range of community members.
Asked who she would choose, if she could pick anyone to be her mentor, Bea immediately replied, “Definitely Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. He lived life with passion. Sure, he appeared fearless, but he had actual knowledge and respect for the animals. He believed in protecting open land and the habitats of endangered animals. Steve wasn’t preachy about his main mission; he entertained the public and then used his resources and connections to make a difference.” That sure sounds like a great person to emulate; it’s clear already that Bea is bringing that same approach to the community as a Board member for CAMP Rehoboth.
The final 2021 Board member in this month’s focus is no stranger to forestry consulting, politics, and insurance and administrative law, and has quite a combination of experiences and schooling. She started coming to Rehoboth because of its welcoming space and because it was both a “gay mecca and a personal oasis.” Leslie Ledogar has lived in the north, south, east, and west of the US. Her dad’s position as in-house counsel at AT&T’s Bell Labs, where he helped patent the first transistor, led her family to move frequently.
After completing her master’s degree in North Carolina and then her law degree in Philadelphia, Leslie settled in Media, Pennsylvania. “My wife introduced me to Rehoboth Beach as a weekend and summer getaway destination 20 years ago. When she retired, we decided to move to the area full time. Growing up in a time when only a few of us were “out,” finding a safe space in which I could be me, even if only on the weekends back then, meant and still means the world to me,” she shared.
During her tenure as a CAMP Rehoboth Board member, Leslie hopes to bring inspiration and vision to the table to help ensure that CAMP Rehoboth is, and remains, viable and sustainable well into the future. “I also will continue to help tighten up the governance of our organization,” she continued, “to ensure its continued long-term stability and growth.”
(I can tell you that Pat’s, Bea’s and Leslie’s words about sustainability and commitment to fundraising are music to this Development Director’s ears!)
The late, great Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is someone Leslie would love to have had as a mentor. “She was a pioneer in the law of civil and human rights in a way that was quiet, dignified, yet authoritative. (A) brilliant woman and person, and a true powerhouse.” When you meet Ledogar, you immediately notice a similar pioneering spirit, and a person who is dignified, intelligent, and shares many of those same attributes, all without pretense.
All five new Board members are forces for good for CAMP Rehoboth. I trust they will help everyone in our community feel heard, and treated respectfully and equitably. I also trust that the future of CAMP Rehoboth is in good governance hands, especially as they continue to broaden their roles with CAMP Rehoboth in 2022 and beyond.
Welcome, Board class of 2021! ▼
CAMP Rehoboth’s Development Director Anita Broccolino oversees and advances CAMP Rehoboth’s Development, Fundraising, and Communications efforts, while helping increase awareness in the community. If you would like to become a member, volunteer for events, or meet with Anita to discuss a donation, legacy or planned giving gift, please call: 302-227-5620 or email: anita@camprehoboth.com.