At its January meeting, the UMCRM Association was blessed to welcome two new board members for the 2021-'25 term. Let's meet them!

Josh Shaw is the Director of Children & Family Ministries at St. John’s UMC in the Memphis Annual Conference. Josh is an Enneagram (2) enthusiast and a Ravenclaw. His diverse interests include teaching choreography, spending time with German Shepherd/Chow Chow mix Queen, and hanging out with nieces and nephews. 

Josh began his camp journey as a counselor for a local theater camp, which inspired him to seek out his own camp experience. In the fall of 2010, his youth group went to a retreat at Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center. Josh says, "Being in that space allowed me to feel free to be my most authentic self. I returned to camp the summer of 2011 for my first summer camp as a camper. I immediately fell in love and knew that camping was a part of my future."

Josh has been a volunteer counselor at Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center for many years (2012-2019). His team has led Jr. High 3 for 4 years (and hopefully many, many more). He also serves the Memphis (soon to be Tennessee-Western Kentucky) Annual Conference’s Conference Youth Leadership Team, training students to lead retreats for their peers. Since 2014 Josh has led retreats for older elementary students, confirmands, junior high, senior high, and young adults/college students. 

Through serving on the UMCRM governance board, Josh is excited to bring a perspective for young people, people of color, and lgbtqia+ people who aren’t often invited to the table by the church. 

Other fun facts to share with the UMCRM community? Josh mentions:

• I lived in Romania for a summer.
• My granny is my best friend.
• My dream job would be being Bruno Mars’ key dancer in everything!

Dail Ballard has been serving as the Executive Director of the NC UM Camp & Retreat Ministries since 2011. They are a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization related by faith to the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church. The organization includes camps Chestnut Ridge, Don Lee and Rockfish. Prior to serving as Executive Director, Dail served for several years as the Fund Development Director for all three camps. She is a life-long Methodist and has been involved with camping almost as long, starting out as a camper at Camp Don Lee.

Dail was drawn to serve with UMCRM by our mission-driven focus and our commitment to the vitality and impact of United Methodist camps and retreat centers. A Speech-Language Pathologist by trade, Dail founded and led a corporation of allied health professionals across North Carolina before entering Camp/Retreat executive leadership. She brings this business acumen, organizational and processing skills, and a passion for inclusion and diversity to the work of UMCRM.

How were you called into Camp & Retreat Ministry? Dail recalls:

Before foot surgery, I enjoyed running almost everyday. I would often pray during my treks through the neighborhood. During one of those runs in the middle of one of those prayer times, I literally stopped in my tracks hearing God nudge me that it was time for me to do something else with my life. What that was was not clear at the time. So I began having conversations with friends and colleagues. A position with the NC UM Camp & Retreat Ministries had just come open. I was thrilled. I was nervous. I was leaving a career that had required post graduate schooling and one that I had enjoyed for years. Thrilling and chilling all at once, I tell you! But God was at work. I trusted, and here I am.

What would you like the UMCRM community to know about you?

It should come as no surprise that I love being outside. I am a coastal girl through and through and enjoy everything about the flat lands of eastern North Carolina. Winters are challenging for me - even in the south. I much prefer a warm, bright summer day. I will get up for a sunrise and chase an open vista for a sunset. And a full moon?! I will make my way to the shore for a moonrise no matter the temperature! I have three beautiful and bright children who are making their way in this world in their own unique ways. They are my greatest accomplishment on this planet.

I delight in meeting new people while relishing time with close friends. And, I can laugh at myself as heartily and happily as others do with me. I look forward to serving the UMCRM community and getting to know more people who share a passion for camp and retreat ministries!

We are grateful for these remarkable individuals' willingness to help guide the UMCRM Association in a governance capacity, sharing their depth of experience and insight while bringing their passion and a spirit of fun to our shared work. Please join in praying for them and for our Association's leadership as they envision a thriving future for United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries.

Drop them a word of welcome and encouragement at their new UMCRM email addresses: 

dail.ballard@umcrm.org 

josh.shaw@umcrm.org