For our third and final announcement on Pemi’s evolving leadership, I’m tremendously excited to share the news that former camper and counselor Patrick “Pat” Clare will join the administrative ranks at Pemi starting in June as our year-round, full-time Assistant Director!  

Pat spent eight years as a camper at Pemi, all for the full session, beginning in Junior 1 in 1999. Notable highlights of his time as a camper include hiking trips, athletic competitions against Tecumseh, participating with cabin-mates during Pemi Week, and a perfect Inspection sweep in Junior 6 in 2001. He then spent three years as a member of the staff, most recently in 2013 as the Division Head for the Junior Camp. That year, the staff voted to give Pat the Joe Campbell Award, which goes each year to a Pemi counselor who embodies integrity, generosity, and contributions to the happiness of all those around them. A very fitting award for Pat! 

When asked about his experiences at Pemi, Pat offered the following thoughts. “As a younger camper, I saw the examples of leadership set by older campers, which motivated me to be a better person and leader as I grew older. It was as an assistant counselor that I first discovered my love of teaching and working with kids, which set me on my path towards a career in education and, ultimately, back to camp. Pemi has been the basis for some of my closest lifelong friendships; there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not talking to Pemi friends in one way or another.”

After graduating from Tufts University, Pat spent time at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT, before joining the faculty at Avon Old Farms as a member of the History Department and athletic coach. In 2017, he moved south to Florida’s Berkeley Preparatory School to teach, coach lacrosse, and serve as an Academic Dean to 9th and 10th grade students. “Over the last eight years,” says Pat, “I’ve had amazing experiences in the classroom and on the lacrosse field, but it’s working closely with students and colleagues in more organic settings that has been the best and most inspiring part of my jobs.”

In May, Pat will earn his Masters of Education in Private School Leadership from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center. His experiences throughout the world of education–within the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in leadership positions–combine to make Pat a triple threat and an undeniable asset for Pemi. He is eager to get involved on the operational side, putting his positive energy and his natural skills as a community builder to good use. 

As our year-round Assistant Director, Pat will be a key member of the leadership team, providing administrative oversight of a number of areas, most notably Pemi’s Media & Communications and Alumni Relations. Pat will also be essential in Pemi’s ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, managing and implementing initiatives through Pemi’s DEI Committee. In addition, he will begin management of Pemi’s 16-year-old program for the 2022 summer.

I want” says Pat, “to do everything I can to honor the traditional excellence of Pemi and also help push camp to become an even better version of itself, not least in building an ever more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. I’m sure that there have been exciting developments since my last summer at Pemi, and I’m looking forward to embracing those changes while also helping maintain many of the traditions that made Pemi so important to me.

Originally from New York, Pat will ensure that Yankee, Giant, Ranger, and Knick fandom will continue to have their voice heard at Pemi. I, for one, am excited to provide the middle ground between Charlie Malcolm, of Red Sox Nation, and Pat, with his Yankee fervor. At Pemi as everywhere, life is all about balance.

Please join me in welcoming Pat Clare back to Pemi!

Kenny Moore
Director