Leadership
Mandi Miller
DIRECTOR
Mandi is a native of upstate New York. Mandi started attending overnight camp from a young age, and grew from camper, to counselor and lifeguard, to camp director. Mandi earned a bachelor’s in Music, with a focus on arts management. Shortly before she embarked on her arts career, Mandi’s childhood summer camp was closed, leading her to realize how much her love of camp had shaped her and really changed her life. And so instead, Mandi embarked on a new dream - being a camp director. This led to a master’s degree in Recreation with concentrations in Outdoor Education and Camp Administration, and before coming to Berkshire Lake, she spent seven summers working as a Camp Director at two different all-girls overnight camps, in the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks of New York. She is also an active volunteer on the Upstate NY Local Council of Leaders with the American Camp Association.
Mandi is devoted to empowering girls through the camp experience, and believes wholeheartedly in the amazing powers of both the arts and of camp to shape and change girls’ lives. She is committed to meeting the needs of the entire camp community - campers, families and staff - in order to deliver the best possible experience for all.
Michelle Tolson
DANCE DIRECTOR
Michelle has been a dance teacher and choreographer for over thirty years. She has taught throughout the East coast and California and her students have won many regional and national titles. Michelle is also a pageant coach and has had students compete in the Miss New Hampshire, Miss Massachusetts and Miss New York programs, preliminaries to the Miss America Pageant. Michelle is a former Miss New Hampshire herself and competed in Miss America in 1996. She is a former Radio City Rockette where she performed at Radio City Music Hall for six years. While there she performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, on the Today Show and the Isaac Mizrahi show. A proud member of the Rockettes of Color Alumnae, she hosts precision line classes in NYC with fellow alumnae, providing an opportunity for all to dance with a Rockette.
A former professor at Wagner College, she is currently on faculty at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC where she also serves as the Academic Department Director for the jazz and tap programs. She is a founding Thrive Dance Experience faculty teacher as well as a founding Mentor for The Academy. She continues to choreograph and teach throughout the Northeast. Michelle has been judging for 20 years and tours the country as a master teacher and adjudicator.
Michelle has 18 years of summer camp experience, working as the Performing Arts Director as well as Head of Dance. In her spare time, she is the co-host for the podcast JAM Joe and Michelle’s Dance Podcast, which can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.
Kate Miller
ART DIRECTOR
A dedicated artist and educator from Kansas, Kate holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with expertise in ceramics, fine arts, and printmaking. With over two decades of teaching experience, Kate has earned accolades such as Kansas Art Educator of the Year and Elementary Educator of the Year. Her creative impact extends beyond the classroom, having won national art competitions and garnered recognition for her lesson plans.
Kate's passion for art education is evident in her 15-year tenure as the Art Director at an overnight camp, where she successfully built and led an enriching art program. Beyond teaching, she has served as the president of the Kansas Art Education Association, contributed to national committees, and currently leads local organizations in arts and tourism.
As a versatile artist, Kate has juried competitions, presented workshops, created public art, and works as a freelance illustrator and art curriculum consultant. Emphasizing that everyone is an artist, regardless of skill level, Kate advocates for the transformative power of art and camp experiences in fostering self-expression, exploration, lasting friendships, and more.
Michelle Bruckner
THEATER DIRECTOR
Michelle has performed all over the world. She made her Broadway debut in Chicago, The Musical, and also played Sheila on the American national tour of A Chorus Line. In addition to her extensive performance background, Michelle is also an experienced teacher of both young artists and professional actors. She has taught acting and musical theater all over the United States, as well as internationally, in places like Lisbon, Portugal, Berlin, and Mexico City.
Currently, Michelle is on faculty at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (ADMA) in NYC, and she also directs and choreographs shows (recent productions include Beauty and the Beast, and a show she wrote, Dominic’s Diner). Some of her favorite shows are Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Anything Goes, Jekyll and Hyde, among many others. When she’s not teaching and performing, Michelle hosts The Showgirl Tip of the Day Podcast, which talks about show business.
Rachel McFadden
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Rachel is passionate about all things outdoors. She attended a variety of summer camps growing up, and she eventually fell really in love with camp while participating in a Counselor-in-Training program. Prior to coming to Berkshire Lake, Rachel worked at two all-girls camps, holding a variety of roles, including being a cabin counselor, lifeguard, activity director, and wilderness trip leader. She has facilitated countless traditional camp activities including canoeing, hiking, wilderness survival, sailing, orienteering, environmental education, and more. Her love for camp even led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation, with a concentration in Outdoor Leadership.
In her role as Assistant Director at Berkshire Lake, Rachel helps bring the traditional camp magic to everything we do. She is dedicated to sharing her enthusiasm for camp and the outdoors with every girl she meets by creating a fun and inclusive environment. During the summer you’re most likely to find Rachel wearing a silly costume while leading an awesome evening program, checking in with the girls in their bunks, or helping out at her favorite activities.
