Joel Gill - Executive Director

Joel joined the staff of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in 2011 as the Program Director and was promoted to Executive Director in 2017. Joel is a native of Arkansas and a graduate of Austin College. His work experience, which includes various camps and youth development organizations throughout the United States, has provided an excellent foundation to lead the team at Ferncliff. Joel attributes his time spent at Arkansas 4-H Center and Heifer International with giving him a valuable perspective on the importance of organizations, such as Ferncliff, on the campers we connect with each year as well as the business and corporate community. In all aspects of his work Joel is always focused on promoting the Ferncliff mission of welcoming people into a life of caring for Creation, others and themselves. Joel has served on the board of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association for the seven years most recently as the President of the organization. He enjoys trail running, watching his four kids play sports and kicking around new ideas.  Joel believes Ferncliff is a perfect place to work to fulfill his passion of connecting people to God through experiences in nature while also satisfying his need to be creative and give back to others.

Bradley Doherty - Chief Operations Officer

Bradley joined the staff of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in 2023.  As COO Bradley oversees day to day operations of camp.  He is originally from Wichita, Kansas, but has also lived in Colorado, Texas, Tennessee and Oklahoma.  Bradley has his bachelors and master’s in architecture from Texas Tech University.  He has worked full-time at YMCA, Methodist and other Presbyterian camps in various capacities, giving him a unique perspective and diverse skill set.  Bradley feels called to work in camp and retreat ministry because of the amazing impact a positive experience can have on a person’s development and faith journey.  He is energized every morning knowing he has the opportunity to work at a place that can make a life-changing impact on participants.  Bradley believes that people and relationships are the most important part of camp and what makes Ferncliff so special.  When not at Ferncliff Bradley can be found cycling, running, golfing, enjoying the outdoors or spending time with his family.

Jordan Lawson - Director of Group Sales

Jordan is responsible for booking all of Ferncliff's conference and retreat groups.  She is an Arkansan born and raised. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Arkansas State University. She brings 10 years of sales experience and customer service expertise to her role at Ferncliff as Director of Group Sales. Jordan has seen firsthand the impact that Ferncliff can have after sending her eldest son for summer camp. She is excited to help others witness the natural beauty, community, love, and Christian hospitality that Ferncliff offers. In her free time Jordan enjoys DIY projects, being outdoors, and spending time with her husband and three children.  If you interested in having a family reunion, church retreat, day event or corporate retreat at Ferncliff, she's the one to contact!  

Emily Hooker - Director of Mission and Outreach

Emily oversees all things related to mission and outreach for Ferncliff, which includes the Disaster Assistance Center, Sharing the Goods program, farmstead, volunteer groups, and mission teams. Emily is originally from York, Pennsylvania, but has called Arkansas home since 2008. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a Master of Public Service from the Clinton School in Little Rock. Emily began working full time at Ferncliff in 2014 after four summers on summer staff. She is passionate about providing opportunities for folks of all ages to connect with themselves, others, and the Divine through nature and service. Emily is a certified Arkansas Master Naturalist, a Red Cross instructor in lifeguarding and first aid, an avid bird watcher, and a big fan of hiking and camping. When she's not enjoying the great outdoors, you can find her knitting, reading, and spending time with her husband Joseph and her baby daughter Beatrice.

Rev. Jocelyn Wildwright - Program Director and Chaplain

Lizz Garbett – Director of Group Experience

 Meet Lizz Garbett! She joined Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center as Director of Group Experience in 2024.  Lizz may be new to our staff but she is far from new to Ferncliff.  Over the span of nearly 10 years she has been volunteering for summer camps and winter camps. As Director of Group Experience Lizz works with groups in planning the details that will make their retreat amazing.  She coordinates menus, meeting space setups, AVL needs, programming and more.  She serves as host for our retreat groups while on site. Her goal is to help set the foundation so that our groups can have a transformative time at Ferncliff.  Lizz began her professional career as a registered nurse over 20 years ago, earning her diploma from Baptist Health School of Nursing and a Bachelor’s of Nursing from University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience spanning various nurse specialties including surgery, oncology, hospice, school nursing as well as child and adolescent psychiatry.  At its core nursing is caring for people, and Lizz looks forward to bringing that care to Ferncliff.  When not working with a group you can find her in the Welcome Center ready for a conversation.  She loves to care for people and loves Ferncliff and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure guest experiences here are top notch.

Karle Johnson - Director of Food and Beverage

Karle joined Ferncliff as the Food and Beverage Director in the Fall of 2023. He lives in Little Rock with his wife and two-year-old son.  Originally from Arkansas but growing up in Texas, he has an eclectic food experience and flavor palette. He's worked at many local restaurants and trained under Chefs Paul Bash and Todd Gold. Most recently, he was the executive chef at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs. When he isn't cooking or running the daily food services at Ferncliff, you can find him kayaking or fishing, hanging out with his family or playing music with his band. He's also a published author, and loves writing and reading fiction. Karle's credo for food has always been simple food prepared well that nourishes the mind, body and spirit. He looks forward to bringing that to Ferncliff!

Ruth Arnold - Assistant Program Director

Pam Carpenter - Head of Housekeeping

Kathi Payne - Office Administrator

Tom Gentry - Operations Manager

Jonathan Caudle - Assoc. Manager of Maintenance

Jax Puckett - Kitchen Manager

Rachel Parker - Nature Preschool Director

Rachel is originally from The Natural State. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in Early Childhood Special Education and worked with preschoolers with severe developmental delays for 8 years before becoming a Forest Kindergarten teacher.  She is passionate about getting young children connected with nature, which is what lead her to Ferncliff.  She started the nature preschool 7 years ago and has been the Director ever since. She lives in Ferndale with her husband and their two children. She loves spending her time camping with friends and family, keeping an ear out for great music, and refining her kite flying skills.

Dorothy Thomas - Nature Preschool Lead Teacher

Dorothy calls Arkansas home, though she grew up in the Midwest and Texas.  She landed at Ferncliff in 2015 as an intern and then accepted a teaching assistant position with the preschool in 2016.  She finds joy in working with children and being in the outdoors, has 17 years experience working with children, and has completed course work in child development from the University of Central Missouri, which makes her a natural fit for our program.  She is an Arkansas Master Naturalist and has just recently completed a Nature-Based Teacher Certification course with the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools.  When not at the school she likes to explore the State Parks of Arkansas, support the local art and music communities statewide, and is learning to play the Dulcimer.

John Hooker - Nature Preschool Lead Teacher

Hi everyone, my name is John Wilson Hooker! I’ve lived in Central Arkansas for all my life and have been working at summer camps and in early childhood education since I was fourteen years old. I’m a big hiker, a big consumer of animation and new music, and an even bigger goof ball when given the slightest opportunity. I love a good cup of tea, any dish with copious amounts of mushrooms, and spending time with ornery cats. I graduated from Hendrix College in 2018, and I’ve been working in the outdoor education field with 3, 4, and 5 years olds since January of 2019. I’m so excited about continuing that journey at Ferncliff!

Cindy Quiroz - Nature Preschool Lead Teacher

Cindy Q “Monarch” was born and raised in Mexico until the age of 8 and has been a native of Arkansas for over 20 years. She loves being a short drive to water, hiking, camping, biking, and all the wonder that surrounds our state! When she’s not outdoors you can catch her reading a book, practicing yoga, listening to music, playing with two very slobbery dogs, jewelry making with her daughter, or brushing up on her Spanish with her grandparents.

Janae McCallister - Nature Preschool Teaching Assistant

My name is Janae McCallister & I am so excited to be joining the Ferncliff Nature Preschool staff this year. I was born & raised in Arkansas & after spending 9 years in Mississippi, my family & I relocated back to The Natural State in 2021. I am married, with 3 boys, ages 11, 8 & 4. We love to spend our weekends camping, hiking, or at the lake when we aren’t busy playing baseball. I am also a huge animal lover & our 4 mini Aussies are always adventuring with us. I love to read, do lots of DIY projects around the home & anything crafty/creative. I have a long history of working with kids, starting with babysitting, working in a traditional preschool setting, nannying, & then raising my own 3 boys. I studied Wildlife Ecology & Early Childhood education in college & I am looking forward to the opportunity this year to incorporate my love of nature into working with kids. I can’t wait for all the experiences we will get to enjoy together!

Maiela Leinberger - Nature Preschool Teaching Assistant

Maiela Leinberger is an assistant teacher at Ferncliff Nature School. New to the Little Rock area she is motivated by the chance to help create the magic and love she received as a child. Maiela brings artistic talents and an ability to connect with young children to Ferncliff. These past two years she has worked at a new forest school in Wisconsin both as an assistant teacher and an Americorps Volunteer. She is excited for a new educational environment and to continue learning alongside wonderful and inspiring people and children.

Anna Derting - Nature Preschool Teaching Assistant

Anna Derting is from Washington State. She has worked with both the Summer Camp programs and the Nature Preschool here at Ferncliff for the past year. She is currently working towards her early childhood education credentials. She loves cooking and baking and enjoys a good afternoon nap. A fun fact about Anna is that she was born in Madagascar! Anna is most excited for making new friends and welcoming kids into a loving environment.

Rachel Talmadge - Nature Preschool Teaching Assistant

Rachel was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She loves reading, being in nature, and hanging out with her family. She is a graduate from Mississippi State University, where she studied Elementary Education. She has worked at Camp Hanover for the last 4 years and is excited to join the Ferncliff team! Rachel will be a floating Teaching Assistant at the Nature Preschool this school year.