The J Faces of Summer
It takes a village to make each summer at the J the best summer ever. We want you to meet our great staff who are experts at creating experiences that keep you and your family having a blast. From our pools to Camp Sabra to J Day Camps, these superstars are the best at making the most out of the summer!
Craig Neuman
Director of Programming
J Staffer since January 2008
Favorite Summer Song: “Hot Fun in the Summer Time” by Sly and the Family Stone
Favorite Summer Drink: Arnold Palmer
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: My favorite summer J activity is going to Camp Sabra and having lunch in a raucous dining hall!
Favorite Concert: I saw the Grateful Dead for 4 summers in a row at Soldier Field from 1991-1994. I skipped the 1995 shows figuring I’d have plenty of other chances to see them. Little did I know…
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Going to Cardinals games with my family because I can spend time with my family and the Cardinals are awesome!
Favorite Summer Food: Grilled hot dogs
Favorite Summer Memory at the J: One of my favorite memories at the J was in 2013 when we worked with the St. Louis Cardinals to help coordinate the very first Jewish Community Day at Busch Stadium. Rick Recht held a pre-game concert in the stadium, and I was able to go down on the field pre-game to watch one of our Board Members throw out the first pitch. As a Cardinals fan, being on the field and rubbing elbows with players and coaches was an unforgettable experience. As a member of the Jewish community, being in the stadium with hundreds of others from my community—all wearing t-shirts emblazoned with “Saint Louis Cardinals” in Hebrew—was equally as powerful.
Terri Grossman
Director of Camp Sabra
J Staffer since September 2017 (this time)
Favorite Summer Drink: Lots of water
Favorite Summer Song: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver (or Sabra campers)
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Camp Sabra swimming in the lake!!
Favorite Concert: Indigo Girls (2008)
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Hiking
Favorite Summer Food: Watermelon
Ben Panet
Camp Sabra Assistant Director – Staffing and Programming
J staffer since January 2012
Favorite Concert: Tom Petty (2005)
Favorite Summer Drink: Slushies
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Camp Sabra is my fav activity – lake life is the best life! Spending summer with kids from all over the country, teaching them how to water ski, and getting to watch lifelong friendships form in front of us is the actual best part.
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Backyard BBQs with friends
Favorite Summer Food: Burger & Fries
Brad “Chots” Chotiner
Director of J Day Camps
J Staffer since February 2014
Favorite Concert: Grateful Dead (1994)
Favorite Summer Song: “Cheeseburger in Paradise” by Jimmy Buffet
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Free swim at J day Camps, it’s a great way to cool off and have loads of fun – all at the same time
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Water Skiing
Favorite Summer Food: Hot Dogs
Favorite Summer Drink: Slurpees
Jessica Bauer
Chesterfield Site Director, J Day Camps
J Staffer since May 2014
Favorite Summer Drink: Iced Coffee
Favorite Concert: Madonna (2013) and Billy Joel (2014)
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Camp – the buzz of the camp environment with kids singing camp songs and playing
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: BBQs and playground-hopping with my kids
Favorite Summer Food: Ice cream
Looking Forward to the Most this Summer: I am looking forward to our campers singing songs and laughing with their friends and counselors at camp!
Shamecka Nichols
Inclusion Supervisor
J Staffer since July 2018
Favorite Summer Song: “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Favorite Summer Drink: Cherry Snow Cones
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Swimming. I love sun and water! Swimming helps me to relax while giving me a sense of peace.
Favorite Concert: Anthony Hamilton (2014)
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Grilling food while hanging with my family.
Favorite Summer Food: Grilled foods
Looking Forward to the Most this Summer: I look forward to spending more time with my family without the hustle and bustle of homework and extra activities. I’m also looking forward to swimming! I love the water on a hot Summer Day!
Heather Cheseman
Aquatics Director
J Staffer since February 2014
Favorite Summer Food: Ice cream
Favorite Concert: The Killers (2013)
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: THE POOL!! Also, I love our summer swim team!
Favorite Summer Song: One song and one song only. “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: I grew up at a lake in Hillsboro. My weekends are spent there 😊
Favorite Summer Drink: I like a drink by the lake
Shyanne Martin
Aquatics Supervisor
J Staffer since August 2015
Favorite Summer Song: “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi
Favorite Summer Food: Hotdog and chips
Favorite Summer Activity at the J: Swimming of course! At the Chesterfield J, the pool feels so private and like you’re at home when you swim outdoors. The grassy hill and trees make it seem like you’re just swimming in your backyard.
Favorite Concert: Anthony Hamilton (2014)
Favorite Summer Activity Outside the J: Grilling food while hanging with my family
Favorite Summer Food: Grilled foods
Favorite Summer Memory at the J: One year during our annual 4th of July “Duck Race” one of the participants got so excited for his duck to win the race that he made poster signs to cheer for his duck when we dropped them down the slide. He ran around the entire pool deck screaming “this is the best day of my life” because his duck won 3rd place!