Who We Are

At Agassiz Village, it all starts with a smile. Our camp offers a safe and healthy environment where children’s smiles and laughter create lifelong friendships and provide a lifetime of memories. More importantly, our campers have the opportunity to embark on a life-changing experience. Agassiz Village campers take with them our values of responsibility, self-confidence, service to others and a commitment to learning.
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to prepare youth for life's journey.
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History
An overnight summer camp experience for thousands of children since 1935!

Our Mission

The mission of Agassiz Village is to prepare youth for life’s journey. 

We offer children the opportunity, in a summer camp environment, to develop and practice leadership and life skills that will impact their future in education, family, career, and in their communities.  Our programs are an investment in the future, to inspire and enable all children, especially those who need our support the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible leaders.

History

Agassiz Village was founded in 1935 at its present lakeside location in Poland Maine by Mr. & Mrs. Harry E. Burroughs. Then, as now, Agassiz gave children the opportunity to escape the hardship of their daily lives. Originally the camp served boys who worked as a newsboys, bootblacks, or other street vendors. The boys learned basic job skills, practiced school subjects, experienced outdoor living, and developed many life skills.
 
The camp opened its doors to an adaptive program for physically disabled campers in the late 1950's, and girls joined the camp in 1973 when it became coed. Both changes are still part of the program foundation today, and campers come from all over the Greater Boston area to experience this unique program.

Today, Agassiz Village serves nearly 1,000 children a summer. While we welcome all children ages 8–17, our focus is on underserved children in the greater Boston area. Most of our children live in at-risk neighborhoods in eastern Massachusetts. More than 85% of our participants come from low income or poverty level families.

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Board Members
Agassiz Village leadership has strong ties to the Greater Boston Area.
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Meet the Staff
Meet our year-round and summer leadership staff.
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Facilities
Agassiz Village is home to one of the largest log structures in the world.

Board Of Directors

OFFICERS

Stephen MacQuarrie, President
Eastern Bank (ret.)
Steve MacQuarrie is an Executive Interviewer for Greenwich Associates, a consulting and market research firm serving the world’s largest banks and brokerage houses. Prior to that, he was CEO of companies ranging from start-ups to $100 million in revenues. He also worked for Bank of Boston and Eastern Bank, running seven different business units ranging from residential real estate lending to international banking. He is currently a director and Treasurer of Northeast Pharmacy Services, a cooperative serving over 250 independent pharmacies in New England.

Leslie Hoyt, V. President, Alumna

Frank Finizio, Treasurer
Fidelity Investments (ret.)

Frank is currently retired after spending the last 10 years at Fidelity Investments as a Senior Contracts Manager. Prior to Fidelity, he was a Division Controller at BankBoston and an independent financial management consultant primarily servicing small companies. Frank is married and has two grown children.

Frank is currently retired after spending the last 10 years at Fidelity Investments as a Senior Contracts Manager. Prior to Fidelity, he was a Division Controller at BankBoston for 5 years, and prior to BankBoston he spent 9 years as an independent financial management consultant primarily servicing small companies.&amp. Frank is married with two grown children.

Kelly Swaney, Clerk


DIRECTORS

Allison Burroughs
United States District Court

Carlos Hoyt, Phd, LICSW, Alumnus
Social Identity, Social Bias, Social Justice Consultation

Calvin Hunter, Alumnus
CLH & Sons Construction

Lamees Kelley
HighVista Strategies

Christine Kenny
Loomis Sayles & Company

Jon Levy
American Holt Company

Theresa O'Bryant, Alumna
MA College of Liberal Arts

Michelle Cruz Peverley 
Triarri Capital

Arnie Stewart 
Committee For Public Counsel Services

Kelly Swaney 
Norwell, MA

Emeritus
Edmund Poirier, Alumnus
Parkland, FL

David Rosenberg
Prime Motor Group

Year-Round Staff

Cliff Simmonds, Executive Director

Cliff accepted the position of executive director at Agassiz Village in February 2010. He brings 10 years experience as the executive director of a well known environmental education and land stewardship organization in southern New Hampshire. Prior to that, Cliff was an environmental community relations consultant for 10 years and worked with the US Environmental Protection Agency to clean up hazardous waste sites.

Cliff’s roots are well planted in the nonprofit sector, starting his career at the March of Dimes and United Way. He later became the Communications and Volunteer Services Director at the Fernald School in Waltham, MA. Cliff prides himself on building relationships in the community and creatively accomplishing goals through effective fundraising initiatives, program management and outreach.

“I believe that having the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life is a gift. Making a difference in hundreds of children’s lives is a treasure.”


Thomas Semeta, Camp Director

Thomas who originally hails from Lithuania, has had many years of experience in the camping world. Prior to his position at Agassiz Village, Thomas spent four years as the Assistant Director to Camp Homeward Bound for homeless youth from New York City. His love for camping and children began with his experience as a wilderness and general camp counselor and then led to his position as a Program and Operations Assistant at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center and as an Associate Director at Camp Mar-Lu-Ridge in Frederick, Maryland. Thomas brings his hands-on experience, training in environmental education and summer camp/youth programming and development to his position as a full time Camp Director at Agassiz Village. His commitment to underserved youth and programming is evident.

 

Michelle Petronio, Development Director

 


Warren Soar, Facilities Manager

Warren has been with Agassiz Village for over 8 years and is charged with keeping the facilities safe and looking good throughout the summer. Warren spends his winters at camp as well where he enjoys hunting and ice fishing.

Summer Leadership Staff

Denise Donnellan, Operations Director

Louise Burton, Assistant Camp Director

Adan Membreno, Head Chef

Our Facilities

Agassiz Village is nestled on 400 scenic acres on the shore of beautiful Thompson Lake in Poland Maine. Facilities include:

  • The world’s largest log building which serves as the camp’s dining hall
  • 18 cabins housing campers and counselors. All cabins have electricity, lavatory facilities and a large porch
  • An Arts and Crafts Center
  • A health center with a full-time staff and secure storage for all camper medication
  • Outdoor activities space includes sports fields, GaGa court, basketball courts, hiking trails
  • A waterfront area which includes a sandy beach, docks, boating and a fishing area

Campers line up for each meal outside the dining hall and are seated by village (a boys village and a girls village)

Town Hall is a central gathering place for evening activities such as our Talent Show and Club Royale Dance.

Swim instruction, boating and Water Olympics are all part of the waterfront experience, which includes beautiful sunsets and view of our islands.

All campers and staff stay in cabins nestled in the woods.

Agassiz Village encompasses over 400 acres including 3 islands and over 1.5 miles of waterfront.