RICHARD WATKINS JR.

President

Richard Watkins Jr., board member of DeafBlind Camp of Maryland. He is an SSP for the DeafBlind Camp of Maryland since 2017. He also served as an SSP coordinator a few times. He was born and raised in a small town, Gibsonville, North Carolina. Richard is Deaf and has several Deaf/Hard of Hearing family members. After living in Washington, DC to attend graduate school, he realized he missed his Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in North Carolina. He relocated back to NC! He currently works with the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH).

Richard graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science in Professions of Deafness: Advocacy and Services for the Deaf, a minor in Business Administration, and a second minor in Social Work. He graduated from Gallaudet University with a Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2020. While completing his master’s degree he lived in Norway for three months and completed an internship with Conrad Svendsen Senter. In Norway, he worked with DeafBlind populations ensuring they received proper resources and advanced their independent living skills.

He enjoys working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind individuals in NC and teaching ASL/Deaf Culture classes during his free time.

When not working, he enjoys outdoor adventures such as hiking, camping, and relaxing at the beach! Also, he volunteers to support the DeafBlind community by providing support services.

KIM BEST

Kathi JefraSecretary 

Kim is a Real Estate Agent in the state of Delaware who started taking ASL classes to help support a friend who’s niece was born Deaf. She was a mentor at Delaware School for the Deaf for several years. Kim has been involved with the DeafBlind Camp of Maryland since 2009 and has volunteered as an SSP, worked on the planning committee and now serves on the Board.

KATHI JEFRAKathi JefraTreasurer

Kathleen Jeffra received a B.S. in Elementary Ed/Early Childhood Development from College of Notre Dame of MD and has extensive experience teaching students from preschool to adult, especially in a religious setting. It was in the classroom that she became interested in American Sign Language when 2 young boys who were CODAs joined her class. Kathi began working at Christ Deaf Church and Deaf Shalom Zone in 2013 and became involved with DeafBlind Camp that same year. Since then she has contributed as an SSP, with administrative and logistics support for the camp, assisted with fundraising activities, and joined the Board of Directors in 2017.

BOARD MEMBER

BRUCE DENHART

Photo of Bruce Denhart

Before joining the Board in 2019, Bruce has been involved with MWADB(Metro-Washington Association for the DeafBlind) as Board of Directors for many years and is member of MWADB. I have been attending DBCMD for about 7 times as camper.  Also I am Webmaster for the DeafBlind Camp of Maryland and dose some volunteer helping out at camp.  I graduated from NTID(National Technical Institute for the Deaf) as Associate degree in Data Processing and Accountant and Gallaudet University as Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information System.  I am still working for the Federal government.  I enjoyed attending DeafBlind camp.

LINDSAY STONE

Lindsay Stone start volunteering as an SSP in 2011 and fell in love with the camp. They have been an SSP coordinator since 2014. 

Lindsay grew up in a small town in Washington state, but left for Gallaudet when they graduated high school. They graduated from Gallaudet University with a B.A. in ASL and a minor in English, then graduated from McDaniel College with an MS in Bilingual Deaf Education. They decided to remain in Maryland for 18 years before moving back to the west coast. After a few years of traveling with the renaissance festivals, they settled back in their home town to be closer to their family.

MEMBER AT-LARGE

GUINEVERE A. HEAD-ALLEN


Guinevere is DeafBlind with Usher Syndrome. She has a sister who is also DeafBlind with Usher Syndrome as well. She have a few hearing loss and vision loss members in her family. She graduated with Associate degree in Early Childhood Development at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina. She was a associate teacher and paraprofessional to work with deaf and special needs children. In 2023, her first DeafBlind camp was DBCMD and it touches her heart very deep and wanted to be involved with the camp. She enjoys helping out with DeafBlind folks and SSP/CN/volunteer folks. As now, she starts at Gallaudet University in Fall 2024 to pursue for Bachelor’s degree in social work and DeafBlind education to be DeafBlind social worker and wants to work with DeafBlind Community. ❤️