Our Staff

Warren Kaestner
Director
Warren joined the Laurel Ridge team on November 1, 2011. A native of Seattle, WA, Warren worked 15 years at Boeing Aerospace Co. Feeling a call into the Christian camping ministry, he spent the next 15 years as Director of Operations and Executive Director of Camp & Retreat Ministries at camps in Michigan and Minnesota. He then served as General Manager of Whitestone Country Inn in Tennessee. Most recently he and his wife, Bev, have operated a Christian bookstore business. Warren is passionate about the ministry of Christian Camping and honored to serve at Laurel Ridge.

Laura Watson
Assistant Director
Laura Watson is the assistant director of Laurel Ridge and joined the Laurel Ridge family in January of 2008. Her early experiences on the mountain include four summers on M-Staff and two summers as program coordinator. Prior to coming to Laurel Ridge, she taught in Orlando, Florida and worked at Salem College, her alma mater, as the Assistant Director of Admissions. She is a life-long member of Home Moravian Church and is thrilled that her husband, Mark, is now a Moravian too. She enjoys sharing Laurel Ridge with families and individuals who are visiting for the first time and looks forward to Moravian Mountain Christmas every year.

Erin Gonda
Office Manager
A native of Bethlehem, PA, Erin spent 2 summers on M-Staff and returned to Laurel Ridge in 2010 for a summer of volunteering. After spending 2 months in Tanzania on a mission trip, she settled permanently in Laurel Springs in November of 2010 and joined the full-time staff in Spring of 2011. Her love is summer camp and the outdoors; in her spare time she enjoys running on the Blue Ridge Parkway and representing Team Laurel Ridge at races of all distances.

Bill Oliver
Higgins Lodge Manager
Bill accepted the position of Higgins Lodge Manager in May 2011. Originally from just south of Greensboro, NC, Bill has always had a fondness for the NC Mountains, finding that the beauty and peace of the area refreshes one’s spirit and reawaken’s in us the wonder of God and His creation. He came to Alleghany County in the spring of 2005 when he took the position of Lodge Manager at the Bluffs Lodge in Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He likes to take day hikes on the many trails in the area (enjoying a picnic lunch along the way), and also enjoys camping, scuba diving, reading and playing golf.

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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us 336-359-2951 or toll free 888-831-5922, email us, or use our online request form.