Camp Rockmont’s Director, Austin Ashcraft, will be departing at the end of September 2026 after five incredible years of service and commitment to Rockmont, and more than two decades of service to the summer camp industry.
The Rockmont Team, Board, Ownership Group, and entire Community wish Austin the absolute best, and we can’t wait to witness the adventures he embarks on in this next chapter. His leadership and stewardship have left a lasting impression on the lives of thousands of campers and staff, and his impact on Rockmont will be felt for years to come.
The Rockmont Board is excited for Daniel Weatherby to step into the role of Camp Director.
With a dedicated and experienced team alongside him, we are thrilled for Daniel to lead Rockmont into its next chapter.
Below, Daniel shares a personal reflection on Austin’s contributions to Rockmont and the friendship and camaraderie they developed along the way. Then, read more about Daniel’s Rockmont journey and get to know our new director!
I first met Austin during the summer of 2021, when he came to visit camp while being recruited to join the full time team.
I have to admit, I was skeptical.
And anyone might be, when someone new shows up to a place you’ve called home for 20 years. Especially when that person comes from, and get this… A different camp.
I was tasked with toting around this long-haired newbie all over camp, and I was initially struck with how quiet he was. First impressions are a funny thing, and usually are great indicators of how your experience of that person will be. I’m glad to say, on that front, I was way off.
During the morning we went around to various skills, saw the lake in action, I took him to the Ship and probably noted “it looks like that because it was built by a pretty profound liberal arts college in the 1940s.” At one point we were headed towards council, and then changed course as I thought it should be experienced first in action.
In the afternoon we headed up to Inspiration Point for the Bear Camp Slip’n’Slide. In cuing up music, I asked him to help me pick a playlist, throwing him my phone. Right there in the “Now Playing” box was the square logo of a comedy podcast with a Theologian, Richard Rohr, as the guest. I was surprised to hear Austin raise his voice – that involuntary experience of elation when you discover an incredibly random, and somehow not, data-point of connection in a fellow human being.
It may seem strange to note the day we met with such specificity, but as I reflect on it, what strikes me is that this is how friendship is formed at camp.
Camp friendship, as many of you know, has a unique depth and carves out specific, life-long real estate in the heart.
Often the best and longest lasting ones begin just like this – in the random, small moments you could never manufacture anywhere else.
The impact Austin has made at Rockmont is most profound in the way he has impacted the people.
To a camper, Austin leads from the front – especially when it comes to FUN. On any given summer day, you can find Austin playing Spikeball on the lawn above the Waterfront, running like a maniac as the Outbreak ZOMBIE KING, or hitting the lake for Free Swim probably more than any other staff member. That sense of fun doesn’t stop with the campers; it trickles down into the way he leads and interacts with the team.
I can’t tell you the number of times he’s reminded me, usually in the middle of some work-related conversation, “You work at a summer camp. If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.” By living that out, he’s made sure that we don’t forget it.
As huge as his impact has been for campers, it is even more profound for our staff.
“What do you seek?”
Austin has called our entire summer staff to action by returning, again and again, to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of John. And we need to hear it again and again. It’s a simple question, but it gets at the heart of Austin’s posture as a mentor: curiosity, care, and the wisdom to offer more questions than answers.
He has a remarkable ability to create the space for people to wrestle, wonder, discover, and ultimately grow into their own answers.
Rather than telling people who they should become, Austin has a remarkable way of helping them ask better questions about who they want to be.
I’ve heard from countless staff over the years how impactful Austin’s words have been when he embodies the role of teacher. And the good news for them is that there are many of those moments each summer: from Vespers during staff training, to Evening Watches, Staff Church on Sundays, and especially at Council.
The impact Austin has made on our staff is probably best expressed by our staff themselves, and notably, during Austin’s final council during Two Week 4, just a few weeks ago.
Without prior coordination, he was invited by each presenting counselor to the center of the Council Ring to participate in literally every element of council: lighting the fire, passing the peace, The Great Torch Relay, and as the centerpiece of the Country Roads adaptation brought by longtime staff members Ecstatic Elephant (Riley Johnson) & The Great Wall (Richard Monk). The various elements ranged from the silly, to the sacred, to the absolute absurd – and all of it was received by Charging River (Austin) with a smile.
It is a huge thing to stand in front of a group of college students and teach week after week, day after day. It is another thing entirely to become part of the fabric of their experience.
While the summer staff have experienced his leadership in some of the most visible moments of camp, those of us on the full-time team have had the privilege of experiencing it in the quieter, messier, more ordinary moments that make up a year at Rockmont.
“What up, Party People.”
I can almost guarantee that any meeting with our camp team has a high probability of beginning with those exact words.
The summer camp industry is a funny one. We operate sophisticated organizations while creating a culture that feels anything but corporate. We work to stay current with technology, techniques, and best practices while intentionally creating an experience that is entirely absent of technology. And we attract people who care deeply enough about this work to give an extraordinary amount of their time and energy to it. Leading a summer camp requires a strange combination of business acumen, vision, resilience, creativity, and, above all, a deep care for people.
When I think of Austin, I think of all of those things, but especially his commitment, profound care, and courage.
It would take a great deal of time and typing to cover all of his contributions to our team’s culture and community.
But I’ll share this: he’s seen each member of our team through profound seasons of life, and he knows how to show up.
There are times when he has needed to show up as our leader, providing clarity in challenging circumstances. There are times when he needs to show up as a pastoral mentor in our lives, as we experience the rhythms of joy and pain within our community. As a neighbor, he’ll have food at your door when you need it, and host the best crawfish boil the Swannanoa Valley has ever seen. And there are times, and I’m grateful to say plenty, when he knows to show up as a friend.
Of our many connection points: co-workers, collaborators, band-mates, neighbors… I’m most proud to call Austin, friend.
The good news for you and me both is that he’s promised not to be a stranger. To the communities he has yet to be a part of, that he’ll meet on the journey, you’re in for a real treat.
– Daniel Weatherby, Camp Director
A message from the Rockmont Board:
Daniel’s Rockmont journey began in 1999, when he arrived as an eight-year-old camper and unpacked his bags in Cabin 1. For more than 25 years, his connection to camp has grown from childhood experience into a commitment to helping others discover what makes Rockmont special. His years of service as Assistant Director and Associate Director span important chapters in camp’s history, including the transition to Lake Eden Preserve’s ownership by alumni, parents, and friends committed to its future. He brings a deeply personal understanding of Rockmont’s traditions alongside the practical experience of helping lead camp.
We are proud to support Daniel as he steps into the role of Camp Director. His creativity, experience, and love for Rockmont give us confidence in his ability to preserve the best of camp while finding fresh ways to serve today’s boys and families. Alongside our dedicated and experienced team, he will carry forward the adventure, friendship, Christian community, and opportunities for growth that families treasure. We are excited for the next generation of campers to find their place at Rockmont, just as Daniel did in Cabin 1.
2 Comments
By Benjamin Schwing /
Couldn’t think of anyone more capable to fill in the role for Austin! Congrats Daniel, and best of luck on your next adventure, Craft! Always the fondest of memories with you both.
By Rebecca /
What a beautiful testament to Austin’s time here! Thank you, Daniel! Austin will be missed!