Rhonda Beitmen - Education Coordinator
Born in Beaver Falls, PA, Rhonda Beitmen has lived in Florida for 26 years. She and her husband Duane live in Royal Palm Beach with their 4 cats (Mao-tse Tongue, Harley, Sebastian, and Mel). Their son Logan (who was a camp counselor here last year) just graduated from Bard College and is living in New York City. In her spare time, Rhonda enjoys photography, computers, playing board games, and reading. Her favorite place to visit is "Yellowstone National Park. The scenery and animals are spectacular, and we had a wonderful family time there."

Rhonda received her B.A. in English at the University of South Florida and attended graduate school at Penn State. Prior to joining Lion Country Safari's Education Dept. in 1998, Rhonda was an English instructor at PBCC and Penn State, and taught English and French at The King's Academy.

Her favorite animals here are Skittles (blue-fronted Amazon parrot) and Casper (umbrella cockatoo). Rhonda says the best part about working at Lion Country Safari is "the variety. Every day is a new adventure!" Rhonda's most memorable moment here was "meeting some of my former high school students, who now have families of their own, visiting here at Lion Country."

Jamie Worrell - Group 1
Jamie Worrell, the Group 1 Safari Day Camp counselor, was born in Ft. Lauderdale and has lived in Florida all her life. She lives in Wellington with her parents (Robin & Mark) and sister Kristyn. They have 2 huskies: Ed and Skye. Jamie is a special education major at the University of Central Florida. In her spare time, Jamie likes to go to the beach because “it’s just so relaxing to me.”

Prior to coming to Lion Country Safari to work in our summer day camp program, Jamie was an after-school worker at Wellington Christian School. She has also helped tutor elementary school students and has done some clerical work as well. She says her favorite animals here are the sloth and the lions. So far, her most memorable moment at Lion Country Safari was “seeing the lions in their night quarters” during the orientation tour. Jamie says what she likes best about working here is “the animals, and I love kids!”

Tracy Turner - Group 2
Born in Marquette, MI, Tracy Turner is spending this summer in Lake Worth. Her family consists of her parents (Mary & Bruce), 3 brothers (Todd, Trent, and Travis) and 2 sisters (Tammy and Teri). Tracy will graduate from Northern Michigan University with a B.A. in Computers and Marketing in December 2001. In her spare time, Tracy likes to go skiing, scuba diving, rollerblading, biking, and fishing. She also likes to play tennis. Tracy’s favorite place to visit is Great Britain: “Scotland has beautiful castles and scenery and London is an exciting city.”

She says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is “there are so many exotic animals, and the people are great!” Tracy’s favorite animals here are the siamangs. Her most memorable moment was “getting a behind-the-scenes look at the lions’ house and hearing them roar.” Prior to joining our summer camp staff, Tracy worked at Marquette Mountain Ski Hill.

Brienne Felton - Group 3
Brienne Felton, the Group 3 Safari Day Camp counselor, was born in Miami and has lived in Florida all her life. She lives in Loxahatchee with her parents, Dan and Abbe, and brother Kevin (13). They have 3 dogs: Ramba, a doberman, and 2 shih-tzus, Ishky and Cappi. She also has 2 older siblings, Michael (27) and Heather (23). Brienne is a Communications major at Palm Beach Community College.In her spare time, Brienne likes to sing, dance, and play the clarinet and sax. Her favorite place to visit is “New York because my grandparents live there.”

Prior to coming to Lion Country Safari to work in our summer day camp program, Brienne was a cashier at Publix. She says her favorite animals here are the monkeys and the lions. So far, her most memorable moment at Lion Country Safari was “walking on the catwalk” at the lion house. Brienne says what she likes best about working here is “the animals, the outdoors, and the kids.”

Jennifer Tanner - Group 4
Born in Broward, Jennifer Tanner has lived in Florida all her life. Her family consists of her parents (Gloria & Alan & stepmother Susan), sister Michelle (20), and brother Tim (17). They have 2 cats, Beedle Bugs and B.C. Jennifer is a psychology major at the University of Central Florida. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys reading and going to the beach. Her favorite place to visit is “anywhere with a beach because it’s my favorite place to be.”

She says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is “being able to see the animals at a close range.” Jennifer’s favorite animals here are the lions. Her most memorable moment was “being able to go into the lions’ house and seeing them up close.” Prior to joining our summer camp staff as the Group 4 counselor, Jennifer worked at Paxson Communications and at Wellington Christian School’s after-care program.

Jean Strong - Group 5
Jean Strong, the Group 5 Safari Day Camp counselor, was born in Ft. Lauderdale. She lives in Wellington with her significant other, Walt, her daughter Kayla (12), and son Tyler (born Feb. 16, 2001). They have a cat named Kitten and 9 fish. In her spare time, Jean likes to go hiking, swimming, and bargain hunting. She also enjoys doing crafts. Her favorite place to visit is the beach. Her favorite is Seal Beach, CA “with the cliffs and the ocean, and all the seals lying around.”

Prior to coming to Lion Country Safari to work in our summer day camp program, Jean was a dolphin trainer at Ocean World. She has also been a vet’s assistant and a day care worker. She says her favorite animals here are the lions. So far, her most memorable moment at Lion Country Safari was “seeing the lions feed, and getting up close to them.” Jean says what she likes best about working here is “the animals.”

Misty Robertson - Group 6
Born in Austin, TX, Misty Robertson has lived in Florida for 10 years. She and her parents live in Wellington with their dog Jake. Misty is a Psychology major at Tallahassee Community College. In her spare time, Misty likes to go shopping, watch TV, or play the French horn. Misty’s favorite places to visit are “New York and Texas. I have family in both places that I don’t get to see often.”

She says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is “the interaction between the kids and the animals.” Misty’s favorite animals here are the lions, monkeys, and turtles. Her most memorable moment was “walking on the catwalk in the lion house.” Prior to joining our summer camp staff as the Group 6 counselor, Misty worked at the Singer Island Dairy Queen.

Chris Baylor - Group7
Chris Baylor, the Group 7 Safari Day Camp counselor, was born in Tampa and lives in Pahokee with his wife Rebecca and son Dylan (born March 30, 2001). They have 2 cats and a reef aquarium. Chris teaches science at the Shepherd School in Pahokee. At Clearwater Christian College, he was a Biology major. His hobbies include his aquarium, rollerblading, fishing, paintball, and computers. His favorite place to visit is “Coral Reef because it’s one of the most diverse places for animal life.”

His favorite animals here are the lions. So far, his most memorable moment at Lion Country Safari was “going into the lion house and having the lions lunge and growl at us.” Chris says the best thing about working here is “all the animals.”

Kate Chapman - Group 8
Born in Cleveland, OH, Kate Chapman has lived in Florida for two summers. She and her parents live in Royal Palm Beach. This is her second summer at Safari Day Camp. Kate is a German and Public Relations major at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. She will graduate in May 2002. In her spare time, Kate is a big hockey fan, a student ambassador, and active in school organizations. She also designs and runs this camp website. Her favorite place to visit is Europe because “I love the culture and history of each country. I esp. like England and Austria.”

She says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is “learning more about the animals with the kids. And feeding the giraffes is a great experience.” Kate’s favorite animals here are the zebras. Her most memorable moment was “watching the lions destroy the zebra my group and I made last year.”

Wyatt Lilly - Counselor
Wyatt Lilly, the extra Safari Day Camp counselor, was born in West Palm Beach and has lived in Florida his whole life. He lives in Wellington with his parents (Carl & Jenny) and sister Brenna. They have 2 cats named Sky and Star. In his spare time, Wyatt likes to play drums, swim, work out, or play video games. His favorite place to visit is Yosemite because "it is so relaxing and a very interesting place."

Prior to coming to Lion Country Safari to work in our summer day camp program, Wyatt was involved in drum sales and retail stock. He performed in Russia with the New Gardens Band from June 14 - July 1. He is also a member of the Indian River Pops Orchestra. He currently attends PBCC, but hasn't decided on a major. His favorite animals here are the primates. Wyatt says the best part about working at Lion Country Safari is "the interaction with the people and the animals."

Mike Wolters - Lifeguard
Michael Wolters has lived in Florida all his life. He and his parents and one sibling live in Royal Palm Beach. They have cats. Michael is a senior at Royal Palm Beach High School, and earned his lifeguarding certificate at the same class as Aaron Sutch from Education. In his spare time, Michael plays hockey.

His favorite place to visit is the Fire Station because "I learn something new every time I am there." Mike is in the Explorers' Program with the Fire Dept. and hopes to be an E.M.T. one day. He says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is "the people and the environment." Mike's favorite animals here are the birds. His most memorable moment was "when I got to drive the bus."

Linda McAndrews - Education Assistant
Linda McAndrews, last year's Group 1 Safari Day Camp counselor, now works here full time in our Education Dept. She was born in Patterson, NJ, but has lived in Florida for 29 years. She and her husband Larry live in Royal Palm Beach with their sons Michael and Kevin. They have 2 horses (Babe & Breeze), 2 bunnies (Jet & Smokey), a cat (Bo Diddle), a dog (Muggs), a rooster (Mr. Buff), and 3 chicks (Apple, Jocelyn, & Consuelo). Linda graduated from Houghton College and also attended SUNY - Cobbleskill. She also completed the Docent Training Program at Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, where she was a docent for several years.

In her spare time, Linda enjoys horseback riding, bike riding, and reading. Her favorite place to visit is "North Carolina because of the seasons, 'real' trees and mountains." Prior to joining Lion Country Safari's Education Dept., Linda was a preschool teacher and a crossing guard. Her favorite LCS animals are the giraffes, and her most memorable moment was "feeding the giraffe with the summer camp kids." Linda says what she likes best about working here is "the animals and the children."

Kathy Kleban - Education Assistant
Born in Lafayette, IN, Kathy Kleban has lived in Florida for 24 years. Her family consists of her mother and 5 sisters. She lives in West Palm Beach and has 2 dogs. Kathy graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando and held office jobs prior to joining Lion Country Safari's Education Dept. last Fall. In her spare time, Kathy enjoys writing (including poetry), motorcycling, and swimming. Her favorite place to visit is "Houston because most of my family is there."

She says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is "doing tours of the preserve, seeing the animals roaming in a natural setting." Kathy says all the animals are her favorites, but points out a special fondness for the giraffe and Gonzo, the sloth. Her most memorable moment was "the day the tour bus was surrounded by the giraffe. Also, when we found out we got the AZA accreditation."

Aaron Sutch - Education Specialist
Aaron Sutch was born in Long Beach. CA and has lived in Florida for 5 years. His family consists of his parents and one sister. They have 2 dogs and 3 cats. Aaron lives in Lake Worth. He received his A.A. degree at San Diego State and his B.A. in Spanish at FAU. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys music (he sings and plays guitar) and surfing.

His favorite place to visit is Rio de Janiero "because of the great cultural scene and the warm people." He says the best part of working at Lion Country Safari is "the interaction with people and animals." Aaron's favorite animal here is Gonzo the sloth. His most memorable moment was "getting a close-up look at the lion house."

Courtney Achord - Education Specialist
Born in Ventura, CA, Courtney Achord has lived in Florida for 14 years. She lives in West Palm Beach with his parents (Lee & Anita) and brother Wes. They have 5 cats, 2 dogs, and 4 birds. She also has a fiancé, John. In her spare time, Courtney likes photography and gardening. Her favorite place to visit is "Orlando. I lived there for 12 years, and there's a lot to do." Courtney graduated from Central York High School and has been studying Environmental Science at PBCC.

Prior to joining Lion Country Safari's Education Dept. in January, she was a museum guide with the Florida Parks Service (John D. MacArthur State Park). She also organized their summer camp program.Her favorite animal here is Bubba the ferret. Courtney says the best part about working at Lion Country Safari is "getting people excited and informed about the animals during shows and tours." Courtney's most memorable moment here was "watching a baby giraffe learn how to stand. And our AZA accreditation."