Please help us welcome our new Director of Donor Engagement, Joel Abenth!

Joel grew up in Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. His own camp story starts in the National Forests of the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan.  He has worked professionally in Program and Adventure Leadership in Wisconsin and Colorado, and most recently as an Executive Director for the last 16 years in Northeastern Minnesota. He has a passion for fundraising and donor engagement.  Joel loves hearing people tell their camp story and finding new ways to invite people into supporting camp for the first time.

He enjoys playing guitar, mandolin and banjo, learning about the woods around him, woodcarving and bowl turning.  He is honored to be a confirmation mentor in his home congregation and loves preaching as a way to connect people with the wonders of camp. His wife Amie, daughter Ella, and son Isak live near the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, MN.

Joel’s extensive background, professional connections, and dedication to service, combined with his enthusiasm for outdoor ministry, position him as a great advocate for Camp Wapo, Wilderness Canoe Base, and Ox Lake. We can’t for you to meet him!