Staff & Alumni

Camp Living Stones has been blessed, year after year, with an incredible summer staff. We accept applications year round and would love for you to apply to work with us during the upcoming summer. Both Counselor and Counselor in Training (CIT) positions are available. Counselor positions are summer long, paid positions and applicants must be out of high school for at least one full year. CIT positions are week long, volunteer positions and applicants should have either recently graduated from high school or be preparing to enter their senior year. A limited number of positions are available each summer, and each applicant is considered through much prayer.

To apply, simply complete a counselor application and send it in!

2008 Staff Bios

Jon and Gretchen Smeltzer,
Alea and Laurel: A graduate of Baylor University in 1998, Jon and his brother Eric Smeltzer started Camp Living Stones that same year. Jon worked at several camps in years prior to CLS, but now maintains the position of Director. Jon and Gretchen met at CLS, married, and now have two beautiful daughters. Alea loves digging for 'wormies' with her daddy. Laurel enjoys eating, sleeping, and laughing at Wrangler.
Jon's dream is to drive the CLS bus across the country.

"Maw and Paw" Smeltzer: Richard "Pop" Smetzer is Jon's father and the husband of "Mama."  Pop fills a wide variety of functions at CLS from trashman to Chairman of the board of Directors.  His main job now, however, is assistant cook.  In his spare time (when Mama lets him off) he makes walking sticks for the Camp store. 

"Mama" S is Jon's Mom.  She has worked with youth for about forty years and loves the Lord.  She has taught High School English, worked as an interim Youth Minister, and been a mom.  Now, she is chief cook and bottle washer at Camp. 

Matt Cushing: After graduating from Baylor University in 1999, Matt embarked upon his five-year nomadic journey to dodge what some call the real world. After landing jobs as a forklift operator, bus driver, camp counselor (once again), and Outward Bound Instructor Matt took what some might call his first and only real job. If you can call riding around in a boat in the Florida Keys enforcing laws a real job. Serving three years in the Keys as a Fish and Wildlife Officer and TV star Matt has turned in his badge cut his ties and his mustache and moved to Camp Living Stones to be the Assistant Director.

Cassie Fryfogle: Cassie grew up in Stuart, FL spending most of her free time at the beach. She spent her first two years of college at the University of Florida in Gainesville and remains a loyal Gator fan! She ended up moving to Orlando to pursue ministry opportunities and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2007. She just finished her first year teaching fourth grade and is grateful she is able to spend her summer at CLS. Her passions are music, reading, board games, traveling, Starbucks, laughing, and hanging out with family and friends. She is super excited about escaping city life to spend some time in the mountains this summer fully pursuing Christ and encouraging others to do the same.

Elizabeth Grona: Elizabeth is 21 years old and from Huntsville, Texas. She is finally a senior (yeah!) at Sam Houston State University and is majoring in health. She loves sailing, snow cones, books, and my amazing family and great friends. Because of her awesome week at Camp Living Stones, she has worked at another Christian camp in Texas for three years. She’s so excited that God has blessed her with the chance to go back and serve as a counselor this summer at CLS, and she can’t wait to see what He has in store.

Lance Harmon: Lance is 20 years old and from Meigs County, TN. He is currently living in Cookeville, TN and attending Tennessee Tech University where he is majoring in Marketing. This is his second year working at Camp Living Stones, and he is glad to be back working with the Smeltzer/Cushing duo. He has retired his bandana look and his black 2004 X-Terra and has returned to camp with 121,342 hours of volleyball experience. Watch out Matt Cushing!

Courtney Harris: Courtney was born and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee. She graduated from Mt. Juliet Christian in 2007 and now attends Volunteer State Community College where she is majoring in Elementary Education. She frequently laughs uncontrollably, which is awesome. She’s a powerhouse on the volleyball court and enjoys gigantic spoonfuls of peanut butter from Maw and Paw’s kitchen at midnight. She is looking forward to an exciting summer and can’t wait to meet you!

Lindsay Harris: Lindsay is a sophomore at Samford University in Alabama. Her middle name is Rae and she loves it when people call her Lindsay Rae. This Kentucky girl loves rolling green hills, flowering trees and well, just anything to do with being outside and being amazed at how creative God is. She is passionate about colors, coloring pencils and making/devouring banana pudding. She always loved her camp counselors, so she is excited to be one this year and hopefully encourage others by simply giving out of the blessings that God has poured onto her.

Cassidy Hodges: Hailing from the musical city of Nashville, Cassidy Hodges comes to CLS as a 2nd year Journalism major at Belmont University. She loves laughing, colossal pranks, playing guitar, dominating the world in laser tag, writing music, and playing hide-and-seek. She is stoked about what God has planned for the summer and about building new relationships with super cool people!

Michael Marquette: Michael is 20 years old from Fayetteville, AR. He’s back for his second summer on a quest to outlast Cush (see the sweet cop picture under Assistant Director) at CLS. After a year and a half at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Michael returned home to be closer to his family and friends. CLS welcomes Michael and everything he brings to CLS including but not limited to his loveable wit, desire to serve, flowing “Mullet”, “Man Weapons”, and a true passion for capture the flag and Chevy trucks (even though he drives a Saturn). Welcome back Michael!

Marcus Million: Marcus is a native of southeastern Tennessee, born and raised in Decatur. He currently resides in Cookeville, TN where he attends Tennessee Tech University. He will be a junior next year, and God has lead him to major in Secondary Education – Math. Marcus has been blessed with the opportunity of helping out at CLS on the weekends during the Fall of 2007 and Spring of 2008 and is especially pumped to be a part of this summer’s staff, serving God and seeing what amazing things He has planned. Marcus enjoys playing intramural sports, working out, being outdoors, and playing Frisbee golf with his “adoptive father,” Matt Cushing.

Stephen Nelson: Stephen is a native Floridian, but don’t be fooled. Although he enjoys catching a wave in Daytona, the Great Smoky Mountains feel more like home. He loves taking pictures, reading good books, talking to strangers (sorry mom), backpacking on the ole AT, and relaxing in his hammock. Next fall will be his 2nd year at Samford University in beautiful Birmingham, AL. He’s studying religion and plans to travel the world (camera in hand, of course). He lives in search of truth and beauty and their revelation in Jesus of Nazareth. CLS stole his heart last summer and he is excited to be a part of the team this year.

Allison White: Allison comes to Tennessee from the very hot and humid state of Florida. She has spent the past four years in its capital city going to school…and recently graduated from FSU with a degree in Social Work. Allison likes to play outside - hiking, climbing, cycling, running, slack lining, frolicking, and star gazing. Her four favorite things are sunrises, sunsets, handmade things, and thin mint frappes. Camp has been a part of her life since the summer of 2005 and she is so thankful to have the opportunity to work alongside the CLS family once again as 'the office girl.'

Chase Willingham: This rough and rowdy individual hails from "The Bluebonnet Capital of the World," Ennis, TX. Since graduating in 2006, Chase has been living his life vicariously through the Dallas Cowboys, playing flag football and Xbox live, and experimenting with his still developing facial hairs. He is 20 years old and will be a junior at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in the Fall of 2008. Chase is excited for what God is going to do in people's lives this summer and can't wait to taste Maw and Paw's sweet home cooking.