Meet Our Staff

Meet Our Staff

Executive Director – Max Yamson

Max Yamson is the Executive Director of Camp Livingston. Prior to this role, Max served as the Development Director of Camp Livingston, and before that as a member of Camp’s Board of Directors. Max’s involvement with Camp Livingston dates back to 1993, when he became a camper and later served as a counselor, the lake director and senior staff member.

Max has been active in Cincinnati’s Jewish community for many years having served as a board member of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and on the YAD (young adult division) board as well as on the Executive Committee of Jewish Family Service. Max currently is a board member of CircleTail, an ADI accredited organization in Cincinnati that trains and partners service, hearing and facility dogs.

Max earned his B.A. in business administration and management from Wilmington College and was previously the Sales Director at CityBeat and a Marketing Executive and Strategic Account Manager at LivingSocial. Max lives in Amberley Village with his wife Elida and their dog, Tweed.

Camp Director – Abby Solomon

Abby is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a major in Human Development and Family Science and minors in Education and Nonprofit Studies. Abby has spent 21 total summers at Livingston, starting as a Golan camper. She has held multiple supervisory positions as a member of Livingston’s senior staff. Before beginning full time at Livingston in February of 2016, Abby was the Teen Coordinator at the Mayerson JCC in Cincinnati. There she oversaw the city’s BBYO chapters, facilitated and led the March of the Living Delegation, and was the Assistant Director of their Camp at the J. Abby was previously Camp’s Assistant Director and later Associate Camp Director and was promoted to Camp Director in 2022. 

Assistant Director – Blake Canowitz

Blake grew up in Columbus, Ohio attending Camp Livingston for 7 years as a camper and 2 years on staff, previously as a Unit Head and Inclusion Coordinator. Blake graduated from University of Michigan having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Communication and Media Studies degree and is currently finishing up her Masters of Social Work at The Ohio State University. Blake brings recent work experience at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health as a Social Work Intern at Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders & The Child Development Center as well as a strong passion for working with children, teens, and young adults to our team. It was her earlier work at Camp that inspired her to continue her education in Social Work.

Director of Operations – Becca Pollak

Becca grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio attending URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) for many years as a camper. She previously worked at Camp Livingston for 2 years as the AU Unit Head and Office Manager. Becca graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and soon realized that while her passion for animals is eternal, her belief in the impact that Jewish non-profits have steered her career. Becca brings years of experience working with youth, most recently as the Youth and Family Education and Engagement Assistant at Congregation Schaarai Zedek in Tampa Florida. Prior to moving to Tampa, Becca was the Teen Program Coordinator at the Mayerson Jewish Community Center in Cincinnati and an Environmental Educator at University of Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll.

Facilities Director – Bryce Hart

Bryce lives year round on the Camp Livingston property. Bryce is part of the Clark family who has a long tradition of overseeing the camp property going back to Bryce’s great grandmother.  Bryce oversees the maintenance of the more than forty buildings and 680 acres of grounds as well as special construction and improvement projects on the camp property.