Our Leadership

Dr. Tyfahra “Wakanda” Milele

Interim Executive Director

Tyfahra got her first taste of outdoor adventure on her Extra-Day Trips while attending the Thacher School, in Ojai, CA. There she fumbled asthmatically though switchbacks, bugs and even moderate hypothermia eagerly waiting to get back to civilization. It took a lot of practice to get comfortable backpacking in the outdoors when she had grown up in South Central, Los Angeles and had never been camping before. It wasn’t until her month long trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) that Tyfahra found her stride in the backcountry. She attended Oberlin College and the graduate program in Comparative Literature at University of California, Berkeley. While at Cal, Tyfahra discovered her love of teaching as an award-winning instructor and lecturer in undergraduate literature and composition courses for eight years.

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Zoë “Aquarius” Phoenix

Year-Round Program Coordinator

Zoë first came to Camp Phoenix as a camper and never looked back. Over seven summers, she grew from an eager participant into a natural leader, eventually becoming a Head Counselor known for keeping camp traditions alive. Her love for storytelling and community led her to secure a grant from Oakland’s ReCAST Initiative to produce a film about Camp Phoenix, amplifying the voices of campers and showcasing the magic of the experience. Passionate about leadership, creativity, and the power of the outdoors, Zoë is dedicated to helping the next generation of campers find their own place in the Camp Phoenix legacy.

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Phelena "Big Sister Almighty" Napper

Development Support

Phelena Napper is a fourth-generation educator and fundraising strategist from South Central Los Angeles. As a global education professional, Phelena has worked as both a teacher and administrator across four continents. As a fundraiser, Phelena has authored over $5 million in social impact grants in her consulting practice. As Camp Phoenix’s development director, her goal is to use her extensive background to create more experiential learning opportunities for Black and Brown children that lack access to year-round and summer enrichment activities.

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Dylan Kiyo Kennedy

Year-Round Program Manager

Dylan (they/them) is a mixed queer environmental educator, activist, artist and adventurer based in the SF Bay Area, aspiring to a life lived by the season. They focus their learning and action on anti-colonial praxis as the path towards a socio-environmentally just, sustainable future, and consider outdoor engagement and education as direct movement building. Dylan values relational ecology, queer joy and community outdoors, indigenous and youth leadership, and emotional honesty. They love road trips, dogs, backpacking, misunderstood wildlife, storytelling, the concept of tornado potatoes, and the Pacific Northwest. In the future they see themself fighting fires, making nature prints, getting more tattoos, writing books, and identifying wild flora and fauna everywhere. Ask them about their UFO sighting, favorite nature spots, bioluminescence, near-death experiences, and falling in love.

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Meet Our Board of Directors

Camp Phoenix is a nonprofit organization that relies on our Board of Directors to provide strategic guidance and support throughout the year so all our programs remain top-notch. The Board also runs our committees, which include dedicated volunteers and help us tackle challenging and exciting tasks year-round to keep us growing strong. The Board meets frequently from January to July to make sure our organization stays full of joy, love and opportunity.