Board of Directors

Chris Cahnovsky is the Southern Illinois Regional Manager for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.  Chris was a camper in the 1970s, a CIT, Wrangler, Stable Manager and Equestrian Director in the 80s. He has been a volunteer and a parent of two campers since that time.

Jackie Savage McKay was first associated with Camp from 1960 through 1968 as a camper, CIT and staff.  After retiring as an Administrative Assistant from The May Department Stores Company, she reconnected with Camp in 2013. She spends her time volunteering at Camp and for other organizations within the community.  She also trains, competes with, and judges retrievers. Jackie loves helping to keep the Camp gates open for campers of all ages to enjoy.

Katie Birge is an associate and head of platform at M25, an early stage venture capital firm focused on Midwest-based startups. Katie was a camper at Camp Ondessonk in the late 90s and a staff member for most of the 2000s as well as a longtime volunteer.

A Chicago native, Father Brian Barker was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Belleville, IL in 1994. He is pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Marion and St. Paul Parish in Johnston City, both in Southern Illinois. Father Brian has been associated with Camp Ondessonk since 1983, working for 18 years in various capacities at Camp. In addition, he currently serves as Chaplain for Camp Ondessonk. An avid hiker, he frequently leads spiritually enriching hikes with members of his parish family, often choosing the trails of Ondessonk as their destination.

Steve Bushong (AKA Bush) is a professor at Southwestern Illinois College teaching Cybersecurity and Computer Networking.  He is also an Assistant Lecturer for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  Steve is also on the Board of Directors as second vice chair of the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois.

Steve is active with his daughter’s Girl Scout troop.  He also spends several weeks at Camp Ondessonk volunteering during the summer. In 2021, he spent five weeks volunteering, four of those assigned to a unit.  Steve will find any excuse to visit Camp, whether for the day, the weekend, the week or the month.

Dennis Dusek is a retired orthopedic surgeon whose history with Camp began in 1960 as a camper, the second year Camp was open. Dennis served on the Camp Ondessonk summer staff from 1965 to 1970. He is now busy with his seven, soon to be nine, grandchildren.

Steve Mahieu was born and raised in Peoria, IL, and is Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Intellectual Property with Kraft Heinz, a global food and beverage company headquartered in Chicago. Steve attended Camp Ondessonk as a camper, C.I.T., and staff member. He volunteered during summer camp sessions while attending law school and after graduating, and he and his wife have been long-time donors to Camp. More recently, Steve has been instrumental in helping make revisions to several important organizational policies for Ondessonk. Steve joined the Board of Directors in January of 2023.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Deacon Thomas Powers grew up in a military family that moved around several times during his childhood. Attending Catholic school in Fairview Heights, IL, he learned of Camp Ondessonk, and he was a camper from 1976-1980. From 2011 to this day, he volunteers at Camp. He has a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management, but became increasingly involved in banking compliance, currently working as Assistant Vice President, Business Operations Analyst with U.S. Bank in St. Louis, MO. Deacon Tom began formation in 2001 for the Permanent Diaconate, being ordained in 2005.

Scott Richter has been an In Process Quality Engineer with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals since 1999. During his first three years with Mallinckrodt, Scott would also work as a substitute teacher at local Catholic Grade Schools and at O’Fallon Township High School. Born in Belleville, IL, Scott was a camper at Ondessonk from 1987-1990, C.I.T. in 1991, and staff member in 1992-1993. He has consistently volunteered during summer sessions since early 2000s. He and his wife are parents to two fur babies – Fiona and Ivy.

Residing in Millstadt, IL, Ryan Savage holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. While in college, Ryan interned for Holland Construction Services and is still with the company after 16 years. He oversees the company’s municipal and K-12 markets. He enjoys hunting, camping, hiking, boating, swimming, archery, float trips, and horseback riding. He was a camper at Ondessonk the summer of 1997. He feels it is important that all children have the opportunity to develop a passion for the outdoors.

Connie Stellhorn brings a wealth of leadership experience and unwavering dedication to the Board of Directors. Born and raised on a farm in Illinois, Connie learned the values of hard work, responsibility, and faith from an early age. Her journey with Camp began as a camper in the early 1970s, and over the years, she transitioned into roles as a Counselor-in-Training, counselor, and eventually a devoted volunteer and donor. Connie’s commitment to Camp’s mission stems from her own transformative experiences, which instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature and a strong sense of Catholic faith. As a successful business owner and real estate professional since 1992, Connie brings strategic thinking, collaboration, and a passion for serving others to the board. Her leadership roles, including Managing Broker/Owner of Stellhorn Realty, Inc., and Associate Broker at St. Croix Island Life, VI, underscore her ability to navigate complex challenges and drive meaningful change. With her diverse skill set and unwavering dedication, Connie is poised to make invaluable contributions to Ondessonk, ensuring its continued success in nurturing faith, character, and community among generations of youth.

Scott Wobbe has served 36 years as an Air Force career civil servant.  In addition to being a Board of Directors member, Scott serves on the Properties Committee, volunteers in maintenance in the off-season and volunteers as an Assistant Unit Leader during summer camp..

Father Michael G. McGovern became the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville on July 22, 2021. Bishop McGovern is an Illinois native and studied at Loyola University in Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1986. He applied for admission as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Chicago at Mundelein Seminary where he was awarded a Baccalaureate degree in Theology in 1993 and a Master of Divinity in 1994.  Bishop McGovern previously served as Associate Pastor at Queen of the Universe Parish, St. Mary in Lake Forest, St. Juliana in Chicago; Pastor of St. Mary in Lake Forest, St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Old Mill Creek, IL; administrative roles in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Vice-Chancellor, Archbishop’s Delegate for Extern & International Priests, Vicar Forane, and Interim Vicar of Vicariate I.

Fr. Wienhoff is Vicar General of the Diocese of Belleville and Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Shiloh and St. Joseph Parish in Lebanon.

Fr. Michael Caruso serves as the Superintendent of Schools and Director of Education in the Department of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. He acts as Camp Ondessonk’s main point of contact and administrator at the main offices of the Diocese of Belleville. As Camp is an entity of the Catholic Diocese, and operates in both areas of education and working with school-aged children, Fr. Caruso assists with matters that are brought to the Diocesan level.