Board Welcomes New Member
Camp Ondessonk welcomes the newest member of the Board of Directors, Jo Ann Mayer. Jo grew up in East St. Louis, Ill., and was the third child of nine born to Paul and Kate Wetstein. She graduated from Althoff Catholic High School, and in 1981, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, beginning her career as a nurse that same year and working full-time until her retirement in 2018.
During her nursing career, Jo has been a Staff Nurse in the Cardiac Cath Lab and ICU at VAMC in Marion, Ill; a Staff Nurse per diem in Carbondale Memorial Hospital ICU; Staff Nurse in the Neurological ICU at Columbia Plaza Medical Center in Ft. Worth, Tex.; a Critical Care Educator at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Worth, Tex.; and a Charge Nurse in the ICU at Belleville Memorial hospital in Belleville, Ill.
Jo fondly remembers being a camper from 1968 through 1971. She reflects, “My first time at Camp, I got to experience Mass outdoors with other children, different music, and open air. It was an awe-inspiring moment. The universality of the Church was made known to me. I hope all children get to experience something like that.”
Her two sons, Michael and William, were also campers at Ondessonk. In addition, Jo is a lifetime Lodge Member and a dedicated volunteer and donor. As an active volunteer, Jo helps weekly with the medical part of the camper check-in process. She also serves as a volunteer Camp Nurse for one or more weeks each summer. She has received the prestigious St. René Goupil Award from the Lodge of Ondessonk & Tekakwitha, recognizing her as a dedicated volunteer who has rendered meritorious service to Camp Ondessonk, the Lodge, and to the community.
Jo and her husband, Dr. Gerald Hanley, live in Marion, Ill., and have a blended family including her two sons, his two daughters, assorted spouses, and a total of five grandchildren!
In addition to her work at Camp Ondessonk, Jo volunteers in a variety of activities throughout the Diocese of Belleville. She is a Meals on Wheels driver and a Marion Senior Citizen Center quilter. At St. Joseph Catholic Church, she is Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Sacristan, member of the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults Team, and President of the Women’s Guild. In the Diocese of Belleville, she serves as President of the Belleville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and a St. Anne Cradle of Hope volunteer. She is a member of the National Council of Catholic Women, and a member of the Faith Community Nurses of Southern Illinois.
Jo has been dedicated to the mission of Camp Ondessonk for a long time, as she states, “I recognize the good that Camp Ondessonk did for me throughout my life. Whether as a child gaining an identity and independence or as an adult seeking God in creation. I feel the mission of Camp fits perfectly in my life. Empowering kids of all ages with outdoor and spiritual adventures!”
She goes on to say, “Every time I drive through the Camp Gate, I can feel the presence of God. The cool shade of the trees, the peaceful road, rock formations, and smell of the forest. I never have trouble going slow and enjoying the journey of life.”
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Board of Directors.