Year-Round Staff
Paul Sheridan
Executive Director
Paul has made a career of working with children in the outdoors. He leads Four Winds * Westward Ho with an eye towards carrying on its tradition of creating a supportive and challenging environment for children and a place focused on simplicity, community, and creativity.
Paul discovered summer camp as an adult, while working for a traditional camp in Wisconsin as a wilderness trip leader during the summer after his graduation from Columbia University. One summer turned into many after Paul discovered the magic of children’s self-discovery in a supportive and beautiful outdoor setting.
In between that experience and coming to Four Winds * Westward Ho, Paul earned a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and worked for a wilderness therapy program in Northern Idaho.
Paul came to Four Winds in the winter of 2004 as Camp’s Assistant Director. The Four Winds community and its commitment to children impressed him. Five years later Camp’s Board of Trustees asked him to step in as the Director. Paul believes that leadership is about service, and he takes the responsibility of caretaking the traditions of Four Winds seriously. Affectionately known as “Redbeard” during the summer, Paul considers himself a Four Winds lifer. Paul and his wife Linda live year-round in Ruth Brown’s home, Hilltop, with their kids and dog. They feel privileged to call Four Winds Camp home.
Paul is actively involved on the local and national level with the American Camp Association, the Camp Owners and Directors Association, and the Western Association of Independent Camps. He is currently the President of the Western Association of Independent Camps. He also serves locally as the treasurer of the Orcas Island Education Foundation, and as a trustee and chair of the Investment Committee for the Orcas Island Community Foundation.
Daisy Sessions
Assistant Director
Daisy has been coming to camp since 2007. As a former camper, counselor, and Head of Four Winds, she has spent many summers on Orcas and loves to create the camp experience for others. Daisy graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2022 with a major in history and a minor in Latin American studies. When she is not in Canada or at camp, you can find Daisy in the East Bay, California, surfing or making jewelry.
Scott Cann
Carlyn Captain
Captain Scott has held a USCG license since 2000. He is returning to Four Winds *Westward Ho after nearly a 10 year hiatus. He last was Carlyn’s captain 2011-2014. He resides in Seattle with Kristen and their 2 children LeRoi (10) and Gracie (7). He also has a heavily used Library card and enjoys spending time with his dog Kima (11). He is adept in designing and installing marine electronics. He looks forward to inspiring a love and respect for the Salish Sea and Maritime culture.
Alli Cobb
Groundskeeper/Gardener
Since graduating from the University of Puget Sound in 2014, Alli has worked a variety of jobs in outdoor education, expedition experiences and youth development in her two home spaces, the Bay Area in California, and the Salish Sea in Washington. A renaissance woman with many interests and experiences, she found her way back to Orcas island in January 2022. Leaning heavily on her experiences in gardening and shadowing her general contractor father she is quickly learning the tools of the trade in the maintenance department assisting in all of the exciting projects happening here on the property. With a love for art and a creative flair, she appreciates and is looking forward to keeping the tradition of artful, functional facilities alive. She can’t wait to meet the campers and involve them in new projects around camp!
Daphne Opperman
Family Experience Manager
Daphne grew up in San Francisco and began her Four Winds experience at the age of 9. She was a camper, CT, AC, Counselor and Head of the Garden during her years at camp. Daphne attended Scripps College in Claremont, California, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Florence, Italy. Before joining the Four Winds year-round team, Daphne was an Executive Assistant for the Vice President of KNTV Sales in San Francisco, the Admissions Director at Mount Tamalpais School in Mill Valley, California, and most recently an Insurance Underwriter for a California based Insurance Company. Daphne and her husband Matt live in Erie, Colorado, and have three boys, two of whom are current campers. Daphne is with her boys on Orcas during the summer months and works remotely from Colorado during the school year.
Linda Sheridan
Special Projects Manager
Linda Sheridan has been a familiar face around Camp since 2005 when she moved here with her husband Paul. She joined the year round staff, as Camp’s Special Projects Manager, in 2013 and she loves being involved with the camp community. Prior to joining the year round staff, Linda worked at Moran State Park as the Interpretive Specialist, Orcas Rec as the Director, and Children’s House Preschool as a teacher. When Linda is not working she is usually hanging out with Paul, their daughters Emma and Elizabeth, and the family dog Piper. If she is really lucky she is out snowboarding, hiking, riding a horse, or traveling with her family.
Mike Smith
Development Director
Mike has long connection to camp: He was a camper himself for nine summers (’71-’79) along with three sisters, a niece, and now his son and daughter. Mike and his family, his wife Maggie, daughter Mia, and son Noah moved to Orcas Island in 2014 from Bend, Oregon where they lived for the previous couple decades. After several years working in the Deer Harbor office, Mike and his family returned to Bend, but still does the job remotely, and is at Camp for much of the summer.
Caleb Weichert
Head of Maintenance
Caleb grew up in the small town of Waterford, California where he lived for almost 30 years. After graduating from college he got the travel bug and went backpacking through Europe and explored several US states and National parks until he finally found his way out to Orcas Island and Four Winds Camp in May of 2016. He served as Camp’s Maintenance Assistant until June of 2020, when he stepped to lead the Maintenance Department. During his free time Caleb enjoys hiking, sightseeing the islands, practicing photography, and serving as volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Orcas Fire Department.