Meet our small but mighty year-round staff.

Camp Director - Joel Wilke                                                                                                                     

Joel Wilke joined staff as Camp Director in July of 2010. Joel worked at Camp Horizon as an intern in 2008, while he was pursuing a masters degree at Southwestern College. Upon graduating, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he was a youth pastor for two years. He then returned to Kansas and accepted the job as Camp Director.

Joel and his wife Lindsay have three kids Luke, Emma, and Maddie. Their son Luke likes to fix things with his "tiny John Deer Gator." Their twin girls Maddie and Emma love meeting all of the new people who come out to Camp Horizon. Lindsay worked at Southwestern College for five years before deciding to stay at home with the kids after the arrival of the twins. She enjoys going on hikes around camp with the whole family.

Joel loves to travel and visit other camps. He came to Camp Horizon growing up and it had a huge impact on his faith. He loves being able to help young people have that same experience. Camp Horizon will always be a special place to him and his family. 

Program Director - Darci Utt

Darci joined staff as Program Director in January 2018. Darci worked at Horizon from 2008-2010 as a counselor and office help, she returned in 2011 as the graduate intern, and has been coming ever sense as a youth pastor. Darci received her Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Religious Studies and Master’s in Specialized Ministry from Southwestern College while working at Camp Horizon. After her internship she moved to Hesston, Kansas and was the Youth Pastor there for five years, and then spent a year and a half at Woodlawn UMC in Derby, before returning home to Horizon.

Darci and her husband Adam met in 2008 while working at Horizon and became good friends, years later they reconnected, and started their dating relationship at Darci’s brother’s wedding at Horizon, a year later in 2014 they were married in the Sanctuary at Horizon, and equally call Camp home. Adah joined the family in 2015 and has kept them on their toes ever since. Adah loves doggies, babies, and playing outside. Adah is their daily reminder of the beauty of God’s Grace. Adam works for the Co-op in Mulvane and loves spending his free time playing basketball and exploring Camp. In Adah’s words, it is good to be “Home Camp!”

Office Manager- Diana Reeves

Diana Reeves has been Camp Horizon's Office Manager since 2009. She and her husband Norman have two kids and eight grandkids. Diana grew up in Ark City, but she and Norman spend 17.5 years as house parents at Cookson Hills Christian Ministry. They cared for over 100 children in their time there. When they moved back to Ark City, Diana was a para and basketball and volleyball coach at Dexter before coming to work full time at Camp Horizon.

Food Service Manager- Kathy Rush

Kathy Rush came to Camp Horizon in 2008 as our Food Service Manager. She and her husband Joe have three children, two grandsons, and twin grandbabies expected in May 2016. She grew up in Nickerson, KS, and moved to Ark City in junior high. She was a bus driver, teacher's aide, library assistant for Dexter schools for 23 years before coming to work full time at Camp Horizon. 

 

 

Grounds and Facilities- Bob Morgan

Bob works tirelessly to maintain our Grounds and Facilities. He has been a part of the Camp Horizon staff since 2015. He is Joel's father-in-law and has three children and six grandchildren. He grew up on a farm in Hutchinson, KS. He was a high school science teacher for 35 years in Goddard, KS, where he also coached football, wrestling, and track.