Meet the Staff
Mike Miller- Weymouth High School
Program Director
Co-Founder
“My favorite thing about camp is watching the kids become more confident and come out of their shells as the week goes along. It's always gratifying seeing nervous kids arrive on Monday, and be picked up by their parents on Saturday almost completely different people.”
Mike Miller
Coach Miller is a co-founder and director of Berkshire Running Camp. When the founders had the dream of starting a running camp, Coach Miller wanted to make sure it was different from any other running camp. Each year Coach Miller creates a fun, meaningful and excitement packed week of learning, running and self exploration. His role at camp is to hire, train, and oversee our exceptional staff of over 50 people. He also implements our evening programs, which build teamwork, leadership, and a sense of purpose among the campers. BRC is about more than running, and it’s Coach Miller’s job to make it matter.
Coach Miller is the Head Coach of Weymouth High School Girls Cross Country, Indoor, Outdoor Track programs in Weymouth MA. He is also the director of the Weymouth Youth Track Club. He is a MSTCA coach of the year, Boston Globe coach of the year and Bay State Conference coach of the year. His teams were the 2010 All State Cross Country Champions and 2010 &2011 EMass Division I Cross Country Champions.
James Rooney- Pembroke High School
MSTCA Hall of Fame Coach
Director of Operations
Co-Founder
“The best part of camp is seeing the campers let down their guard, put down their phones, trying new things and making new friends. It’s a chance for kids to step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves to be a better runner, better teammate and better leader.”
James Rooney
Coach Rooney is a co-founder and director at Berkshire Running Camp. His vision was for a camp that provided much more than just running. He runs everything behind the scenes for a smooth week of camp. The point person for everything from registration to check-out, Coach Rooney’s goal is to make sure every camper has a safe and enjoyable week at BRC.
A 2023 inductee into the MSTCA Coaches Hall of Fame. As a coach at Pembroke High School, his athletes have won numerous league, divisional, state and national titles in the past 10 years. He has been a multiple time Boston Globe and MSTCA coach of the year. As an athlete he was a team captain and conference MVP at the University of Rhode Island and is a Hall of Fame athlete at Carver High School.
Greg Zopatti- Pembroke High School
MSTCA Hall of Fame Coach
Director of Running
Co-Founder
“I love seeing campers learn that this sport is about so much more than just running. Throughout the week they come to realize that it’s about the process, the teammates, the ups and downs, that make running the best sport around.“
Greg Zopatti
As a Co-founder, Coach Z wanted to create a program that he felt comfortable sending his own team to. Coach Z believes a week long running camp is a time to develop, meet new friends, bond with teammates and leave feeling energized and most importantly healthy for the upcoming season.
Coach Z plans and develops a comprehensive running program for the week. With a variety of different training levels and ages, he pairs athletes into responsible training groups with the appropriate staff members. Planning each season’s run locations is a favorite job of Coach Z’s. Taking advantage of all the great spots that Western Mass has to offer to create a memorable experience for the campers.
Coach Zopatti is the head coach of the Pembroke Titans XC/Track and field teams. He is a 2020 inductee to the MSTCA coaches hall of fame. His teams have great success over the past 10 years- including 2 trips to the Nike Cross Team Nationals, 5 x All State Champions and over 20 EMass Titles in XC & Track. He has had over 40 athletes go onto compete in NCAA.
Chuck Martin- Norwell High School
MSTCA Hall of Fame
Director of Logistics
Co-Founder
“The best part of camp for me is seeing the campers have so much fun! Either during down time or organized games- kids love to play and be young! BRC provides that!”
Chuck Martin
Coach Martin is a hall of fame coach and legend in Massachusetts track and field, So when he had the idea of starting the best running camp around you knew it was going to be great. Coach Martin makes sure that every aspect of camp is all about the campers.
Coach Martin is in charge of all the moving parts of the operation that is BRC. From organizing all the equipment and gear needed, to moving all the campers and staff to daily runs, and even keeping the occasional varmint out of cabins, Coach Martin does it all. He makes sure that every aspect of camp keeps moving and goes off without a hitch.
As the head coach at Norwell High School, Coach Martin’s achievements speak for themselves. He has won numerous EMass, League and state titles. Has won every coaching award imaginable and was elected into the MSTCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017.
Jeff Downin- Marlboro High School
Minister of Fun
Director of Afternoon Programs
“BRC is my favorite week of the summer.”
Jeff Downin
You cannot attend a week at BRC and not leave with a Jeff Downin story. The self proclaimed “Minster of Fun” does a little bit of everything at BRC. While his main role is as the co-mastermind of the famous Cabin Games, he will also be the first person to great you at drop-off and the last to hug you at check out. He is a great leader and makes it his personal goal to make sure every camper leaves with a valuable experience.
Coach Downin is the coach of the wonderfully talented Marlboro HS XC and Track teams. Since 2011 he as coached multiple state champions and NCAA stars, and while he takes pride in that, he sees the most important aspect of his job as helping athletes develop a life-long love of running. An avid runner himself, he competes in many races and has even completed the Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, Half & Marathon in 4 days).
Marlee Berg- Westfield State University
Assistant Running Director
Staff Coach
“One of the best parts of BRC, is seeing campers and counselors throughout the academic year, watching them race and seeing what a huge part BRC is to all of us.”
Marlee Berg
Marlee helps organize and facilitate the running program at BRC. She is instrumental in the creation of the running groups and aiding in creating the training itinerary for the week, including the cross training group sessions and the morning sessions.
BRC is a staple to my summer and a highlight of each year. I believe in everything that we do; training the entire body, both physically and mentally. Utilizing the week to help individual growth with the hope that each camper will leave a little more confident in what they know about running, but more so, leave with a strong positive outlook towards what they have the potential to become as an all-around human. The week is designed to make them think. To step away from their every day routines and to bring back the art of conversation, the idea of play and constructive thinking, all of which, can immediately be applied to their lives. It's a week where memories are built and connections are made, it brings the entire high school community together.
Marlee is currently the assistant Men’s and Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country coach at Westfield State. She previously held coaching positions at Umass Lowell, Brandies University, and Smith College. As an athlete she was a NCAA Div III National Champion in the High Jump.
Jeff Bartlett- Danvers High School
Director of Running Education
Staff Coach
“BRC is a great way to start the season. Every year is better and better. I can’t wait for next year!”
Jeff Bartlett
At BRC, Jeff is the Assistant Director for Running Education and helps coordinate the classroom sessions. He creates, organizes and staffs our daily classroom sessions. Researching and creating a curriculum around the topics that matter to today’s runners.
Jeff Bartlett teaches middle school health education and coaches high school cross country and track for the Danvers Public Schools, where he’s been teaching since 2008. A graduate of Pentucket Regional High School, he attended Springfield College, where he ran cross country and track and was once a President. He enjoys picking the brains of other coaches during camp and learning about other high school programs. Outside of camp, he enjoys hiking, reading, hydration, and, when his Achilles tendon cooperates, running.
Kelly Adams- Norwell High School
Assistant Director of Operations
Staff Coach
“I love the sense of family and community created year after year at BRC. It is so much more than a running camp, it is an environment of mutual respect for the love of our sport and each other."
Kelly Adams
Coach Adams has been an original staff member since 2013. She is a go-to staff member that takes care of everything behind the scenes and keeps BRC running smoothly. She is the polite voice that gives you a call to remind you to submit your forms, and the smiling face at the camp store. Coach Adams is a great role model and is always willing to put in the extra mile (literally) for the campers. Her passionate presence helps create the sense of family and community at BRC.
Coach Adams is the boys track coach at Norwell High School. Her teams are always at the top of the league and divisional rankings. As runner, Coach Adams has completed 58 marathons, a 100 mile race, and 15+ scenic ultramarathons and is a true ambassador of the sport.
John Connolly- Weymouth High School
Assistant Director of Afternoon Programs
Staff Coach
“I enjoy watching campers develop over the course of the week. To see a runner develop the physical and mental confidence to take the next step is great to watch.”
John Connolly
The Connolly family has been an integral part of BRC, and none more so that Coach Connolly. He co-develops the afternoon program- a camper favorite each year. A staff coach from the start, John has done it all at BRC. He is a lead run group coach, teaches classroom sessions, leads evening groups, nighttime speaker and referee of the world famous Cabin Games.
As the head boys XC & track coach at Weymouth High, Coach Connolly’s teams have enjoyed tremendous success- rewriting the WHS record books under his guidance. As a runner, Coach Connolly was a standout at Westfield State University. One of many former Owls on the staff.
Allison Brady
Staff Coach
Sport & Performance Psychologist
“I love seeing the energy the campers bring with them at camp and the excitement they show each day towards running and growing as leaders!”
Allison Brady
Allison is key member of the BRC staff. He leads run groups, classroom and evening sessions with great energy and excitement. She leads a popular classroom session on sports performance and psychology
Allison currently has Masters degrees in Sports psychology from Springfield College and Minnesota State University. She competed collegiately at Keene State and was the captain at Weymouth High school prior.
Cody Moran- Weymouth High School/ Umass Lowell
Lead Counselor
“I enjoy coming back each year and re-connecting with campers, as well as meeting new campers. BRC is most fun week of the year!"
Cody Moran
Cody is key member of the BRC staff. He leads run groups, classroom and evening sessions with great energy and excitement. He helps spread the amazing running culture at BRC throughout the campers and staff each day.
Cody is currently an assistant coach at Weymouth High School. Prior to coaching he was a standout runner at Umass Lowell and Weymouth High.
Andrea Hicks- Weymouth Middle School
Assistant Director of Evening Programs
Staff Coach
“I love seeing the energy the campers bring with them at camp and the excitement they show each day towards running and growing as leaders!”
Andrea Hicks
Andrea is an original staff coach at BRC, bringing her energy and kindness to campers since 2012. She started running freshman year of high school, and hasn’t stopped since. She has run three marathons, and currently coaches the Weymouth middle school cross country and track team.
Camp is by far my favorite week of the summer. To be surrounded by like-minded people all trying to better themselves is a gift. During the most stressful times of my school year, I find myself imagining what I feel like when I am at BRC, and that calms me down.
Ryan Moran
Assistant Director of Logistics
Staff Coach
“It has been so rewarding to see this camp grow and continue to have such an impact on so many kids both as runners and as people. It truly is my favorite week of the year and it just keeps getting better every time. It’s such an incredibly positive experience that stays with you long after it’s over.”
Ryan Moran
As an original staff member, Ryan has been played a critical role at BRC since 2013. A true workhorse, his responsibilities at BRC include helping to set up and break down camp before and after, co-lead evening group discussions with All-Star staff member Julie Tevenan, teach a classroom session, show up and assist wherever help is needed, and even bust a move on the dance floor from time to time.
Before his days at BRC, Ryan was bought up on a steady diet of Pedro Martinez and Paul Pierce, sports always played a central role in his formative years. It was not until high school when that he realized that running without a ball was, in fact, a sport. Thanks to an awesome community of coaches, teachers, parents, teammates and friends at Pembroke High School, he traded in Jordans for joggers and began to make cross country and track & field an integral part of his life.
After a legendary HS career at Pembroke HS, he took his talents to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) goats for 5 years. He ran all events from 800m to 8K, including the 3K steeplechase. He feels lucky to continue to compete with many of his former teammates (as well as some of my former rivals) on the Old Goat Track Club (OGTC).
Julie Tevanan- Weymouth High School
Assistant Director of Running & Administration
Staff Coach
“I love seeing the energy the campers bring with them at camp and the excitement they show each day towards running and growing as leaders!”
Julie Tevanan
Julie has been an important part of the BRC staff since the start. She has done it all at camp, from leading running groups, classroom sessions, and Evening groups, to setting up the camp store, and she’s even the smiling face you get when you check in on day one. Julie is a fantastic role model for our campers and her energy and excitement shine through each day at camp.
Julie was a team captain and all-star runner for a Weymouth High School XC team that won the 2010 All-State Championship. After HS she became a two-time NEWMAC all conference athlete (XC & Steeplechase) while at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
She recently ran her first marathon and qualified for the Boston Marathon while training with the Old Goats Track Club. She currently works as a systems engineer and is an assistant xc/track coach at Weymouth HS.
Katie Leahy- Weymouth High School
Lead Counselor
Staff Coach
“What I love most about BRC is the uniqueness of the evening groups. I cherish the friendships made with campers and staff."
Katie Leahy
Coach Leahy is a outstanding member of the BRC staff. A veteran at leading evening and running groups, Katie is all about Berkshire Running Camp. You can find her leading a dance party in the dining hall or leading a classroom session. She is also part of our social media team, turning out great videos and content all week.
Coach Leahy is currently the assistant XC/Track coach at Weymouth High School. As an athlete she was a member of championship teams at Weymouth High School and Westfield State College. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in school counseling.
2023 Camp Staff
​​John Connolly- Weymouth High School​
James Rooney- Pembroke High School​
Jeff Downin- Marlborough High School​
​Kelly Adams- Norwell High School
Marlee Berg- Westfield State University
​​Jeff Bartlett- Danvers High School
​Ryan Moran- WPI/ New Balance/ Pembroke
Andrea Hicks- Weymouth HS/Westfield State
Julie Tevenan- Weymouth/WPI
Marc Davis- Olympian & Wellesley HS
Nicole Anderson- Vanderbilt University
Spencer Geary- Bridgewater State
Katie Leahy- Westfield State University
Kevin O'Driscoll- WPI
Cassie McLaughlin- Wellesley HS
Nick Hanley- Westfield State
John Nekitopoulus- Westfield State
Ryan Martin- Vermont University
Maura Donovan- University of New Hampshire
Will Cole French- UMASS Lowell
Emily Arthur- Sacred Heart
NEW STAFF
ADDED
DAILY
​Julie Glavin- Bridgewater State
Allison Brady- Keene State
Chris Warren- Tufts
Rachel Needham- Merrimack
Auggie Smith- Holy Cross
Erica Hanlon- Worcester State
Jackie Schneider- Emmanuel College
Alana Johnston- Stonehill College
Isabella May- Bates College
Cody Moran- UMASS Lowell
Erin Connolly- Westfield State University
Grace Poplawski- Westfield State University
Hannah Beckman- Umass Amherst
Mari Noble- Princeton University
Sarah Dwyer- Umass Amherst
Caitlin Bird- Connecticut College
Paul Neilan- Umass Lowell
Brianna Farrell- Merrimack
Chris Tringale- Wapole HS/ Springfield College
Mike Cruetz- Conn College
​
​