New director for Camp JORI

Richard Kodner has been hired as the next director of Camp JORI in Wakefield. The announcement was made in a letter to parents Oct. 14.

Kodner comes to JORI from the St. Louis area, where he served as director of Camp Ben Franklin and the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky. He was also the board president of the Brith Sholom Keneseth Israel Synagogue in the St. Louis area.

According to the JORI letter, Kodner’s selection followed a national search and he told the committee that one of his goals is to get as many children as possible involved in summer camp.

Kodner is married to Gail, a freelance architect. They have twin boys who attend the University of Missouri-Columbia. He will move to Rhode Island in mid-November.