Our Staff

Emily Starkie Zbin

Executive Director

Emily has a life-long connection to Camp Natoma. She is the granddaughter of local teachers, Alf & Alice Starkie, who dedicated their summers in the 1950s as the camp maintenance man and outdoor cooking leader. As a youth camper, Emily’s family spent many weekends as volunteers helping take care of the camp facility. Emily began her employment at Camp Natoma as a lifeguard and counselor while attending the University of California, San Diego, where she graduated with a BS in Environmental Systems, and was captain of the Women’s Swim Team her senior year.

On the path to becoming Friends of Camp Natoma's first Executive Director, Emily gained experience and developed her passion for providing childhood nature experiences and outdoor education, first through a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course in New Zealand, then obtaining a California teaching credential and a Masters in Education, with an emphasis on children and nature. She taught 5th and 6th grades in local schools before assuming her position as Camp Director, where she grew the Camp Natoma program to provide hundreds of families the benefits of new camper experiences at Camp Natoma.

Emily is committed to expanding opportunities for youth to have the Camp Natoma experience and promoting the value of nature connection.

Robbie Zbin

Director of Operations

Robbie is Camp Natoma’s Director of Operations. Robbie supervises and directs facility operations and site volunteers, camp transportation, custom programs, and trains seasonal staff. He enjoys connecting community volunteers to camp projects and helping campers and staff maximize their summer experience. Currently, he’s working with crews to expand the network of hiking trails throughout Camp Natoma so kids and families will have more to explore.

Robbie's family has been camping and working at Camp Natoma for generations. He remembers his first week under the stars as a camper, eventually spending summers as a nature instructor and leader of the CIT program while attending University of California, Santa Barbara. He went on to pursue teaching credentials from Cal Poly, SLO and taught science and math at local high schools while continuing growing Natoma's capacity to serve campers.

Diana Krichevsky

Summer Camp Director

Diana grew up in Nipomo and started attending Camp Natoma as a camper in 2004, which quickly became her favorite place in the world. Spending her summers under the stars and oak trees for the next nine years helped her fall in love with the outdoors. Diana went on to complete her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science at UCLA. After graduating, she spent time as an elementary school teacher in South Korea, but returned to the United States to pursue her Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Education for the Environment and Community at University of Washington. Diana loves sharing Camp Natoma with new campers, giving them an opportunity to laugh, sing, swim, and sleep under the stars.

Carl Dupuis

Program Director

Carlie grew up on the central coast in Arroyo Grande and started attending Camp Natoma in 2005. She had always been in love with the outdoors but her experience at Camp Natoma proved to be an especially rewarding experience. She loved being a camper during the summer and helping her dad with improvements in the off-season. Carlie continued to be an avid outdoors person and began her professional career studying French at Sonoma State University with a year abroad in France. She has spent the beginning of her career in the wine industry in Sonoma County and is thrilled to be back at her favorite place as the Program Director for her beloved Camp Natoma. Carlie loves singing camp songs, sharing outdoor skills, and fostering friendships among fellow fans of nature.