Kim Leisey settling in as CAMP Rehoboth executive director
A little more than a month into her role as CAMP Rehoboth executive director, Kim Leisey said the more she’s around the Rehoboth Beach organization and the more she learns about the community’s LGBTQ history, the more she feels like her new role was a calling.
“On some level, it’s a spiritual experience to serve like this. This is what I’ve trained to do,” said Leisey during an interview Aug. 18.
Co-founded by Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald in 1991, CAMP Rehoboth is a community center focused on meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ people. Elkins served as executive director until he died in March 2018. David Mariner followed Elkins and held the position for three years. After Mariner left, Interim Executive Director Lisa Evans led day-to-day operations for roughly a year.
After an extensive, nationwide search, Leisey was named executive director in late spring; her first day on the job was July 10. Prior to CAMP, Leisey had a three-decade career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She was senior associate vice president of student affairs when she made the move.
Leisey said she had been with UMBC long enough that it was time to decide if she wanted to retire, spend her time volunteering or find another job. When this position became available, she said, she was curious about it, and after discussing the possibilities with her spouse Kathy Solano, she decided to apply.
Leisey and Solano moved to the Lewes area in December 2020, but had been coming to Rehoboth and participating in CAMP-related events for much longer. It’s a safe and welcoming place, said Leisey. Still in the evaluation and getting-to-know-you-phase with staff and community members, she said people in the community have been wonderful and kind so far.
Beginning this fall, among the first things Leisey will help CAMP with is the creation of a strategic plan that will help guide the organization for years to come.
Things evolve, and CAMP is no different, said Leisey. People generally understand what the mission of the organization is, but how those values are lived is what’s changing, she said.
“I do know that I want this place to be vibrant,” said Leisey. “Who we are doesn’t need to just happen within the walls of this building.”
However CAMP Rehoboth evolves under Leisey’s tenure, she said it will be done thoughtfully. Design and structure are important, and she’s not the type of person to just do things, she said.
A second task Leisey will undertake in the next year will be to hire an operations director. That person will help run the day-to-day operations, which will allow her to focus on networking, fundraising, advocacy and coalition building with other organizations in the area, she said.
“Yes, CAMP is an organization focused on helping the LGBTQ community, but it’s much more than that. The message of this place is one of inclusion for everybody,” she said.
More immediately, Leisey has set up Coffee with Kim events on the CAMP Rehoboth porch. A few sessions in, she said it’s going well and hopes it continues to grow.
Leisey said she has committed to CAMP’s board of directors for staying on as executive director for at least three years.
“If I’m having fun, it could be much longer,” she said.
Editor’s note: The spelling of Kim Leisey’s spouse Kathy Solano has been corrected.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
