Legacy and Leadership: John Jannone’s Retirement from Camp Ballibay
For John, Camp Ballibay has always been more than a place of work – it’s home. He grew up at camp, with his parents, Dottie and Jerry Jannone, the previous owners and camp directors of Ballibay, attended the local high school, and spent his youth on camp grounds. “My parents tried to get me to go to another camp. I was too young to start at Ballibay but they thought I might benefit from a camp experience. But I cried- I didn’t want to go to a different camp.” Before even becoming an official camper, John had an unwavering connection and loyalty to Ballibay. From camper to camp director, John’s dedication to camp not only shaped his personal journey, but has also left an everlasting mark on Ballibay’s culture and community.
After decades of summers spent in the endless mountains of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, John stepped down at the end of last season and now assumes the role of Director Emeritus. I got the opportunity to sit down with John and discuss his lifelong commitment to Ballibay, the everlasting camp philosophy, and what comes next.
“We’ve really refined what we do and we’ve gotten a lot better at what we do- more organized- but fundamentally it’s the same,” John reflects as we discuss how Ballibay has evolved over the years. "It’s kids having real agency, decision-making, choosing how they spend their time, being supported, being creative, and being young artists. That’s always what it’s been about. I think we do it better and maybe more intentionally, but we’re still doing the same thing.”
When asked what change surprised him most over his years running camp, his answer was something many might overlook- the food. “I went to camp and grew up accepting the food. Even as a counselor and in my early years helping run the camp, I just sort of accepted camp food as camp food. But then I had kids, and when I thought about how I wanted to feed my kids, it didn't resemble camp food at all. I wanted fresh ingredients—locally sourced. I wanted to cook from scratch for them. It occurred to me that if those were my values about how children should be fed, then I have to reflect those values in the camp. So, the most significant change, and the one that's surprising, I guess, in just how successful it was, is the food. We really eat well now, with a healthy, diverse menu, and the kids and staff love it.”
When I asked John what achievement he is most proud of during his time running camp, he took a pause. “I have to say the achievement that I’m most proud of is being able to walk away," he said with quiet satisfaction. "To have built on something that I believed in and gotten it to a place where I felt we had the structure, the goals, the mission, the procedures refined, and the people—you, Sarah, and Kristin in place—that I can walk away. That’s my proudest accomplishment.”
After celebrating our 60th anniversary last summer, John shared his hopes for the future of Ballibay. "I think Ballibay is going to be where you, Sarah, and Kristin put it, and that is exciting for me. It didn't fundamentally change in the 25 years that Kristin and I ran it—it’s not going to fundamentally change in the next 10 years. It's still going to be Ballibay. It’s still going to have all of those core values—probably going to use the same staff handbook," he said with a smile. "One of the pleasures of mine is coming back and running parts of the staff orientation, and I'm content to continue doing that for as long as it’s useful. I think that helping to keep us on mission is something that I'm willing to do—not that I think it would drift without me, but if I can help, I’m happy to do so. So, where is it going to be in 10 years? It’s going to still be doing the thing it’s been doing since 1964—maybe in an even more organized, more intentional way. Every year we can become more and more intentional about what we’re doing."
On the topic of the evolution of Ballibay, John and I discussed the expansion of camp’s program areas and how, in recent years, we’ve added a creative writing and outdoor education program. When sharing what he would like to see expanded next, John shared, “I would like to see the theater program become more of a devised theater program—and it is. This is a direction that really started several years ago. The rock program is now almost 50% original songs, the visual arts program has always been 100% original material, and the dance program has certain pieces that are choreographed by the staff, but there are also pieces that are choreographed collaboratively with the campers, and some choreographed by the campers. Theater is the one program where we can do more original material—more devised material. And as I said, we are, but I think it can become a hallmark of the program. It’s going to take time to do that, but I guess this would be the long-term change that I’d like to see.”
Finally, John shared the aspects he finds most important for the future generations of Ballibay campers. “It’s really about the core philosophy. Everything is a conversation. Adults and kids work together and make decisions together, while always remembering that the adults are responsible for the health and safety of the children. But beyond that, as artists, they can be peers, and there doesn’t need to be top-down learning. There can be sharing—sharing of artistry and sharing of creative impulses. And I think that is just the heart of Ballibay."
So, what’s next for John Jannone?
John is a senior faculty member at Brooklyn College, where he created the M.F.A. program in Performance and Interactive Media Arts (PIMA), which he co-directs with (Ballibay camp mom) Jennifer McCoy. He is preparing for a sabbatical year in Japan, where he will participate in the "Technology and Liveness" research project at Osaka University's Nakanoshima Art Center. He will be conducting research and working on practical projects with A.I. in animation and music.
This summer John released an album of electronic music titled RGBWY with his partner (and former Ballibay Head of Media) Niav Conty. Their film, Small Time, is available to stream on Amazon Prime. We look forward to seeing what comes next as he continues to create and explore. To keep up with John's creative work, check out his website which showcases his music, animation, projection design, and film work.
I’ve never known anyone who inspires more songs, stories, or even graffiti than John Jannone. Even when John isn’t physically at camp, his name comes up constantly, and his impact transcends his absence. Campers admire his instruments which still hang in the office, ask what he has been up to, and my favorite, write songs like, “Where is John Jannone?” John is a beloved figure at Ballibay and even when not there in person, his presence is felt through the chatter and fond memories shared by the campers.
My first memory of John dates back to when I was just 10, during my second year at Ballibay. It was the first dinner of the session, and I was excited to sing 'Day by Day' with my friends. As I approached the dining hall, I saw John holding the door open for everyone. When I walked through, he smiled and said, 'Hi Annie, it’s good to see you.' I stopped, surprised, and asked, 'You remember me?' I was amazed that John, the Camp Director of Camp Ballibay, knew my name. 'Of course I do!' he replied. That brief exchange still brings a smile to my face, even almost 15 years later.
When John hired me as a full-time employee in 2022, all I wanted to do was go back in time and tell my 10-year-old self that he would give me my first full-time job- that we would jam on guitars while waiting for campers to arrive on opening day, hike through a storm as he showed me the trails behind the music building, that he would come to my first professional show in NYC, and continue to encourage and support my creative pursuits.
From everyone at Camp Ballibay, thank you, John, for your countless years of dedication and commitment to Ballibay. The spirit you’ve helped build here will continue to thrive.
