Camp Staff

Liz (she/her/hers) is the founder and co-director of Camp Free2Be. She is the proud parent of four amazing kids ages 14, 19, 23, and 34, one of whom is transgender and one of whom is nonbinary; the proud grandparent of two beautiful grandchildren; a preschool music teacher; a facilitator of the Northern Virginia chapter of He She Ze and We, a support group for parents and caregivers of trans and gender expansive children; and an advocate for transgender youth as an active member of Arlington Gender Identity Allies. She enjoys singing, playing ukulele and recorder, crafting, and cuddling with her Yorkie.

Lee (they/them/theirs) is the co-director and a senior counselor at camp. They are a graduate of Wakefield High School, and are finishing their degree as an ASL interpreter at Northern Virginia Community College. They enjoy crocheting, gaming, singing (2+ years with the GenOUT Chorus as a member, and 2 years as a junior helper/leader), and creating digital art.

Brian Smith (he/him/his) is our financial director, and was instrumental in taking Camp Free2Be through the process of becoming a non-profit. He is a longtime Arlington resident and is currently chairing the Board of Directors of Educational Theatre Company (ETC). During the day, you can find him at work as Vice President of Finance and Operations at Promundo-US. He previously worked as the Vice President of Operations at CHANGE (Center for Health and Gender Equity) and in various leadership roles at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Brian holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from George Mason University and is pursuing his MBA at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Ty Kitchen (they/them/theirs) is the Little SMYALs Programs Manager and has been at SMYAL since January 2021. Ty is a nonbinary educator, youth worker, camp counselor, and queer advocate. Ty has a degree in elementary education from Connecticut College and has been working with kids and teens in educational settings since they were a teen themself! Some of their favorite things include their dog (a little chihuahua named Turnip!), the show Steven Universe, watching plants grow, singing and dancing, and finding little bits of queer magic and joy in everyday life. Ty strives to create spaces where youth can be seen and empowered as their whole authentic selves, and can’t wait to meet you!

Sydney is a year-long intern working with Little SMYALs, and will join us this summer as our Head Counselor! As someone who was an openly queer teenager, Sydney knows how important it is to have positive queer role models. Sydney has always loved working with kids, and feels extremely grateful to be able to provide support to queer and trans youth. Some fun facts about Sydney are that she loves watching Avatar the Last Airbender, singing, and eating any dessert. Her favorite queer icon of all time is Lady Gaga, and she also loves the art of drag.

Leisure (they/them) is very excited to be joining the Free2Be team this Summer 2023! Leisure has had a range of odd jobs in their life so far but one category that remains consistent is their love of queer and nonbinary representation in public education. For the last 15 or so years, Leisure has been in public education settings that range from substitute teacher, coach, teacher, and now school counselor. With their License (Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor/LGPC) Leisure continues to be a mental health professional and support for LGBTQIA+ youth and their families!

When they are not totally immersed in the mental health world, you can find them playing roller derby, vibing out with music, being outside with their camera taking photographs, hiking/walking, or spending time with their Peloton bike! Leisure is looking forward to working with LGBTQIA+ youth and their supports to empower our young people to build their confidence and skills to accomplish what they put their minds to!