Viki Kappel Spain has been involved in commercial food service operations in the camp and conference center industry since 1985, when she met and fell in love with Mike and camp cooking all in one fell swoop. Prior to meeting Mike and YMCA Camp TaTa Pochon, Viki had obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside, in 1983, majoring in English, fully intending to complete her teaching credential.

However, a fulfilling job at Loma Linda University and a full-time life of skiing caused the credential to be set aside. Viki's intense love of skiing and connection with the National Ski Patrol spurred her to get her EMT certification; Crafton Hills College's EMT school was where she met Mike, and the rest of the story is told through pictures showcasing their daughter, Sarah, and son, Corey, and their idyllic life in the mountains (look for the entertaining tale of "I Married a Camp Director" in her upcoming book, The Camp Director's Guide to Food Service.) A feature story was also written about Viki and published in the Big Bear Life magazine, and can be found on the author's web site at www.campcookbooks.com.

Finally, though, after being a substitute teacher for three years, in October of 2007, Viki accepted a full-time English teacher position at Portola High School; qualifying for the National University internship credential program, she taught and worked on coursework, and received her Preliminary single-subject credential in July, 2009. She is also taking graduate classes to finish her Master’s degree in multicultural education.


New Camp Cook Books!

Viki is the author of the new books 101 Camp Cooking Tips and 101 Camp Recipes, published in 2008, which follow the 2004 publication Food Service Manual: Lessons in Group Food Service, all published by the American Camp Association (www.acacamps.org). Viki also authored and self-published, in 1995, the popular Camp Kitchen Guidebook, out of print now, but copies are available through the author. Her newest camp book, The Camp Director's Guide to Food Service, will hopefully be on shelves in time for the 2010 ACA National Conference.

Viki is a speaker at ACA, YMCA, Salvation Army, and other agency functions, at national, regional and local conferences on food service issues related to camps and conference centers. Viki also offers consulting and private food service training programs to individual facilities and operations.

She is a contributing writer of several published articles* in the camp industry, including the ACA Camping Magazine, Camp Parent, and the Christian Camping International Journal. In July 2004, after being interviewed by Associated Press writer, J.M. Hirsch, Viki was quoted in the article, "Kids Summer Camps Cleaning Up Menus." The article was picked up by more than 200 newspapers across the country, fueled by the increased interest in summer camp attendance and healthier food choices at camps; it was followed by an interview aired on National Public Radio.

In 2006, following a published article co-written with Karla Henderson, Ph.D., and Deborah Bialeschki, Ph.D., titled, "Kids and Healthy Lifestyles," the authors received the J. Wendell and Ruth T. Howe Golden Quill Award, voted the favorite article of the year in the ACA Camping Magazine.
           *articles are available for viewing at www.acacamps.org.

At the 2008 ACA National Conference in Nashville, Viki received a National Service Award and "special recognition for continued and increasing service beyond the section level." She thoroughly enjoys her annual connection to food service professionals at the YMCA Camp Chingachgook North American Camp Food Service Conference and the Southern California/Hawaii Section ACA Food Service Conference each year.

Viki is the past chairperson and member of the ACA Camping Magazine editorial advisory committee, past chairperson for the YMCA North American Camping Conference in Michigan, and recipient of the Paul Somers Award from ACA for establishing the now-annual Cooks Conference event in many sections.

As an active member of the Northern California Section of ACA, she coordinates regional and local kitchen staff training conferences; she is also an Associate Standards Visitor.

Viki is also a Certified ServeSafe instructor through the National Restaurant Association, and offers the state-mandated food service manager's ServeSafe course at any facility.

Viki loves teaching English and Culinary Arts, cooking and baking, writing, and reading her Kindle; she lives in Northern California with her husband, Mike, and son, Corey (daughter Sarah, a licensed cosmetologist, has moved out of the nest), along with an eclectic set of cats who rule the house and keep Corey’s new puppy in his place. Viki can be contacted on her FaceBook page, web site www.campcookbooks.com or by email at vkspain@sbcglobal.net.