Backyard explorer finds his way to second-in-command at the Sussex County YMCA

HARDYSTON — Corey Brown spent his childhood investigating the woods behind his Montague home in Sussex County and developed a life-long love of the outdoors.

“I’d take my time to explore and learn all the things that lived there," Brown recalled.

Years later, Brown found a fulfilling career at the Fairview Lake YMCA Camps, where for eight years he led survival camps, oversaw weekend programs and then increased its visibility as marketing director.

“The Fairview Lake Y was a great fit for me. Over the years I’ve found I enjoy leading people, and I’m ready to take the next step," said Brown, who was recently promoted to associate executive director of the Sussex County YMCA.

The Sussex County Y in Hardyston Township and the Fairview Lake Y Camps, which offers year-round camping, environmental education programs and weekend conferences in Stillwater Township, are branches of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, the largest association of YMCAs in New Jersey.

In addition to his new role, Brown remains the point person for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Fairview Lake YMCA Camps in June. He created web pages where campers through the decades recount their memories. “It’s amazing how the Y has touched people’s lives," Brown said.

Brown’s first professional job came two years into college. He was hired as an adventure educator at an alternative school that served teens with special needs and those who ran into trouble with the law.

“Our goal was to get them to graduate, and the success rate was 80 percent," he recalled.

Wanting to complete his bachelor’s degree, Brown enrolled at Kean University where he earned a degree in recreation administration.

Edwin Muhlbeck, a family friend and a member of the Sussex County YMCA board of managers, urged Brown to consider a YMCA career. A year after he was hired at the Fairview Lake Y, Brown was promoted to conference coordinator in charge of running the Y’s extensive weekend programming. Brown started the popular Father/Son Klondike Weekends.

Brown, meanwhile, earned a master’s degree in education at Mount St. Mary’s College in Newburgh, N.Y., and in 2010 was promoted to marketing director. Along with Metro YMCA Marketing and Communication Director Greg Albers, Brown built the Fairview Lake’s online and social media presence and commissioned a summer camp promotional video that recently won a Silver Telly Award.

Brown, 33, said he loves the environment at the Sussex County Y.

“From the moment I first walked in, the staff lit up the building," he said. “Their love for their jobs, it creates an open, welcoming feeling."

As associate director, Brown’s goal is to help the Y expand and increase its reach. “Everyone in this area should be able to experience the Sussex County Y," he said.

In his spare time these days, Brown manages the Irish-influenced folk-rock band Emish, led by his fiddle-playing wife, Christy. Three of the band’s biggest fans are their children, 5-year-old Ashlyn, 3-year-old Lyla and 22-month-old Cayden.