St. Columba has a way of bringing people to the right place at the right time. This year, two new members of the St. Columba team arrived with years of experience, a deep appreciation for camp and community, and skills that seem tailor-made for the work ahead. Facilities and Grounds Manager Sam Perkins brings a lifelong love of the outdoors and a knack for finding practical solutions, while Executive Chef Kendrick Robertson brings creativity, hospitality and a passion for connecting people through food. Their paths to St. Columba are different, but both are discovering that this special place has plenty of room for their gifts to grow.
The night before Sam Perkin’s first day as Facilities and Grounds Manager at St. Columba, a massive old oak fell across the main trail behind Gates Pavilion. No injuries. No structural damage. But its trunk was about as wide as a city street is tall, and MUD Camp was in full swing. He had to clear this essential pathway for the campers, and he knew just how to do it and which tools to use. He just needed to be pointed in the right direction.
The reception that followed provided space for fellowship, reunion, and welcome, setting a tone of hospitality and connection that carried into the sessions that followed.
Which Way?
“My career started out mowing yards as a kid, and very quickly I started working at summer camp because I didn’t want to mow yards anymore.” Perkins attended Camp Hopewell in Oxford, Mississippi, and worked there all through college. “It really inspired a love for the outdoors, a love for the community that you gain from camp.”
As he studied Parks and Recreation Administration at Ole Miss, Perkins got interested in sustainable agriculture. “Previously, I thought farming was acres of corn and massive combines,” he says. Before long, he grew infatuated with learning about small-scale organic no-till farming and rotational grazing of animals.
While he worked in camp maintenance, he learned to become a handy man of sorts. He mulched the challenge course, repaired broken water lines, and learned to fix just about anything worth fixing. But during the summers he took youth on wilderness adventures through a trip-based summer program. Perkins led backcountry experiences to Jackson Hole, the Tetons, Hawaii, and Australia.
Change in Course
After earning his Bachelor’s degree, Perkins moved to Salt Lake City, but a severe snowboarding accident left him idle at home with time to heal. His interest returned to agriculture. He interned at a small farm in South Carolina and discovered the importance of developing his maintenance skills. “When you’re a farmer, you have to learn how to fix things yourself,” says Perkins. “Because if you always have to pay other people to do things for you, you’ll never make any money.”
This experience led to his role as Farm Manager at Ounce of Hope for six years. While engulfed in seasonal horticulture practices, Perkins developed a philosophy on preventative maintenance. “It’s important to invest dollars in taking care of valuable equipment, not only to keep things from breaking, but for safety. It’s the key to stewarding resources properly.”
Right Place, Right Time
Through a decade of camp experience and a decade of farming, Perkins had the tools and knowledge to use them this past summer on his very first day working at St. Columba. When faced with the biggest tree he’d ever had to clear, he used it as a learning moment. Now he knows where to find the chainsaws in the shop, the easiest trail to handle the tractor, and the best place to drop logs near the firewood shed.
Sam Perkins didn’t look at his first day as an insurmountable task. He was happy to crank up a chainsaw and get down to it. “I’ve worked in camps and agriculture all my life. This is the part I like, learning how to find solutions to problems.”
Contemporary Southern Fusion
With more than 13 years of experience in Memphis-area fine dining restaurants, Chef Ken has honed a certain style. “People coming to St. Columba are getting a chance to taste the life I’ve lived through my own art form,” he says. “Food is easy, but capturing culture is different.”
During his years at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, he learned how simple it is to make fresh pasta. At Southern Social, he gained leadership and managerial skills, learning the importance of proper ordering and building vendor relationships. He led campus-wide catering at the University of Memphis where he learned to juggle multiple events at once.
His cooking philosophy developed into what Chef Ken calls contemporary southern fusion. He blends familiar downhome hospitality with international techniques and flavors. “For instance, instead of roasted chicken thighs with gravy, we have blackened chicken with lemon-herb jus,” he says. “So we trade thick gravy for a thinner pan sauce, which is a French technique. Then add some fresh veggies, a starch, and that’s a good base-level entree.”
Elevating the Options
Chef Ken has inspiring ideas for the future. He wants to host intimate upscale outdoor fine dining experiences, like an evening in the fairy forest or sunset by the lake. For event coordinators, he has created a selection of four menu options with tiered pricing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Beginning in 2027, coordinators can choose from a list of entrees, sides and desserts, which will rotate according to what produce is in season locally.
“I’m happy to lead live cooking demonstrations and classes,” says Chef Ken. The open kitchens of Johnson and Coleman lodges have large islands perfect for groups to learn how to make pasta, biscuits from scratch or just watch as the meal is being created. “We can do themed tastings. I have recipes, but they can change slightly. I follow my heart in the moment if it needs more salt or acidity, and people feel connected to that.”
This fall will be Chef Ken’s first time seeing the leaves change all around Scheibler Lodge. As he begins a new season of receptions and art openings along with retreats and camps for St. Columba, he’s grateful for the way it all worked out. Everyone’s prayers were answered.
And as for those cups of joy, well, they sure do runneth over.
Candice Baxter is Marketing and Communications Manager at St. Columba Episcopal Camp and Retreat Center.
