Chris Rehs-Dupin, (he/him/his)

Founder of Transplaining for Camps, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of TQAMP

Biography:

Chris Rehs-Dupin graduated from the University of Louisville in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts, and immediately pursued a Masters in English Composition, with a focus on Women and Gender Studies.  However, life had other plans. After 1.5 years of graduate studies he gave up academia to become a full time camp director.  Chris spent three years as the resident camp director of his childhood camp, Girl Scout Camp Pennyroyal, and then moved to Ohio where he ran the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Elam Environmental Center for seven years, developing sustainable garden programming and a full educational maple syrup operation.  At camp Chris focused on creating equitable spaces for campers of all backgrounds and developed comprehensive staff training materials that made training an impactful, and supportive experience.

After a short foray into the field of public service (working at the Columbus City Impound Lot), Chris co-founded Transplaining (2020) which evolved into Transplaining for Camps (2023), and is excited to steward the next iteration of this work forward as a Founder and Co-Executive Director of TQAMP (2024).

Chris began speaking at Professional Camp Conferences in 2009, and has presented sessions on: Queer and Trans* Inclusion, Staff Morale, Intersectionality, Motivating Millennials for Success, De-Escalation Techniques for Angry Caregivers, Fostering Belonging, and has sat on numerous panels including Inclusive Care of LGBTQ Individuals, Intersectional Equity Panels, and LGTBQ Inclusion in Churches.  From keynotes to break out sessions, Chris loves working with folks to understand how belonging can be transformative in our spaces, and in our world.  Chris was the recipient of the ACA Illinois, Marcy and Bob Brower Award (2022), and the ACA Ohio Friends of Camping Award (2023).  With a background in theatre, he weaves entertainment, humor, and storytelling into his workshops and trainings, creating an impactful environment for learning and growth.  

In his non-working hours- Chris is an avid hobbyist who finds joy in: making maple syrup, hiking, roller skating, wine making and his most recent obsessions in laser engraving.  He is an average husband to Amy Rehs-Dupin and the proud father of 2 children who are his biggest inspiration to make the world a kinder place.