Scott and Liz

Larry and Ina’s daughter and her husband left their previous careers in June 2006 to join Walden full-time. Scott and Liz live in Fort Worth, Texas, with their son Max and camp dogs Dante and Sophie. From September through May, they run the Walden office from Fort Worth, mainly because they do not like the winter—except in small, weekend doses. In other words, they often visit with potential new families in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and the rest of the cold-weather states!

Liz spent her first 22 summers at Walden as camper and staff. After graduating from the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, she embarked on a 16-year journalism career and was a staff writer for both the Detroit News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s currently pursuing her teaching certification in middle school English/Language Arts.

Scott, a native Texan who mysteriously lacks an accent, spent seven years teaching in the public schools before returning to school himself for a master’s degree in social work, which he received in 2000. For six years he wrote and managed federal grants for human services, homelessness in particular.  Scott has a BA and a MA in English and can regularly be found attempting to engage wary staff members in conversations about contemporary literature and invites staff and campers alike to check out books from his private library. 

Larry and Ina

Larry and Ina ran Walden hand-in-hand for decades and still embody camp’s moral and philosophical foundation. In the fall of 2008, Ina suffered a catastrophic injury which has since prevented the couple from spending extended periods of time at camp during the summers. But their guidance is often sought! Both are lifelong campers who dedicated their lives to giving kids the best possible camping experience.

Larry Stevens, one of Walden's two founders, earned both B.A. and M.A. degrees in Education and History. He taught for many years in the Detroit Public Schools and ran the Lawrence Stevens Gallery in Detroit’s Harmony Park in the early 1970s. A consummate educator and lifelong student, Larry enjoys entertaining campers and staff with his self-taught harmonica playing. His fondness for yellow socks is widely renowned.

Ina Stevens has worked professionally with children in both the classroom and at camp for 48 years, joining Larry at Walden in 1964. A tireless mother, gardener, fitness instructor, camp accountant and nurturer to many a homesick camper, Ina continues to bring a resilient spirit to the Walden family. The overwhelming response to her accident from current and past Walden campers and staff proved just how many lives she has touched during her years at camp.