The Harding University administration has chosen psychology professor Travis McNeal to be the new director of Camp Tahkodah, the Harding-affiliated summer camp centered on developing young Christians. McNeal was named camp director after the resignation of Professor of Bible Dr. Ross Cochran, who has led Camp Tahkodah for the past eight years.
McNeal served Camp Tahkodah as its assistant director in 2011. His full involvement with the ministry dates back to his undergrad days at Harding when he and his wife, Meleah, spent several summers as counselors and adult volunteers before officially joining the camp staff a year ago. According to Cochran, McNeal is well-suited for the position.
“When I decided to resign, I gave my recommendation for Travis to get the position,” Cochran said. “He is very organized, very proactive, and he gets along well with college students. He’s got a good sense of humor. He’s just really a good guy, and so the more I’m around him, the more I just enjoy being around him. He and Meleah will do a great job.”
McNeal said he is excited for this new opportunity, but will greatly miss the leadership of Cochran.
At the outset of their tenure as the camp’s leaders, Cochran and his wife Nita said they sought to increase attendance at Camp Tahkodah. They eventually succeeded in filling the camp to its capacity of 148 campers per session. It was not long before the demand for bunks at Camp Tahkodah exceeded the supply and campers had to be turned away.
The Cochrans, along with the camp’s caretaker Steve Smith, facilitated a 63 percent increase in attendance by building enough cabins for 33 more campers to attend each session, according to Cochran. Cochran said the maximum number of campers went from 566 in 2003 to 920 in 2011. In 2007, Cochran said they achieved another long-time goal of erecting a new dining hall, named after Harding professor and former camp director Randy Lambeth.
Sophomore Brady Clark worked as a counselor at Camp Tahkodah for one summer. He said that Cochran’s love for the camp was evident.
“He loved the kids, and you could tell that God gave him the ability to positively encourage children,” Clark said. “He has spent so much time at camp, and it is evident in how successful Camp Tahkodah is in bringing Jesus to campers. “
According to Cochran, the reason for his resignation ultimately came from a desire to spend more time with his family. McNeal said Cochran’s absence will be felt at Tahkodah.
“There’s not a person I know that doesn’t absolutely love him,” McNeal said. “The kids love him, the counselors love him, and the adult staff loves him and respects him tremendously. He’s just one of those guys that everybody who knows him loves and respects him deeply. So he’s going to be sorely missed this year.”
