Meet the Directors

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 Nancy Mance is from a long line of Brownsville natives dating back to her great grandparents. Her mom even attended Camp Lula Sams as a Girl Scout in the 1950s! Although she was not born here, her family returned to Brownsville in the mid-1980s. She attended Oliveria Middle School and St. Joseph Academy. Her passion for camp began while attending Texas A&M in College Station. Nancy spent the summers working at various youth camps and decided that one day, her life's work would include introducing children to the wonders of the outdoors. Her degrees in Biology and Kinesiology laid the foundation of knowledge, and 12 years in the classroom have given her the experience to provide a quality camp program. 

 Gilbert Montes is a Brownsville native who has been working at Camp RIO since the early years.  He has held nearly every job at camp including summer camp counselor, camp guide, crew, and lead program guide.  Now he is fully running our outdoor education program and we couldn't be happier.

 Anali Lewis is a Brownsville native who has also worked at Camp RIO since the early years. She has served as a camp guide, summer camp counselor, and registrar. Now she is serving as our Summer Program Manager, and she is fiercely dedicated to camp and wants nothing more than for our kiddos to have the best summer ever right here in the Rio Grande Valley. 

 Mary Barba was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. She graduated with a degree in Education from The University of Texas at Brownsville and taught elementary school before moving to Camp RIO. Mary has a passion for people and a passion for learning. She and her husband love to spend time at the gym and the beach whenever they have the chance. 

 Howard Mance was born in Baltimore, MD, to a military family. As a child, he traveled all over the world, including Japan, the United States, England, and Germany. Howard served in the Army for nine years and received an honorable discharge. As a child, he learned many outdoor skills from his grandfather at their log cabin homestead in Pine Bush, NY. As an adult, Howard served as a Colorado high angle rescue volunteer. Working with a variety of equipment in the military, and a passion for the outdoors created the perfect match for Howard's role at camp.