Camp RIO Staff

 Nancy 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. 

 Howard 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. 

 Mary Barba is a Brownsville native. She graduated from UTRGV with a degree in Early Childhood Education and worked as an elementary teacher before joining the Camp RIO team as an instructional guide. In her years at Camp RIO, Mary has served in several roles, now working as the Curriculum and Data coordinator. Mary loves to see students experience the wonders of nature for the first time and is passionate about providing memorable experiences for everyone who visits. Mary enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two kids. She will never turn down iced coffee or Mexican candy.