Texas Lions Camp

Fantastic Four

By: Stephen S. Mabry, CFRE, CAE

Chief Executive Officer

FANTASTIC FOUR

Four Fantastic individuals recently received four phenomenal offers, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future of all four.

Today, I am officially announcing that two (2) key, full-time employees will be leaving Texas Lions Camp in order to accept positions with other service-based organizations: Paul Brouse (Program Supervisor) whose last day will be April 30, 2012 and Stephanie Hodges (Registrar) whose last day was Friday, April 20, 2012. Both of these high-caliber individuals have served with distinction and their talents will be missed, but at the same time, we are excited to watch them embark on the next step in their personal journey through life.

It is a difficult thing to invest in employees and to later have to say good-bye, but the

truth is “Cream Rises to the Top” and just as quality people come in, they inevitably will rise to even greater challenges and go out. Texas Lions Camp has a long standing tradition of celebrating the natural flow of this cycle and for decades has invited those who have served “to evaluate what they have given to TLC and what they have taken away from TLC.” This cycle is true for all and occurs at varying degrees both large and small…directly and indirectly…obviously and quietly.

Paul Brouse - 2012

Paul Brouse – Program Supervisor
Paul was the second person I ever met at Texas Lions Camp, over two decades ago, as we both served on the summer staff at TLC in 1989. Even then, his calm, steady and gentle way with people was legendary and well established. Paul soon began his full-time career in organized camping at another organization and returned full-time to TLC in December of 2008 as TLC’s Program Supervisor. Paul has been an integral part of the TLC Team, devoting his time and efforts to recruiting, supervising, and coaching TLC’s seasonal employees. Paul was also charged with coordinating TLC’s Advanced Diabetes Seminar and facilitated both the medical team and attendees of the seminars, since the seminar’s successful inception in 2009. Paul has accepted a position at the University of New Mexico where he will manage the University’s Camp Program for Children who have Autism. Thank you Paul for your service to TLC and we wish you well in all of your new adventures.

Melissa Wilson (Left) Stephanie Hodges (right) - 2012

Stephanie Hodges – Registrar
Stephanie came to TLC in January of 2009 in order to assume the duties of Camp Registrar upon the retirement of long time employee, Mae Nell Rhymes. To be sure, taking over for an employee with 46 years of experience in a role as important as the single registrar for 1,500 children who have special medical conditions is understandably intimidating, but Stephanie proved that she was up to the challenge of mastering numerous systems and quickly met the needs of all concerned. Since 2009, Stephanie has coordinated every child who has attended TLC and directly contributed to their safe return home. Most recently and most notably, Stephanie was charged with the implementation of taking TLC’s camper applications on-line for the first time in TLC’s 63 year history. This new system was launched in January of 2012 and is making registrations quicker and easier, setting the stage for faster and more efficient responses to all concerned, not to mention faster and more efficient access to information by our program and medical teams. Stephanie will be joining Dani Johnson’s team, a motivational life coach who has appeared on Oprah and others.

Though not a requirement, it has admittedly become a pattern for TLC to promote from within and many of those invited to join our full-time team have worked on our seasonal team in the past. I am very proud to announce that two of our newest employees are no strangers to our mission as both are former employees who are merely coming home.

Patti Rodgriquez - 2012

Patricia “Patty” Rodriquez – Program Supervisor
Patty has been hired to take the position of Program Supervisor, which was vacated by Paul. She is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees: 1) Journalism and 2) Communications Studies.  Patty was a member of the TLC Summer staff from 2007-2011 having worked up to the supervisory level, and was one of our Program Interns this past year from January – August of 2011, where she actively participated in a supervisory role.  Patty is fluent in sign-language and is currently working to become a certified interpreter.  Patty states that working for Texas Lions Camp is her dream job and that she is still walking on “cloud nine” since her dream has become reality. I am very proud to have Patty join the TLC Professional Staff and to introduce her to you, the TLC family – look for great things from her – she will no doubt be a credit to us all.

Melissa Wilson, MS, CCLS, CPST – Camp Registrar
Melissa has been hired to take the position of Registrar, which was vacated by Stephanie. Melissa was a member of the TLC Summer Staff from 1996 - 1998 and joined our professional staff in 2009 as Donor Relations Specialist, before finishing her Masters degree in Family and Child Studies and then joining the hospital staff of Christus Santa Rosa in San Antonio, as a Child Life Specialist. Melissa’s undergraduate degree was completed in Psychology and Social Work from Southwest Texas State University. Melissa’s favorite quote is: “Life without compassion is like trying to dribble a football…it just doesn’t work” and she has great plans to employ this philosophy to the duties of bringing children to Texas Lions Camp. Melissa holds a special certificate as a Child Passenger Safety Technician and is qualified to instruct families on the installation and use of children’s safety restraints for vehicles. In addition, Melissa is a Certified Child Life Specialist, with emphasis on bridging the gap between the home and hospital for child patients. Melissa is notably fluent in Sign Language and a Certified Sign Language Interpreter for the deaf. Oh, and by the way…you might recognize the name...she is Glenn Wilson’s wife who is TLC’s Equestrian Director. I am excited to have Melissa rejoin TLC’s Professional Staff in this capacity and to have the benefit of her considerable qualifications once again put to work on behalf of our kiddos.

Congratulations to these Fantastic Four…may you be blessed to prosper as you step into your new roles.

Sincerely yours,

Stephen S. Mabry, CFRE, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
Texas Lions Camp, Inc.