Meet Our Year-Round Camp Staff!
MaryAshley McGibbon, Director of Camps and Outdoor Education Ministries
MaryAshley McGibbon has been spending summers on the beautiful Guadalupe River since 2006. After 15 years working in YMCA camping, environmental education, and youth development, she is thrilled to be at Mo-Ranch as the Director of Camps and Outdoor Education Ministries.
“Ensuring that all visitors to Mo have time outdoors to connect with themselves, their communities, and the natural world is an awesome responsibility. The ranch has so much to offer not just from an educational standpoint, but also a spiritual one.”
Her favorite Mo-Ranch moments involve sharing some of our fantastic Texas Hill Country wildlife with students and guests, especially while bird watching or checking out the freshwater creatures living in the crystal clear river.
MaryAshley spends her free time with her family and many animals. She’s been riding horses her entire life and enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband Richard, and daughter Leona. She has a Masters in Animal Science from Sul Ross State University.
Nicole Conner, Outdoor Education and Camps Office Manager
Nicole Conner has been with Mo-Ranch since 2012 and started her time here with Mo as a Guest Services Manager. She enjoys communicating with our schools and camp families, listening to their requests and finding the best solutions for them to enjoy their experience with Mo!
Nicole is the mom of Matthew and Tiffany Weber; they can also be found around the Mo-Ranch Team. Matthew and Tiffany have attended Mo-Ranch Summer camp since they were 8 years’ old and have been working for Mo-Ranch every Summer since camp. Now you can find them on the riverfront Lifeguarding or on the Ropes Course with the ELP program. Her favorite part of working at Mo-Ranch is meeting new campers and catching up with returning families. Nicole looks forward to the return of camp and to see what new things will be coming to the program(s).
Billy Abbate, Assistant Director of Camps and Outdoor Education Ministries
A Mo-Ranch veteran, Billy first attended summer camp in 2006. He loved everything about the camp experience from the culture to the environment. “Attending summer camp helped build my confidence and surrounded me with people that I could look up to and learn from.” It was his experience that first summer that kept him coming back year after year leading to his enrollment in the Leadership Development Program. “My years as an LDP opened my eyes to a potential future in the camp industry and fostered my growing love for Mo-Ranch.” He went on to become a counselor during his college years. Billy graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor’s in psychology with an emphasis in Education. After graduation, he moved to the Hill Country to rejoin the Mo team full time in the Environmental Leadership Program as a Lead Field Instructor. “Camp fostered my love for the outdoors and ignited my passion for activities such as fishing, hiking, kayaking, and music that I now utilize professionally on a daily basis.”
During his time as a counselor Billy met his wife, Amanda. They got engaged and were married at Chapel on the Hill four years later in October of 2020. “I want to be a positive role model and make the difference in kids’ lives that I felt when I attended as a camper. Mo-Ranch serves not just as a workplace but as my home and I’m excited to set the table for the next generation of campers!”
Victoria Sheffield, Associate Director of Summer Camp
Victoria Sheffield started coming to Mo-Ranch at a young age as a day camper and transitioned into overnight camp at the age of 13. Victoria continued her camp experience through our Leadership Development Program and fell in love with the Mo-Ranch mission. She has since worked several seasons in the Environmental Leadership Program and as a counselor for summer camp. “I want to be able to give kids a safe and fun environment where they can disconnect from social media and the worries of everyday life.” Her favorite part, she says is “watching a kid’s expression when they discover something they didn’t know before and fall in love with it” During the fall of 2023, Victoria was promoted to the Associate Director of Summer Camp. She is excited to be able to provide the same life-changing experience she had growing up in Mo-Ranch’s day camp and residential programs to a new generation of campers.
Victoria was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country; her parents are local business owners. Her sister has worked as a lifeguard for Mo the past two summer seasons, and her brother and his wife are real-estate agents in the area. In her free time, she loves traveling, reading, chilling at the river and going to concerts.
Stephen McCracken, Adventure Programmer
Stephen attended North Idaho College and received degrees in history and outdoor leadership. He is also a National Outdoor Leadership School, Australia alumni.
Previously, Stephen managed a zipline course in Indiana for two years and was certified as a white-water kayak/raft guide in Idaho. Since he joined Mo in 2015, Stephen has worked as a Lead Instructor for our Teen Adventure Day Camp and as a Lead Field Instructor for our Environmental Leadership Program. He currently serves as the Adventure Programmer. Stephen loves the sense of community at Mo and enjoys working with people from all different walks of life. He enjoys being able to share his love and passion for the outdoors with our visiting students. “When students visit Mo-Ranch, they are able to escape their typical routines and explore and learn in a different, interactive setting. I thoroughly enjoy working with all of our various student groups and enabling them to see the world in a different light. They are truly able to leave after their outdoor education experience and apply their newfound knowledge and skill sets into their everyday lives.”
Stephen views Mo-Ranch as his giant playground, and you can frequently see him hitting up the kayaks or hiking along the trails. He is a comic book, video game, and movie fanatic. He also enjoys wood carving and doing other craft projects in his spare time.
Summer Camp Staff
At Mo-Ranch Summer Camp, we work hard to create a memorable camp experience. Our secret weapons in achieving this are our counselors! They are the ones who live out our goal daily by implementing our exceptionally well-run programs, providing contagious fun and meeting campers wherever they are spiritually and socially. Our summer staff is selected carefully and intentionally. Many are former campers and returning counselors. All of our counselors are Christian role models for campers who have completed at least one year of college.
Counselors go through a rigorous background check, receive specific training in child behavior management, age level expectations, safety and emergency procedures and child abuse prevention. They are all first aid and CPR certified, with most also being lifeguard certified.
Before campers even get to camp, counselors spend staff training bonding, learning and getting to know Mo-Ranch Summer Camp. We spend time learning the Bible study curriculum, engaging in open discussions and getting to the heart of why we are here.
Click here to apply to be a summer camp counselor!
Summer Camp Staff Employment
Can you turn a rock into a fun game? Do you like listening to kids and their stories? Do you want to make a difference in someone’s life?
Being a counselor is one of the hardest jobs out there, but it is also one of the most rewarding! Find out if this is the right place for you!
We are looking for:
• Young adults who after long hours of kayaking, fort-building, swimming and engaging with campers, will stand up on stage and sing their hearts out to “Because I came to Mo-Ranch.”
• A time commitment of late May to late July, with some positions running through mid-August. Staff training is required for all staff, and occurs in late May.
• Mature people who have a high sense of morality, and strong integrity. You will be in charge of campers who are looking up to you; we want leaders that are great role models.
• Young adults who are comfortable and confident in being servants. Your role is not only to facilitate activities, but to form relationships and make every camper feel loved and respected.
If this sounds like a job for you, please visit our summer camp employment page here!
