Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Sheets.
Ann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up as a Camp Fire Girl in Henderson, Texas. I didn’t know it then, but those moments spent bonding with other girls in my Blue Bird group, exploring nature, and learning about how to be a steward of the environment would shape the rest of my life. Fast forward to college, and the camp-life kept calling my name. After spending several summers as a camp counselor, I decided to take the dive into full-time camp leadership and became a camp director in 1977 at Camp Fire Camp El Tesoro. If you had told me then I would be at Camp Fire First Texas today – 40 years later – I wouldn’t have believed you. It didn’t take me long to realize First Texas was one of the best Camp Fire councils in the country, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of for a long time. After working as the director at Camp El Tesoro for several years, I had the opportunity to move into administration and finance at the council. This gave me a way to expand my knowledge of nonprofits, including human resources and risk management. At a time when computers were first making their way into the office, I was tasked with managing technology and streamlining that resource into Camp Fire culture. Never wanting to completely leave camp, I stayed involved with the American Camp Association as a national board member, then served three years as the national president. It was through that involvement that I learned more about board development, management, media relations, and different strategic planning methods. These skills were very helpful as I moved into the role of President/CEO.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been fortunate enough to have had a relatively smooth road to where I am now, but that is certainly not to say there haven’t been challenges and growing pains. Anytime you’re involved with a non-profit, financial resources and stability will be at the top of your mind and will shape a lot of what you do. Over the last 40 years, as our community has changed, so has our funding sources. When I first started at Camp Fire, our funding came from three sources: camp fees, candy sales, and the United Way. We had a budget of under a million dollars. Now, our council operates on a six-million-dollar budget, and our revenue comes from donors, grants, special events and fees for participation in a wide variety of programs. As a leader in this organization, it hasn’t always been easy to navigate through challenging financial times. I’ve had to expand my knowledge in areas I didn’t ever foresee, like fundraising, event management, and grants. I’m grateful that I had the chance to work with and learn from my predecessor as CEO, Zem Neill, who guided Camp Fire as we grew. Zem made sure that this organization had a strong staff team and an outstanding volunteer board that together have enabled us to thrive.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Camp Fire First Texas – what should we know?
For more than 100 years, Camp Fire First Texas has shaped caring, confident future leaders in our community. From the early days of Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls, we’ve grown into one of the largest councils in the United States, with programs for boys and girls that include everything from camping to school readiness. In Camp Fire, children and youth find a safe, fun and inclusive place – a place where they form lasting relationships, develop a sense of belonging and make positive contributions to the lives of their families and their community. Camp Fire programming provides the opportunity for children and youth to explore their sparks, learn to make healthy choices, develop social skills, build new skills, and have fun. The specific programs may have changed over the last century, but the bedrock values remain the same. Camp Fire is open to everyone, embracing the uniqueness of all young people and their families.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
In addition to inclusiveness, one thing about Camp Fire that makes me proud is our dedication to board and volunteer development. When people think of Camp Fire, they think of youth development – which is great. But as a whole, we do so much more than that. We understand how important a strong board is to efficient non-profit management, and we take great pride in our board members – their leadership, development, and achievements. Through the guidance and vision of our board, over time we’ve adapted the way we deliver services. Our core values have remained the same, but as our world changed, we were able to adjust our services to meet the needs of our community.
Contact Info:
- Address: Camp Fire First Texas:
2700 Meacham Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76137Camp El Tesoro:
7710 Fall Creek Hwy
Granbury, TX 76049 - Website: CampFireFW.org
- Phone: 817.832.2111
- Email: info@CampFireFW.org
- Instagram: Instagram.com/campfirefw
- Facebook: Facebook.com/campfirefw, Facebook.com/campeltesoro
- Twitter: Twitter.com/campfirefw
- Yelp: yelp.com/biz/camp-fire-first-texas-fort-worth-2
- Other: YouTube.com/campfirefw, Pinterest.com/campfirefw, Linkedin.com/company/camp-fire-first-texas
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