About the Staff
William Collins:
William Collins has been a part of the Free Camp Program since 2002 and serves as Guest Services Manager. William received a BA from The University of Texas and a MAT from Rice University. His professional life has seen him as a teacher, coach, and business owner. William and his wife, Barbara, live in Kerrville where they oversee and participate in the lives and activities of their six daughters. Paige, the oldest, is married to a Marine pilot, lives in Pensacola and teaches at the Pensacola Montessori School. Hattie is a graduate student at Tulane University studying art history. Chandler is a student/athlete at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, focusing on sociology, and Adelaide studies Hospitality Management at the University of Mississippi. Rebekah, a Tivy Antler, plans to attend the University of Montana to study film and minor in snowboarding, and Sydney, the youngest, is a student at The Ambleside School in Fredericksburg.
Williams says, “One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job is to see the diversity of the groups participating in the Free Camp Program; to see the smiles, the wonderment, the fun of each group, young and mature; and to hear the stories, past and present, as to how the Free Camp Program has impacted lives.”
Paul Brouse:
Paul works for the Foundation Free Camp Program in a part-time capacity and is motivated by the opportunity to serve others, to spread the gospel, and help the Free Camps be a light to the world.
Paul graduated high school in 1986 with no idea of what the future held for him. The next day, he began working at a summer camp, and the fog lifted. He fell in love with kids, the people who serve them, the change that camp causes in lives, and never really stopped working/being at camps. Sure, there were other jobs (Residential Treatment, various therapy experiences, Arby’s), marriage (Mindy in 1994), and that whole college thing (BBA, UTSA 2001), but camp was always there. 2009 will be Paul’s 24th summer in camping, all of which were spent working with special needs populations.
Camp is not the only thing in Paul’s life. He is married to the incredible and wonderfully talented Mindy Brouse. In addition to being the love of his life, Mindy is mother and teacher to their 6 children——Hannah Beth, Noah, Chloe, Phoebe, Esther, and Paul——a sign-language instructor, master blogger, and FULL Suburban driver. Any rumor you may hear about the Brouse family producing the prettiest babies in the world is absolutely true. The Brouse family attends Kerrville Bible Church where they participate in various ministries.
John Kerr:
John Kerr, “Camper John,” is the Director of the Foundation Free Camps. He came to the Foundation from Kerrville where he was a teacher for 13 years. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University (Home of the Fighting Lumberjacks) with degrees in Education and Communication. He lives in the Canyon with his wife, Kimberly, and their three children, Coleman, Kalin, and Gideon. Camper John’s passion is to make people smile and maybe even chuckle. He enjoys hosting groups on retreat in the Free Camp Program. “When I see kids and adults drive into the river, you can almost feel the tension and burdens of the world melt away. They see a piece of God that they can’t see at home, and that just makes my day!”
Lyn DeVille:
Lyn DeVille is the Registrar for the Foundation Free Camps and has been registering and serving thousands of groups and campers for since 1983. She is the voice that group leaders have their first contact with as well as the smile that greets guests in the Kerrville office. She also serves in many other capacities for the Foundation including the registration for the Wayfarer’s Cottage (also known as the Quiet House). Lyn offices at the administrative building located near downtown Kerrville.
