Sincia Liu, Founder & Executive Director
For Sincia, Camp Tuku is the product of a long-lasting dream. Sincia was first introduced to a residential children’s summer camp at the age of 20, when she worked as a waterfront and bunk counselor at Trails End Camp (TEC) during her summer break while attending Rutgers University. She enjoyed the camp experience so much that she returned to TEC for two additional summers. Inspired by the bond and friendship that she built with the kids and the other counselors, Sincia vowed to someday start her own camp. After leading a successful 25-year career as an executive in the staffing and consulting business, she decided that it was time to pursue her other passion.
As someone who believes in the power of meditation and a healthy diet and lifestyle, Sincia’s vision for Camp Tuku combines the benefits of nature with an integrated program that cultivates a healthy mind, body, and heart. Her goal is to create a fun and joyful experience for campers while equipping them with tools that they can use to enrich their lives for years to come.
As a physician, Sincia’s husband, Tim, shares her passion for a healthy and adventurous lifestyle. They reside in Peoria, Arizona with their two children, Arwen and Anderson, their dogs, Sam and Mochi, and Puccini the cat. They can’t wait to embark on the Camp Tuku journey together!
Susan Kaiser Greenland, Mindfulness and Meditation Advisor
Susan is an internationally recognized instructor of mindfulness and meditation to children, teens, and families. She is involved in the design of Camp Tuku’s mindfulness and meditation activities to create a one-of-a-kind experience for our campers.
Susan’s work in the areas of mindfulness and meditation has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Parents. She speaks widely at prestigious institutions and meditation centers in the United States and abroad. In fact, she helped pioneer activity-based mindfulness for young people and published two leading books titled, “The Mindful Child” and “Mindful Games”. In addition, she has recorded a series of brief guided meditations for grownups entitled Mindful Parent, Mindful Child.
Susan worked as a corporate lawyer from 1988 to 2005 representing the ABC and CBS networks. During that time, she co-founded The Inner Kids Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that taught secular mindfulness in schools and community-based programs in the greater Los Angeles area. Susan was on the clinical team of the Pediatric Pain Clinic at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, co-investigator on several UCLA research studies on the impact of mindfulness in education, and a collaborator on an investigation of mindful eating for children and caregivers. To learn more about mindfulness and meditation practices for children and families, feel free to sign-up for Susan’s newsletter at www.susankaisergreenland.com and follow her on social media.
Rachel Weir, Director of Operations
Rachel holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with a Master of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Rachel’s passion for education first ignited when she served as a Teach for America Corps Member in rural North Carolina, where she taught high school English and Journalism after college. But it wasn’t until living in the frigid (-30 degrees Fahrenheit) northeastern parts of China as a Princeton in Asia Fellow that Rachel realized the important nexus between education and peacebuilding.
Since then, Rachel has managed several after-school programs serving international and at-risk populations and has directed summer camp operations in Shanghai, China. Today, Rachel’s academic and professional interests include effective leadership and management for peace education, cultural exchange, and people-to-people diplomacy.
In her spare time, Rachel enjoys searching for affordable flights and traveling on a shoestring. To date, she has traveled to over 35 countries and hopes to one day visit all 195.
Heather Lisey, Director of Programming (AZ)
Heather is excited to join Camp Tuku this summer as Program Director!
through Europe by herself, soaking in all the history and art. Heather taught for 10 years in Chicago at a charter school on the westside.
Cyd Ponce – Director of Mindfulness
Cyd Ponce is a Educational Support Teacher at a Waldorf School in Southern Arizona. Her work centralizes around body and sensory integration as a means to deepen the capacities of her students. Cyd has always been drawn to working with children. It was through health, fitness, mindset practices and building a relationship with her own well being that she was inspired to peruse a path towards providing that opportunity for children. Cyd enjoys fitness so much that she is working on being a Group Fitness Instructor to work with adults as well.
Cyd is a wife and mom to their eight year old daughter, Liv. The three enjoy the local music scene in Tucson. Cyd’s husband is a drummer by profession. She is inspired by rhythm and percussion and although she doesn’t consider herself musical she has learned that rhythm supports life and breathing, the fundamentals of meditation. She includes some rhythm work into her own practices and teaching methods.
As Camp Tuku’s Mindfulness Director, Cyd is excited to experience a like-minded community and make memories; not just for the campers but herself as well.
Alan Frank – Athletics & Wilderness Exploration Director
Alan Franks is currently a Staff Sergeant in the US Army where he leads soldiers in land navigation and effective teamwork. Alan holds a B.S. in Media Studies with a focus on Business from the University of Kentucky and is a diehard Kentucky Wildcats fan!
When Alan is not in the field training with his soldiers, he enjoys hiking the mountains of Hawai’i, surfing, and camping. Passionate about playing sports, the outdoors, and all things wilderness.
Alan is extremely excited to work with Camp Tuku campers this summer as part of our Wilderness Program.
Briana Hobbs – Art Director
Briana eagerly anticipates her role as Art Director, drawing from a rich background in Psychology, boasting both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, along with invaluable experience in the autism field.
Currently, she finds fulfillment in realizing her lifelong aspiration as an art teacher within the Pendergast district. Briana’s journey with art began at the tender age of 2, and since then, it has been an inseparable part of her life. Driven by a profound passion for art education and a deep-seated commitment to nurturing young minds, she dedicates herself wholeheartedly to empowering children through creative expression.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Briana cherishes precious moments with her remarkable daughter, Luna, aged 7, indulging in crochet and various other crafty pursuits.
Andrea Moore, Director of Innovations & Sustainability
Andrea graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2003 with a B.A. in Special Education and in 2006 from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a M.ed. in Special Education. Throughout her career, Andrea has worked with children of all ability levels and knows how to differentiate her teaching to meet the needs of all children.
Andrea has over 13 years of teaching experience, including teaching students with severe/profound disabilities, children with autism, and children with learning disabilities. Andrea is involved in several committees within her school. She is part of the leadership team for her school, the lighthouse team, and was recently selected for a leadership apprenticeship. She has also coached for several years, coaching her son’s soccer and baseball teams.
As a child, Andrea loved her experiences at camp. She went on to work at several day camps as a young adult and spent a summer in Maryland working at Camp Accomplish as a counselor for children with and without special needs.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family, running, and exercising. She is an avid Chicago sports fan and enjoys watching the Chicago Cubs and Bears.
Andrea resides in Peoria, Arizona with her husband, Mike, two sons, Ashton and Rylan, and their cat, Rizzo. As a family, they enjoy traveling, hiking, swimming, and spending time together.
Chef Mark – Culinary Director
Mark Williams was born and raised in Phillipsburg, NJ and ever since he was 11 years old, he was in the kitchen learning from his mom. As a child, the first thing Mark made from scratch was a funnel cake. Upon graduation of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army for 7 years. “The military was a great foundation and it taught me discipline, integrity, teamwork, and selfless service, Mark said. It was my trip overseas to the Republic of Korea, when I immersed myself in food culture and enjoyed some of the most amazing food I ever tasted, that got me interested in culinary school.”
Mark attended Luzerne County community college and received a degree in Hospitality and Culinary Arts Management and been working in the ever so changing service industry for over 7 years. “Food is life, food sustains us, and most importantly, food is a gift that should be shared.” Mark never tires of making delicious and nutritious food.
Currently, Mark works as a Kitchen Operations Manager for a non-profit organization called American Rescue Workers located in Williamsport, Pa. Mark runs the entire day to day food service operations, feeding 70 homeless shelter residents and staff with donated food products that are at the end of their usable shelf life. Being successful in this challenging role takes motivation, creativity, knowledge, and hard work every single day.