STAFF
Susan Weber
Program Director
PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
[email protected]
Susan Weber moved here from Connecticut in 2013, where she had launched two different therapeutic riding programs – one for a school devoted to children with autism and the other at an established able-bodied barn. She has been a PATH instructor for over 14 years. Susan is also a certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, a Mentor Instructor, and an Equine Services for Heroes Instructor. She lives in Santa Ynez with her 6 horses and 2 dogs.
Duane Harsh
Equine & Facilities Manager
[email protected]
Morgan Kastenek
Development & Marketing Manager
Morgan was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2008 to attend UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology. She has been working with different nonprofits in Santa Barbara since graduating from UCSB in 2012. Morgan grew up riding horses and is so happy to be a part of the Hearts team as development and marketing manager, where she can be around horses every day and help support an amazing organization! She is passionate about social media marketing and fundraising. She and her husband live in Santa Barbara and have two dogs. They enjoy spending most of their time outdoors or doing yoga.
Lillian Luu
Development and Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
Lillian came to hearts in 2014 with six years of experience in special education. She grew up riding in the Winchester Canyon area of Goleta, Ca and was delighted at the opportunity to share her love of horsemanship with the special needs community. Lillian is a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and is currently earning her certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.
Lillian enjoys sharing her knowledge of natural history while out on the trails with her students. On weekends you can find her endurance training in the Santa Barbara back country on her favorite Quarter Horse Jedi.
Kristen Kallai
Program Manager
[email protected]
Sarah Pugmire
Volunteer Manager
PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
[email protected]
Sarah comes to Hearts with 8 years of riding experience and 3 years of experience working in therapeutic riding geared towards addressing mental health and behavioral disorders in children and young adults. Sarah is a PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She earned a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Bachelors in Criminology, Law, and Society from UC Irvine and has an Associates degree in Visual Communications from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She lives in Ventura with her husband Tyler, an LA City fireman, and their German Shepherd/Husky mix named Chipper.
Shannon McGraw
Veteran Program Liaison
PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
[email protected]
Shannon McGraw is a retired US Marine Corps Captain who had a MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) as a Staff Judge Advocate and JAG Lawyer. She served in the Marines for 10 years primarily as a Human Rights Expert assigned to US Southern Command and Marine Corps Forces South. As a JAG lawyer, she helped assess and determine the legal status of unlawful enemy combatants and detainees in the Global War on Terror.
Since retiring, Shannon has become a full-time mom to an active and precocious 8 year old and enjoys working with others in the field of Therapeutic Riding. Shannon is the lead instructor for the Hearts Therapeutic Equine Services for Heroes Veterans program and also teaches riding lessons at the Santa Barbara Polo Club. She plays polo on the USMC Polo Team and at the Santa Barbara Polo Club
Alicia D'anna
Frances Mullen
Summer Camp Manager
Frances grew up here in Santa Barbara and has had a lifelong love of horses. She graduated from Santa Barbara High School. Frances came to Hearts as a volunteer in 2016 and fell in love with both the people and the horses. She spends her free time playing guitar, reading, and hanging out with her two dogs.
Ellie Simon
Summer Camp Manager
Ellie has lived in Santa Barbara her whole life and currently attends Dos Pueblos High School. She started volunteering at Hearts before her freshman year, and quickly fell in love with the program. Being able to work with horses to serve people was a perfect fit as Ellie has grown up riding for fun with her mom. Outside of school and Hearts, she spends almost all of her time rehearsing and performing with the Santa Barbara Centre for Aerial Dance company, or going for the occasional hike or beach day with her dog
Amanda Dwyer
PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
Diana Ferrari, M.A.
MFT
Lauren Hayes
PATH Intl. Certified Equine Specialist
Amado Inda
Barn Assistant
Mary Pat Paulson
PATH Intl. Certified Equine Specialist; PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor