STAFF

Kristen Kallai

Program Manager
[email protected]eartsriding.org

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kristen has always had a passion for horses. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2008 and made it her home. After being a stay-at-home mom for 4 years, she came to Hearts as a volunteer. Before long she found herself happily involved in the Hearts volunteer program most days of the week! And while the horses are what she initially came for, it was the people of Hearts that captured her heart. Kristen enjoys all types of athletics, especially Olympic weightlifting, as well as spending time at the beautiful beaches of Santa Barbara.

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 & Marketing Coordinator
PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor

[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 backcountry on her favorite Quarter Horse Jedi.

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

Barn Assistant

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