Our Team
The JoyRide Team is the engine behind “making the impossible possible” for our clients. The staff is a caring group invested in the success of the clients and horses, and they use the highest levels of professionalism in their work. Riding instructors are certified through PATH Intl. as Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI). Our day program instructors come from a variety of backgrounds, and provide high quality instruction to all their clients.
To view current JoyRide job openings, Click Here. To get to our application, Click Here.
Carrie Kennedy
Director of Operations
Carrie was born and raised in Annapolis Maryland, and has been living in Texas for the past 11 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She has years of business operations experience, and a love of horses and serving her community. She enjoys spending her free time with her children, biking, swimming and reading.
Regina Pakstas-Smith
Horsemanship Program Manager
Regina was born in Maryland and raised in New York. She relocated here to Magnolia, TX, from western Kentucky with her dog Jasper, where she was the barn manager and PATH certified instructor at two previous therapeutic riding facilities. She has been a PATH certified instructor for 6 years, with a degree in Psychology from the College of Saint Rose and a masters degree in Crisis Counseling and Trauma from Liberty University. She has been riding horses for 18 years and has 2 horses: Peppy and Duke. She has interned with international horse-icon Alycia Burton for 6 weeks during a tour of the United States, has a background in hunter/jumper and dressage, and teaches from a natural horsemanship perspective. She is passionate about her work and fully believes that therapeutic riding is her strength and calling in life.
Corinna Roberts
Equine Manager
Corinna has always loved working with and being around horses, especially her horses, Karl and Jackson. She grew up in Pennsylvania and received her Bachelor’s degree in Waxahachie, Texas. After graduation, Corinna moved to Eureka, Montana to work as the Equine Coordinator at an Equine Therapeutic Boarding School working in mental health with girls with behavioral issues. During her time in Montana, Corinna worked with the girls on horsemanship, horse therapy, taming and TIP training wild mustangs. Corinna is pursuing her PATH certification and is excited to share the joy of horses with all. When she is not at JoyRide you can find her exploring the outdoors with her husband Kyle and adopted pup Pretzel!
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Kristi Pierce
Prep Day Program Manager
Kristi has a masters of Education and a teaching certificate in special education. She has a special interest in utilizing outdoor classroom spaces and the natural world. Her family includes her husband, children, dogs, cats, chickens, bees and horses.
Alicia Cambell
Assistant Teacher
Alicia came to us as an intern student from Lone Star Montgomery College, where she volunteered in both the riding and day programs. She graduated in 2019 with an Associate's Degree in Human Services and plans to continue her education to become a certified special education teacher. Once Alicia completed her hours as an intern, she was offered a permanent position working in the day program and has enjoyed every minute of it. When she isn't working at JoyRide, Alicia enjoys spending time with her friends and family as well as taking care of her many animals, which include 3 cats, 4 dogs and 2 bunny rabbits! (Fondly referred to as the Campbell Zoo)
Amanda Weber
Day Program Mentor
Amanda graduated from Klein High School in 2009. That fall Amanda began riding lessons at JoyRide. In recognition of her skills and commitment she trained to as a volunteer as both a sidewalker and a horse handler. Once the day program was formed, Amanda began working with the young adults as a mentor. Amanda provides individual assistance to several Prep participants and supports the teacher with instructional activities. Amanda, an avid equestrian competitor has won many trophies, belt buckles, and ribbons galore as an Equestrians with Disabilities Rider in Quarter Horse shows. Still committed to learning, Amanda is currently taking reining lessons. She loves taking care of her 3 horses, Forrest, Bella, and Bodemeister.
Peggy Wagner
Bookkeeper
Founding Member
Peggy graduated from the University of Texas with a BS in Elementary Education. She taught elementary, Jr. high and pre-school for 10 years. She spent 25 years as a volunteer staff member of SIRE, Therapeutic Horsemanship, serving as a board member for 16 years and receiving the Lifetime Humanitarian Award in 2008. She was a volunteer staff and board member at JoyRide until 2017, when she took the job of Office Manager, handling billing, database management and other administrative tasks. Peggy has owned and ridden horses for most of her adult life. She currently is owned by Nugget, a palomino gelding. Peggy enjoys attempting dressage, getting away to the Texas hill country with husband, Roger, and visiting family in Colorado.
Craig Arny
Volunteer Coordinator
Craig grew up in Houston with a love of both horses and volunteering. He discovered the combination of both at SIRE in 2002, where he volunteered for a few years until JoyRide was founded in 2009. He has been a volunteer at JoyRide since the beginning. Craig joined JoyRide’s staff as the volunteer coordinator presented itself in 2019. Craig is married to artist Sam Sartorius, and lives in Magnolia with a rescue Great Dane and one cat. He is also a doting father and grandfather.
Sarah Musick
Development Manager
Sarah has a background is in many industries such as corporate, legal, religious organizations, and over 10 years in the nonprofit sector. She has passion for working with under-resourced communities providing solutions that connect them to opportunity and a future. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and working in the yard with her husband of 25 years, Robert. Together they have raised their beautiful daughter Emma who is in college at the University of Montana
Brandon McLarty
Facility Manager
Born in Houston, raised in Sugarland. Brandon has worked pool construction, a gun range, active realtor with Keller Williams southwest, and at the Montgomery County sheriffs office in the jail division for 5 years. Love hunting& fishing, he has been doing both since he was a kid. Brandon has owned 6 horses and 2 donkeys, currently down to one Paint named Romeo, 2 dogs Dixie and Diesel, and a donkey. Looking to go back to school for a bachelors degree in the wildlife science field.
Board of
Directors and Board Members
Jake Leissner
President
Bill McDonald
Vice President
Roger Wagner
Treasurer
Mary Brezina
Secretary
Bryce Speer
Member
Rick Hornsby
Member
Scott Vann
Member
Steve Rohr
Member
Guy Hunter
Member