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
Executive Director
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.
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.
Regina Pakstas-Smith
Equine Assisted Learning 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.
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Karen Somma
Therapeutic Riding Program Manager
Karen has loved horses all her life and was blessed to own her own horse as a young adult. After graduating from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor's degree, she worked for attorneys for 20 years and raised her son in the suburbs of Houston. In 2008, she volunteered for a therapeutic riding center and immediately fell in love with the industry. Karen earned her PATH riding instructor certification in 2011 quickly followed by Equine Specialist in Mental Health/Learning and Mentor credentials. She has a passion for assisting people with disabilities to gain strength, increase communication skills, develop confidence, and have fun through interaction with those magical creatures known as horses.
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
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.
Blake Lewis
Office Manager
Born and raised in Texas, Blake has grown up with a love and understanding of horses that runs generations deep. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Services and Development with a Minor in Agriculture Economics from Tarleton State University. Her passion for therapeutic equine-assisted services stems from volunteering with T.R.E.A.T Rodeo in college. She joined our team in February 2022. Blake has dreams of one day, opening her own non-profit to provide therapeutic equine-assisted services to children and adults.
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.
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)
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Lorraine Ostrowski
Path Certified Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist
Lorraine is a PATH Intl certified riding instructor and equine specialist. Lorraine brings many of experience with her. Lorraine has been a PATH Intl certified instructor since 1994, and has held her Equine Specialist certificate since 2019. Lorraine spends her free time crafting and with her family.
Shannon Roepke
Equine Trainer
Shannon is not only a highly skilled equine trainer, but photographer also. Shannon has a keen interest in animals, including reptiles. Shannon brings a wealth of equine knowledge to the team. Shannon spends her free time with her own animals, and especially enjoys showing her horse.
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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, 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.
Board of
Directors and Board Members
Scott Vann
President
Roger Wagner
Vice President
Guy Hunter
Treasurer
Mary Brezina
Secretary
Leonard Kalfayan
Member
Madeline Brogan
Member
Bryce Speer
Member