Thank you to our wonderful team!
All our members are an essential part of making TROtt run smoothly. Without the expertise and knowledge each individual brings to the organization, we wouldn’t be where we are today!
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is entirely volunteer based and meets once a month. The board is comprised of local community members who bring forth a wealth of knowledge from backgrounds in finance, public relations, business development, marketing and operations.
Andrea Stuhec Leonard
Chair
Andrea joined TROtt’s Board of Directors in May 2022. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and works in private practice. Andrea is an active volunteer in the community with previous experience in pediatric palliative care and legal aid clinics. She is excited to have joined TROtt and looks forward to contributing to TROtt’s goals.
Jill Anne Joseph
Past-Chair
Jill Anne Joseph had a varied career working abroad, working at local embassies in Ottawa, as Registrar for NAFTA dispute settlement, as a proceduralist at the Table of the Senate of Canada, and as a senior director at the Senate and later the House of Commons. Jill Anne held certifications as a translator (Spanish), as an internal auditor (CIA), and as a government audit professional (CGAP). She taught part-time at uOttawa’s School of Translation and Interpretation for 12 years. She is now retired and devotes her time to TROtt as a horse handler and to its Board as Chair.
Cilla Perry
Director, Program Support
Cilla joined the TROtt Board of Directors in March 2017, having started with the program as a volunteer in the summer of 2016. It didn’t take long for her to realize that this is the perfect place to combine her life-long passion for horses with her desire to give back to the community. She enjoys every minute!
Jacquie Slavin
Board Secretary
Jacquie joined TROtt’s Board of Directors in September 2023. With a background in marketing and communications, Jacquie is currently working for a large real estate brokerage in the Ottawa and Eastern Ontario area. She has had a lifelong passion for horses and competed in show jumping for many years. TROtt felt like the perfect place to blend her professional background with the sport that has given so much to her! Jacquie is excited about TROtt’s future and to contribute to its mission.
Lori-Lee Flanagan
Treasurer
Lori-Lee Flanagan is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of working with government and not for profit organizations, about half of which were in an executive capacity. As a professional accountant, her areas of expertise are in the areas of accounting, auditing and corporate policy development. Her experience in working in the not-for-profit sector focused on education and fundraising. As a long time horse lover and former dressage rider, Lori-Lee is thrilled to join TROtt as its Treasurer and to contribute to its mission.
Hilary Mellor
Horse Committee Chair
Hilary Mellor devoted her career to veterinary medicine as a small animal clinician, as medical director and as a practice owner. She has served in volunteer leadership with the American Animal Hospital Association and as a veterinarian with Community Veterinary Outreach. Hilary’s love of horses started at a young age and continues to this day. She is thrilled to be joining TROtt as Horse Committee Chair. Recently retired, Hilary can be found at the stable or hiking with her very energetic spaniel.
Pennie Richard-Chin
Director of Fundraising
Pennie joined TROtt’s Board as Fundraising Director in February 2022. Pennie is recently retired from the Ontario Provincial Government after 33 years of service in community development and program management. She has worked for a number of provincial ministries providing strategic direction and advice on funding, programs and services in the not for profit sector. While also with the Provincial government she has been an active member on a variety of provincial and community boards and committees. She’s excited to be a part of TROtt in her new capacity.
Lee McPhail
Director of Communications
Coming soon…
Alison Shaker
Director, Corporate Liaison
Alison is a former librarian with the Federal Government. She transitioned to family responsibilities with child and elder care and has volunteered throughout this time in a variety of organizations an roles. After serving as Secretary to the TROtt Board, Alison has recently joined the Fundraising arm and looks forward to connecting with the generous members of the local business community.
Nancy Reid
Director at Large
Nancy has been actively involved since TROtt came to Equidae Stables in 1982. Nancy is our longest serving Board Member. Of her many roles over the years, Nancy’s passion is fundraising. Nancy is the driving force behind the successful TROtt BBQ Open House and before that, the Ride-a-Thon, Toonies for TROtt and Trivia Nights. Nancy strongly believes in TROtt and enjoys seeing the impact our therapy horses have on our riders: “I love seeing the excitement riders have for their time here at TROtt and all the progress they make because of their lessons”.
Annie Grenon
Chair Emeritus
Annie Grenon is a seasoned accounting and finance executive with over 27 years’ experience in financial management, comptrollership, planning and budget, working with major charitable organizations in the Ottawa area. Annie’s passion for horses started at a young age. She excelled in dressage, competing internationally for over 10 years and applied its technicalities to training polo horses. Annie is thrilled to join TROtt as its Chair (May 2018) as she firmly believes in its mission and the incredible benefits contact with horses can bring.
Staff
Dianne Urquhart
Executive Director
Dianne joined TROtt in 2023, bringing her experience from a long career in the charity sector and as a horse owner.
Fiona Kearney
Operations Manager, (CanTRA Senior Instructor, Equine Canada Instructor)
Fiona joined TROtt in 1999 as a volunteer. She has had many roles over the years with TROtt and is currently our Operations Manager. Fiona has more than 20 years experience as a therapeutic riding instructor in the UK and Canada. She was even a certified trail ride leader in Scotland, taking vacationing people out for trail rides in the Scottish Hills. Fiona is also actively involved with the Ottawa Dressage Festival as the Director of Operations at the show.
Diana Garrett
Volunteer Coordinator since 2023
Diana moved from being a TROtt volunteer to volunteer co-ordinator.
France Laliberte
Rider Intake Co-ordinator and Instructor (CanTRA Intermediate Instructor
After 16 years as a paediatric nuclear medicine technologist, France wanted to join her passion for horses with her desire to help children and adults with disabilities. She started volunteering at TROtt in 2007. She became a CanTRA (AI) instructor in April 2009 and then a CanTRA intermediate instructor the following year. She started with the rider coordinator position in November 2021. France is also a TROtt Riding Instructor.
Instructors – Therapeutic and Adaptive Riding
Shawna Carlton
Team Lead – Mounted Pograms, Instructor and Volunteer Training Facilitator. Equestrian Canada Competition Coach, CanTRA Intermediate
Instructor
Amanda Gaudet
Instructor (CanTRA Intermediate Instructor)
Nicole Meyer
Instructor and Volunteer Training Facilitator (CanTRAIntermediate Instructor, Horse Powered Reading® Facilitator
Anna Ribberink
Instructor (CanTRA Instructor)
Facilitators – Equine Assisted Learning
Tracey Bender
Team Lead – Unmounted Programs, EAL Facilitator and Instructor (CanTRA Intermediate)
Amanda Pratt
EAL Facilitator
Leanna Haythorne
EAL Facilitator
Chrissy Warden
EAL Facilitator
Stable Staff
Rhonda Roberts
Barn and Equine Co-ordinator
Barn Staff
Brent Botti, Casual Barn Staff
Eilish Connors, Casual Barn Staff
Ikram Khan, Casual Barn Staff
Jessica Oakman, Casual Barn Staff
Michele Sterling, Casual Barn Staff
Emily Veinot, Night Check and Barn Support
Administrative
Joanne Stanley
Bookkeeper