Staff & Board of Directors

Christine HERRING

Executive director

KELLY holland

facility DIRECTOR

SARAI QuimBY

equine MANAGER

DEVIN CORYELL

Program administrator

TESSA MCAFEE

LEAD INSTRUCTOR
PATH CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOr

LeONIe STEWART

BOOKKEEPER

JAMIE SPRINGER

PATH CERTIFIED INSTRUTOR

NICOLE ROBERTSON

ESMHL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR

SANDRA RONAN

BARN STAFF

PAT CARROLL 

BARN STAFF

CHLOE Dekydtspotter

BARN STAFF

MelODY POPE

BARN STAFF

alisha SCHOTT

BOARD chair

Alisha is a Bloomington-area native and a graduate from Indiana University. After spending several years in the medical field, she began her finance career as a mortgage loan officer with German American in 2016. Alisha enjoys volunteering for various organizations, as philanthropy is her passion. She enjoys participating with Builders Association of South Central Indiana (BASCI), serving on the Board of Directors, membership, Parade of Homes, and Bloomington Home Show committees. In her spare time, she enjoys renovating her new home, event planning, traveling, spending time with loved ones and cheering on the Hoosiers any chance she can. She has been a member of the PALS Board since 2019.

JOHN HERBER

VICE CHAIR

John is currently a volunteer at PALS and has been working on facilities projects there since 2021. His horse
experience spans 30 years as the husband and father of horse owners. John and his wife, Melanie (also a PALS volunteer) moved to Bloomington in 2018 from Stillwater, MN. They have 2
children and 4 grandchildren.
Professionally, John retired from 3M Company in 2009 after a 33-year career in manufacturing, engineering, management, and corporate safety. He formed Process Hazard Management Services, LLC., which provides chemical safety consulting services to companies of all sizes. John is also a Staff Consultant for the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), a part of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). CCPS uses volunteer committees to develop process safety tools. John has served on several of these committee as project manager, committee chair,
participant, and peer reviewer. He is also an author and instructor for a CCPS course on process safety
that is provided to clients globally both in person and in a virtual format.

LORIE MILLER

TREASURER

Lorie has a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. She retired and moved to Bloomington in 2020 to be closer to family.  In the five years prior to moving, she was Chair of the Friends of the Mounted Patrol – a nonprofit supporting the All-Clydesdale Mounted Patrol Unit of the New Castle County Police in Delaware.  In her professional career, she worked with people with disabilities in both research and clinical settings and was Vice President of a Web and Software Development Company serving the corporate, nonprofit, and disability communities.  She started volunteering with PALS in March, 2021 and fell in love with the horses and the mission of the organization.

ANDREA HARDISTY

secretary

Andrea is a lifelong equestrian has  volunteered at PALS for the past two and a half years. She grew up as a 4-H participant and rode horses in shows in Indiana and Michigan.  At Indiana University, she was a member of the Western Equestrian Club. She currently works at the IU Foundation and has experience in event planning, fundraising, and
risk management. 

Hannah Hixson

board member

Hannah moved to Bloomington in 2015 with her husband, after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. She found PALS in September of 2016 and has been a volunteer ever since. The ability to serve her community and care for the horses has made a profound impact on Hannah‘s life. In her free time she likes to read and train for half marathons. Hannah joined the PALS Board in 2023.

susie carter

board member

Susie is a retired registered nurse, board certified in cardiac rehab nursing. She graduated with an Associate’s degree from Indiana Central College (now University of Indianapolis) and earned her Bachelor’s from Indiana Wesleyan University. She worked as the manager of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation since 1979 at Indiana University Health Bloomington. She also managed the Advanced Heart Care Center, retiring in June 2018. She has volunteered at PALS since 2002.

melinda doster

board member

Melinda graduated with a Bachelor’s degrees from Earlham College and in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She has lived in Bloomington since 1975 and has been involved with PALS since 2004. She has owned horses since 1986 as a hobby that she has shared with her daughter. Her nursing background and concern for others devotes her to PALS and the clients we serve.

chris smith

BOARD MEMBER

Chris is a graduate of Indiana University and a former player on the Hoosier football team. He has lived in Bloomington since 2005 where he works for Cook Medical in the capacities of Commercial Operations, Contracting, Sales, and, Marketing. Chris has a history of philanthropic activities including being a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, along with being a sponsor, chaperone, and volunteer to mission trips in the Appalachians and Reservations. Chris started volunteering with PALS in June of 2022 and since has found a deep affiliation with the program, staff, and mission of the organization.

priscilla cuevas

board member

Priscilla works as a youth program coordinator, serving at-risk youth in grades K-12, for a local domestic violence center. She has nearly 10 years of nonprofit experience within the Bloomington and Indianapolis communities (i.e. Middle Way House, New Hope Family Shelter, American Red Cross of Indiana, Lucas Oil/NXG Youth Motorsports). Priscilla has volunteered with PALS since 2018. With PALS, Priscilla not only discovered a newfound love for horses but also acknowledges the importance of providing more equitable and inclusive services for all individuals in our community. Priscilla graduated from Bloomington High School South in 2011. She is currently pursuing her education to become a Social Worker. In her free time, Priscilla enjoys traveling to new places with her significant other (Trent), although, nothing beats staying home and caring for her family members with paws – 3 dogs & 2 cats!

Mark norris

board member

Mark grew up in Bloomfield, Indiana. He has worked at providers for disabilities and currently serving as the Associate Executive Director for Res Care. He serves on the board of directors for the Monroe County Autism Foundation and United Way of South Central Indiana. He is involved with Special Olympics, coaching and as part of the Monroe County Management Team. He has five children and lives in Bloomington.

matthew turk

board member

Matt is an Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University. He is also an attorney and prior to moving to Bloomington was a law clerk on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Matt joined the PALS Board in 2023.

SUSAN RINNE

board member

Susan Rinne holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in Public Management from Indiana University. For almost 20 years, she served as CEO for LIFEDesigns, Inc., a south-central Indiana nonprofit providing services to people with disabilities. For over 40 years, Rinne has advocated for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in their communities resulting in rewarding jobs, homes, and true community involvement. Rinne has been recognized by IU Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, INAPSE, INARF, Prosperity
Indiana (a community development association), the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, and the Bloomington Mayor’s office for her work in disability and housing services.

INterested in becoming a board member?

Contact us today!

info@palstherapy.org
812-336-2798