Shery McDonald-Galbreath, a native of Colorado, has always embraced the Western way of life. A 'cowgirl' by nature, she grew up with a love of horses and a love for the community she calls home. As the founder and president of the SaddleUp! Foundation Shery is accomplishing a childhood dream of creating an opportunity for others to experience the joys of horsemanship.

The SaddleUp! Foundation was literally founded in her own back yard. Out of her desire to share her love of horses with her daughter Emma, she enlisted the help of equestrian professionals. After a short time, Emma was confident on horseback, and several of her friends were asking how they too, could "SaddleUp!." Shery decided to start a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that would help individuals with special needs through the SaddleUp! Foundation equine facilitated activities and therapies. She also helps children and adults through all areas and levels of horsemanship in a fun, friendly and family-oriented environment.

Read more: Shery McDonald-Galbreath - Founder and President

Prior to joining the SaddleUp! Foundation as Executive Direcor, Adam worked as an attorney with the Denver-based firms Montgomery Little & Soran, PC and Gifford Stevens, LLC.  Adam’s legal experience includes both litigation and transactional work and was focused in the realms of general contracts, real estate, business and commercial law, and insurance defense litigation. Adam received his J.D. from the University of Wyoming in 2004. 

Adam attended Colorado State University where he received his Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Extension and a minor in Economics.  After undergraduate college and prior to attending law school, Adam taught middle and high school technology. 

Read more: Adam Daurio, Esq. - Executive Director/General Counsel

Fierro comes to SaddleUp! Foundation with more than 18 years of business experience with a strong focus on client management, sales, and territory development.  She is currently employed as a Regional Manager at Rx Relief - developing new sales territories in San Diego, Arizona, and Colorado.  Through her day to day activities, she has been instrumental in building new client relationships, managing existing client relationships, and cultivating strong business networks throughout the healthcare industry.  Currently, Fierro volunteers at SaddleUp! Foundation with both her mother and daughter, where she assists with various items such as feeding, cleaning, and office functions.

Read more: Shannon Fierro - Board of Directors

Director and Co-Chair Young Philanthropist Committee

Olinger graduated from Colorado State University in 2005 with bachelor’s degrees in both Equine Science and Agricultural Business. While attending CSU, she participated on the Collegiate Equestrian Team and was the Publicity Officer for the 2004-2005 season.  During her undergraduate career, Jennifer served as an intern for the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo.  Her experiences included media relations, recording show placings, event planning, executive administration, which culminated into Jennifer acting as the sponsorship and education manager for the 2005 event.  Jennifer’s experience with the National Western furthered her passions for the western lifestyle, event planning and public relations.  Olinger spent her summers, during college, as a horseback riding camp instructor (both English and Western disciplines), where she fell in love with being around both children and horses.    

Read more: Jennifer Daurio- Board of Directors

Baier is a graduate of Kansas University with 17 years nonprofit executive leadership experience and 23 years management experience in the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors.  Early in her career Baier was the youngest department head in Best Western's corporate history.  In 1989, she was the first executive with a business background at Sunset Zoo, creating from scratch successful development, marketing, public relations and brand initiatives.  At the time, it was one of only about a dozen such interdisciplinary zoo jobs in the nation.   At the Denver Zoo, Baier continued to invent and direct critical projects including community relations, new audience development, branding and crisis communications.  In 2003, Mayor John Hickenlooper asked Baier to apply her skills to the city’s needs.  Angela was appointed as Denver's first marketing director - a senior staff position and the second job of its kind in the nation.

Read more: Angela Baier - Board of Directors

Candy's biography is coming soon...

Keeler owns a small business in Denver. She is the mother of three daughters and in addition to SaddleUp!, has served on a ski racing team board for many years. Her youngest daughter, Katie was injured in a car accident at age 7 months. Katie is a C-6 quadriplegic and now at fourteen, she and her family have been involved in numerous sports, but horseback riding has provided her with a feeling of independence she had yet to experience. She has also become aware of movement in muscles she didn’t know that she had control of thanks to the programs at SaddleUp! Foundation.

When Paula graduated from the University of Denver, she started working full time full-time with her mother to grow the family business. In the late 1990’s, Newberry took over the shop while her mother continued working the books from home. Due to her connections throughout the Colorado region, the business continues to flourish. Her eye for detail and ability to push the limits have created some of the most unique & elaborate looking events in Colorado.

Read more: Paula Newberry - Board of Directors

Originally from the Southeastern part of the United States, Karen G. Gray has called Colorado her home since 1993.  Karen was introduced to SUF through her firm's goals to identify a locally based non-profit organization to support which lead her to the Parker Colorado based foundation.  SUF's collaborative efforts with other foundations and mission objectives mirrored their values and cemented their association with the organization.   She was appointed as one of the newest SaddleUp! Foundation board members in January of 2010.  With over two decades of telecommunications experience at Sprint and MCI in the areas of training development, training management, project management and system development, her career allowed her to be involved in a wide variety of areas focusing on customer positioning and liaison development.  These attributes easily transitioned into public relations with Alpine Planning Group in early 2000.  Bridging the for-profit and non-profit worlds, she continues to expand her public relation role as the Community Affairs Director for Alpine Planning Group, Denver's 5280 Magazines 2009 recipient of Top Financial Planners.  Karen received numerous awards and recognition during her tenor with SPRINT,  MCI, MCI WorldCOM and WorldCOM.  She was instrumental in the patenting of the original MCI Fraud Detection system components and implementation of the training platform which is now maintained by Verizon.  Karen is a strategic and lateral thinker with proven organizational and interpersonal skills in both the corporate and non-profit environments.  She began her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science and Business from New York State University.

Read more: Karen Gray- Board of Directors

Prior to joining NWQ Investment Management Company in 1987, Galbreath spent five years in venture capital investing for private individuals and companies. Previous to this, he was a partner and portfolio manager with the investment management firm of Stephenson and Company in Denver for nine years.

Galbreath received his B.S./B.A. in finance and economics from the university of Denver in 1969. He earned the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst in 1979 and is a member of the Association for Investment and Research. He served on the Board of Governors of the Money Management Institute for 4 years. He studied economics at the University of Stockholm in 1966, and worked with Daiwa Bank in Osaka, Japan, following his graduation. Galbreath has served as a special advisor for investments with the long-term Credit Bank of Japan (1984-87).

Read more: James H. Galbreath, CFA - Special Advisor to the Board

Former First Lady of Colorado, Frances Owens
Wendy Aro
Beverly Dickenson
Sue and Paul Goss
Linda and Leo Goto 
Walt Imhoff
Jill and Larry DiPasquale
Shelley Niemann
Gail and George Johnson
David Alexander
Sharon Magness

Robin Bowman:
Physical Therapist, Registered in Hippotherapy (HPOT), certified in Neurological Developmental Technique (NDT) (hippotherapy)

Patricia Oliver: EED, BCBA--D
Behavioral Consultant in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis

Laura Hess: MA, MT--BC
Board Certified Music Therapist
(Master of Arts/Creative Arts in Therapy/Music Therapy)

Dani Venturi:
Equine and Barn Manager
(Able-bodied instructor, assistant in therapeutic riding, NARHA instructor-in-training)

Whitney Young:
Equine and Barn Manager
(Able-bodied instructor, assistant in therapeutic riding)

Alex Lane:
Equine and Barn Manager
(Assistant in therapeutic riding)

Felicia Ingwers: Hunter/Jumper Riding Instructor
(able-bodied riding instruction, specialty in hunter/jumper discipline, assistant in therapeutic riding)

Sharon Tiraschi:
NARHA certified instructor -registered level, CHA certified instructor - Level 4 English / Level 2 Western

Hailey Hoffman:
Public Relations Coordinator and Executive Assistant