This year there are sixteen (16) candidates for the 2009 PVDA Board of Directors. Please carefully review the candidate's biographies below and see the election ballot in your October PVDA Newsletter, cut it out, vote for a maximum of fifteen (15) candidates and send the ballot to Stephanie Banks, 19720 Olney Mill Rd., Brookeville, MD 20833, by November 1st. The 2009 Board will take office at the December Board meeting.
Shari Packard has been a PVDA member for over 20 years. She is currently a Board member, chairing the Membership Committee (4) years and the Website (1) year. She also assists with various PVDA shows and educational projects as well as being a delegate at the USDF Convention in 2007. She was first introduced to dressage during her short tenure in Pony club, from which she graduated as a “B”. Since then, she has been a devoted dressage fan and is currently working towards her USDF Bronze medal.
Marne Martin-Tucker - was raised on cattle ranches in the Western U.S. before coming to college on the East Coast and being based here in Maryland ever since (despite some stints overseas). She played polo and did eventing/jumpers, before switching to dressage, and eventually earning her Silver Medal with hopes to one day to make it to Grand Prix. She has been on the Board two years, first as the Chair of the Education Committee, and this year as President of PVDA and co-Chair of the Ride for Life Committee. She has been an active volunteer in PVDA since joining and hopes that her various equestrian contacts and business experience will be an asset to the board.
Karen Jacob has been a PVDA member for a number of years. Along with her husband, Lance, she owns and operates a small facility in Sykesville, MD. She is the mother of two small boys; Erik & Evan. Karen instructs and does ratings for Pony Club, was District Commissioner of a local US Pony Club and has volunteered in other capacities for PC. Serving her 4th year on the Board she has assisted the Education Committee, Volunteer Committee and currently chairs the Nominating Committee and the Group Chapters. Karen has managed six schooling shows, has volunteered at several recognized shows including the 2007 Ride for life. In 2008 she was the Financial & Merchandise Chair for the Ride for Life. Karen looks forward to continuing to serve PVDA in the future.
Tracey Trainum - became a member of PVDA as a junior and has been a member for over 15 years. She has been a Clarksville Chapter member for many of those years, and has been a co-chair for the last two years. As co-chair, Tracey organizes the winter show series, helps conduct meetings, writes for the newsletter, and helps coordinate Chapter events. Tracey has volunteered at many PVDA schooling shows and hopes to manage a few shows in the future. Tracey has been completing her master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia at the University of Maryland over the last two and a half years, and is looking forward to graduating this December. Upon graduation, Tracey is looking forward to having more free time for her mare Dascha, who she currently competes at training level. Tracey is a team player and is excited to offer a fresh perspective to the Board of Directors.
Linda Speer has been an active PVDA member since 1980, currently serving her 21st term on the Board chairing the Junior/Young Rider Committee. She has organized many activities including the very successful USDF Region I Junior/Young Rider Team Championships as well as numerous clinics. Linda has also managed several recognized competitions, the PVDA Chapter Challenge Competition and organizes the PVDA booth at the annual Horse Expo at the Timonium Fair Grounds each January. More importantly, Linda is a huge supporter for our Junior/Young Rider program and manages FOUR of their shows each year!
Carolyn DelGrosso has been a PVDA member for more than twenty years. As a Board member, she has served on the Recognized Show Advisory, Schooling Show and Chapter Committees. She has chaired the Education Committee and was the Treasurer of PVDA. Carolyn, a Silver and Bronze & USDF GOLD MEDALIST, is currently the Secretary of PVDA and looks forward to continued service on the Board.
Bonnie Vaden has been a PVDA member for over 18 years. Previously she was a fox hunter before turning her interests to dressage. She has managed six Ligons Schooling Shows. She has volunteers extensively for both schooling and recognized shows. She has also donated time to the Nominating Committee and is the current Chair of the Schooling Show Committee.
Betty Thorpe served on the PVDA Board from 1994 to 1996 as the Volunteer Coordinator, and from 2002 to 2005 as editor of the newsletter. She continues to contribute articles often to the newsletter. She was a delegate to the USDF annual meeting in 2002, 2004, and 2005. The biggest challenge of all was serving as president in 2006 & 2007.
Patricia Artimovich has been a PVDA member since 2002. She returned to riding after a 20 year hiatus from showing hunters. Having enjoyed learning from her beloved Hanoverian schoolmaster over the past few years, she is presently taking lessons and working towards showing First Level. An active volunteer since joining PVDA, Pat has contributed to the newsletter, served in many capacities at educational activities and at recognized and schooling shows. She presented the concept for the Ride for Life to the Board, served as hospitality and volunteer coordinator for the Ride for Life in 2004 and 2005, helped establish the PVDA as a registered charitable organization and most recently, was a huge part of the 2007 show!
Jocelyn Pearson has been a member of PVDA and VADA since 1973. She began riding at the age of 3, insisting that her mother take her every day to the local pony rings. Her family had race horses and she worked as a teenager as a hot walker at Bowie Race Track. Also, in 1973 she attended the old Horsemasters’ course at Potomac Horse Center. In 1975 she was hired by the U.S. Secret Service. During her time there she became the first female bomb dog handler in the United States and was also the first to win the United States Police Canine Association Bomb Dog Competition. She worked at the Reagan Ranch for the Presidential trips and was allowed to ride there from time to time. Recently retired, she now runs Arc en Ciel Farm in Leesburg, which is her home. She is an “L” graduate, enjoys attending symposiums and clinics and riding. Jocelyn currently has six horses.
Leslie Raulin has been a PVDA member for six years and a member of the PVDA Board for one year. She seeks to expand PVDA opportunities for lower level adult amateur riders. During her first year on the Board, Leslie enabled the following: schooling show high score ribbons; separate Open and AA/JR/YR classes for licensed shows; PVDA membership survey; licensing of PVDA logo for embroidered items; Ride for Life web site; PVDA web site; posting of dressage tests on the PVDA web site; updates for 2008 PVDA Omnibus and prize lists; map demonstrating PVDA show locations; number of Chapter Challenge volunteers changed to one volunteer per team; trainer in PVDA's Tea is for Training program; developed Tea is for Training materials; banner graphic on the PVDA home page; and prize list templates.
Jennifer Funk began riding horses in California at an early age but has returned as an adult rider interested in the discipline of Dressage. She is currently an active PVDA member serving on the Board of Directors and presently serves as Schooling Show Treasurer. She is an animal enthusiast who owns a wonderful Paint mare, Daizy and a Great Dane, Zeus. She resides with her family in Ellicott City, MD. Jennifer looks forward to serving on the board for a second term if re-elected.
Deanna Beal graduated from Towson University, with a BA in Occupational Therapy, and continued her education graduating from Western Michigan University with a graduate certificate in Hippotherapy (therapy with the help of the horse). She is a licensed and practicing OTR/L with extensive experience in psychiatry and adult rehabilitation. She is a NARHA registered instructor and therapist, and member of the American Hippotherapy Association. Married to Tim for 28 years with two daughters Jackie 21, and Jenna 15. The Beal's live on Beal's Blessing Farm in Finksburg, MD with their 3 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats. If re-elected, this would be Deanna’s second year on the board.
Kimberley Beldam-Saylor - Originally from Ontario, Canada, moved to Maryland 4 years ago and has since married. Kimberley has 4 horses in Frederick, MD. She also has 2 dogs & raises Suffolk sheep. She is currently building a new boarding and training facility in Rocky Ridge, MD. Kimberley has showed at both PVDA Schooling Shows & Recognized Shows. She managed several schooling shows at Tewksbury which she felt was “great fun and a great opportunity to meet more of the members”. She also volunteered at the Ride for Life, participated in the L program rider demo (nothing like having 20+ judges critiquing you!) and scribed at several of the licensed shows. It is her intention on attending the L program next year. Kimberley says, “I’m creative and detail oriented and feel I could really help serve this wonderful club as a member of the board”.
Jan Denno - has belonged to PVDA since 1995. In that time she has acquired a wealth of knowledge, primarily by volunteering. Her first experience came volunteering at shows and learning all the show jobs. She feels this has helped make her a better rider. Scribing especially helped Jan develop a vocabulary to improve her riding by understanding more with regards to judging. As show manager for Ride for Life 2008 Jan came in contact with lots of people who manage show grounds and everything related to them. She listened to their thoughts on how they believe that PVDA is the only organization that operates on volunteers. Jan believes this is part of the wonderful opportunities dressage gives us and feels it is one of the strengths of our organization. Jan feels strongly about our volunteers and would like to invigorate the volunteer process. And Jan says, “We can utilize that characteristic of dressage to assure the continuation of the PVDA volunteer spirit and enhance the valuable learning experience we can provide. This vision is a perspective I would like to bring to the board for the next year.”
Rebecca Yount has been a PVDA member since 1986. She has spent many years on the Board of Directors, is chair of the Education Committee, and recently became the Rule Change Liaison relative to the USEF Dressage Performance Standards proposal. She has represented PVDA at many USDF conventions and has organized hundreds of clinics as well as volunteering at shows, served as a demonstration rider, and been a Pony Club District Commissioner. She has her USDF Bronze medal and her 4th level scores toward her Silver. She grew up riding ponies but only became involved in organized dressage as an adult. She has been very successful with her mares Bo Peep and Dior, as well as published articles in Dressage and Combined Training, the Chronicle of the Horse, and other horse publications both national and local. Her 21-year-old daughter, Samra Zelman, also a rider, just started Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania.