Staff Members

Michele Bruhn, CFRE
Michele Bruhn, CFREExecutive Director

Michele Bruhn, CFRE, the Executive Director of the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center since August 2017,  brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the equine-assisted services industry. Originally from Woodstock, Illinois, Michele’s career has been dedicated to serving nonprofits and the equine management sectors. She spent over eight years in the recreational therapy department at a behavioral residential treatment center for at-risk youth outside Chicago, Illinois. During her tenure, Michele initiated a partnership with a local therapeutic riding center and directed a campus-wide therapeutic riding program, benefiting 150 residential treatment clients. Prior to her work with youth at risk, Michele served as a barn manager and trail boss on a 2,000-acre ranch in the Ozarks of Missouri. With over 30 years of experience in riding, training, and showing horses, Michele has also worked extensively with individuals with varying disabilities for over 20 years. She holds a degree in psychology from Northern Illinois University and is a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through PATH International, maintaining her certification and teaching 1 class a few sessions each year. Recently, Michele earned the distinction of being a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), underscoring her commitment to philanthropy, transparency, integrity, and ethical practices in her leadership role at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center. Throughout the challenges of the pandemic, Michele demonstrated exemplary leadership, guiding the organization with resilience and adaptability. She remains dedicated to fostering growth and flourishing within the center, leveraging her lifelong passion for horses and her innate desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

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Loraine O'Keefe
Loraine O'KeefeProgram Director

Loraine’s passion for horses started at an early age, eventually leading to years of training and competing in Jumpers, Dressage and Combined Training.  After years of teaching riding lessons while pursuing her education and completing her undergraduate degree in Biology, she took some time to seek out new experiences and places. In 1999 she thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and followed that adventure with work as a guide, leading trips throughout the southwest, Thailand and New Zealand. Eventually she returned to her love of horses through volunteering at a therapeutic riding center. In 2004 she became a PATH certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and taught and led programming at several therapeutic riding centers. She also worked at UNC’s TEACCH Carolina Living and Learning Center, a residential and vocational center for individuals with autism. She has an extensive history with CTRC, having served in several roles, including Instructor, Equine Specialist, and Program Director. In her spare time, Loraine enjoys exploring the world with her family and training her young Morgan Horse Winston.

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Kristin Knudsen
Kristin KnudsenVolunteer Coordinator

Born in Ontario, Canada but grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Kristin has always loved animals and people. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2018 and after graduating, her dream of working with and learning about horses came true by becoming a volunteer at a therapeutic riding center in Crystal Lake. In 2020, she moved to Denver to earn her Master’s degree in Social Work, concentrating in Aging Services and Policy, and received a Master’s certificate in Human-Animal-Environment Interactions in Social Work. Kristin has worked with children to older adults and loves to meet people where they are at in life. When not at CTRC, Kristin enjoys baking, going on long walks and binge-watching TV shows with her husband.

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Natalee Roeder
Natalee RoederDevelopment Director

Natalee is a lifelong horse lover who comes to CTRC with a variety of professional experience. She started out in corporate finance working for Fortune 500 companies. From there, she went into corporate recruiting and then direct sales. Most recently, she served as Development Director for a nonprofit equine therapy organization. Natalee has also been an active volunteer in a breadth of roles in several nonprofit organizations throughout her adult life and has had a longtime dream of a career in nonprofit. Natalee’s horse experience started when she was four years old. She rode western, competing in the barrels and poles events growing up, and managed a small boarding facility in high school. As an adult, she transitioned to English riding and the hunter-jumper disciplines. She also enjoys trail riding with her horse. Natalee is married, has a daughter who is also an equestrian and has recently graduated college, two (energetic) huskies and a (one in a million) horse, and is an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast. Outside of CTRC, you will find her spending time with her family, horse, and barn friends, running and cross-country skiing with her huskies, hiking, downhill skiing, camping, and traveling. Natalee is passionate about the healing horses can offer humans both inside and out and CTRC’s mission. She is thrilled to be on the CTRC team and for the opportunity to do work that intersects her passions, skills, and strengths.

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China Flanigan
China FlaniganBarn Assistant, Instructor in Training
China was born in Geneva, Switzerland and grew up in Southern California and Northern Nevada. An avid animal lover all her life, China grew up with animals of every variety, but has always had an undeniable connection with horses. China began riding at the age of 6 on a POA gelding named Chipper. Eventually, she transitioned to a grey thoroughbred mare who she rode throughout adolescence and high school, competing in three day eventing until she went East for college. As an adult, China has traveled the world, living in London and various big US cities before landing in Omaha, Nebraska, where she raised her two adult children.
In 2021 China moved to Colorado with her partner (and three dogs). She is elated to be back in the West, looking at the mountains and spending her days with horses and a wonderful group at CTRC.
Amy Cissell
Amy CissellBookkeeper

Amy began her involvement with therapeutic riding in 2000 when she began looking for volunteer opportunities to participate in with her daughter. Soon after, her daughter began taking hunter/jumper lessons and Amy wondered why she was sitting outside the arena, watching.  Although Amy had ridden in western lessons as a child, she began taking hunter lessons at the age of 42.  She began volunteering with CTRC soon after moving to Colorado in 2014 and is thrilled to now be a part of the staff.   Amy and her husband Tim live in Boulder with their Irish Terrier, Rufus.

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Jason Smith
Jason SmithFacilities Specialist
Anna Evans
Anna EvansHorse Trainer

Anna (Pronouns: She/They) is originally from Southern California. But during their degree path has found their place in northern Colorado. A recent graduate of Colorado State University’s equine science program Anna focused her time at CSU on equine behavior, and training/retraining young and aged horses. Just before finishing their degree they started their own training business—specializing in working with horses who have trauma history through behavior modification and cooperative care techniques. When Anna is not at the barn they can generally be found walking their pitbull, or working on dressage with their young quarter horse. She is also an avid indoor gardener and plant enthusiast! Anna is thrilled to be part of the CTRC team!

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Ja'el Clark
Ja'el ClarkOnsite Caretaker

Ja’el is a Colorado native, born in Longmont and finally returning after over 20 years. She got into horses at 8 years old after loving them her whole life. She has worked at every barn her horses have boarded at along the way. She is well versed in equine nutrition and loves being able to be hands on in her horses care.

Ja’el and her boyfriend, Derrick, own three horses together. Their elderly Arabian is retired, they own Ja’el’s jumping mare from her childhood, and recently Ja’el fulfilled her lifelong dream of starting her own horse. Their young haflinger was feral when they got him and Ja’el has brought him along completely by herself.

Ja’el has always had a passion for children as well. She has babysat ever since she was able and started teaching in her church in high school. She has a bachelors in Elementary Education and currently teaches an amazing group of preschoolers.

She looks forward to her time here at CTRC.

Chelsea McMullen, CVT
Chelsea McMullen, CVTBarn Manager

Chelsea was born and raised on the West Coast, where she grew up riding western and then found her passion in the eventing world. At a very young age Chelsea knew she would grow up and have a career in the veterinary world. From this and her many years of competitive riding that also followed with rehabbing her horse, her special interest in sports medicine with equine athletes grew. In 2017 Chelsea moved out to Colorado to start her journey in eventually becoming a certified veterinary technician at Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology. Before graduating in 2021 with an associate’s degree, she did an internship with Jergens Equine, a clinic whose main focus was sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. After graduation, Chelsea continued with Jergens Equine as head vet tech working directly with Amy Barnes who is a board-certified surgeon. Over the last three years, Chelsea has been a dedicated vet tech for all equine athletes!

Kyle Prince
Kyle PrinceFaciltities Manager

Kyle was born and raised in Colorado. He grew up with horses, riding and showing Arabs. His mom was a riding instructor, Kyle was around horses until he left for the Marine Corps. Retiring in 2021 he moved back to Colorado to pursue a degree in wildlife management. When not working Kyle can be found skiing in the winter and generally any outdoor activities in the summer.

Instructors

Jessica Arts, CTRI, ESMHL, Mentor, CHA
Jessica Arts, CTRI, ESMHL, Mentor, CHATherapeutic Riding Instructor

Jessica was born and raised in Longmont, CO and volunteered at CTRC during high school. She has an extensive and wide variety of horse experience including packing and outfitting in the mountains, hunter jumpers, training young horses, and even jousting. She graduated CSU in 2015 with degrees in Equine Science and Sociology and a minor in business administration. She got her certification with PATH later that same year. She’s also a certified wellness coach. She loves being active outdoors doing paddleboarding, camping, hiking, running and playing with her dog Mia.

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Therapists

Angelique Saunders, MA, LPC, ESMHL, Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Psychotherapist, Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning
Angelique Saunders, MA, LPC, ESMHL, Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Psychotherapist, Equine Specialist in Mental Health & LearningTherapist

Angelique is originally from New York and moved to Colorado in May 2017. She has over 20 years of experience with horses including competition riding, breeding, barn management, sales, and training. Angelique has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice as well as a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Angelique is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and is also a Registered Psychotherapist (NLC) in the state of Colorado. She has owned and operated her private practice  – All in Stride, LLC. since 2018. Angelique started as an intern at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center in August 2019, moved into the Development Coordinator position in 2020, and is now offering mental health services for our clients. Angelique has a Quarter Horse named Chaos, a Friesian named Apollo & an American Warmblood named Zeus. Angelique also rode thoroughbred horses at the Saratoga Racetrack in New York as an exercise rider and has rehabilitated many thoroughbred horses after their careers on the track ended. Angel competes as a hunter jumper but also likes to do dressage and trail ride.

Heather McLaughlin, MS, OT-RL
Heather McLaughlin, MS, OT-RLTherapist

From Cape Cod, MA, Heather discovered the wonder of horses at a young age. She has limited formal training, primarily riding and showing at small local barns as a kid and wherever a horse needed exercising as an adult. Heather received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Amherst College in 1991, followed by 4 years working as a mental health counselor on a locked pediatric ward.  In the year prior to starting a master’s program in Occupational Therapy at Tufts University, Heather discovered the power of the equine as a therapeutic entity while volunteering at a therapeutic riding center in Westwood, MA.  Since receiving her MS, OTR in 1998, she has taken advantage of that therapeutic magic throughout her OT career. Heather specializes in working with children, especially young children, and believes that parents/caregivers are an integral part of every client’s therapy team.  When not providing services in a barn environment, she has provided home-based and school-based OT. Outside work and horses, Heather enjoys mountain biking, reading, taking canoe trips with her family and partaking in her 2 teenagers’ sport and music experiences.

Staci Quillen, COTA/L
Staci Quillen, COTA/LTherapist

Staci grew up in Colorado Springs, and started western horseback riding lessons at around 10 years old, beginning her continuing love for horses. She attended Colorado State University with the intention of majoring in Equine Science, but switched to Psychology, then never quite figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up. A few years after graduation, in 2009, she started volunteering at CTRC, sparking an interest in EAAT and Occupational Therapy. She returned to school for a second bachelor’s in Human Development and Family studies, hoping to then enter the Master’s program in OT at CSU; when that didn’t work out, she studied at Pima Medical Institute to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant, instead, and has been loving it ever since.

Staci has worked in a variety of settings from adult home health to outpatient pediatrics, to a hybrid outpatient/school facility, to now incorporating equine assisted therapy, and enjoys working with clients of all ages and abilities. She is excited to join the therapy team at CTRC, after many years as a volunteer! Outside of work, she mostly hangs out with her husband, young daughter, and doggos; continues to take horseback riding lessons; and enjoys reading and binge watching random tv shows.

Danielle Rainey, OT
Danielle Rainey, OTTherapist

Dani has been an OT since 2007, with most of her experience in pediatrics. She loves being outside around nature and animals, and also loves to read. Working with children and animals is a passion of hers and she is thrilled to be able to follow through on her dreams and helping others achieve theirs. She married her middle school sweetheart in 2004 and has two daughters.

Mackenzie Aleu, OTD, OTR/L
Mackenzie Aleu, OTD, OTR/LTherapist

Mackenzie first came to CTRC in January of 2023 to complete a Doctoral Capstone Experience with Creighton University. She was looking to understand how Occupational Therapy utilizing the equine movement can be used as an intervention strategy; and how it improves daily life skill, movement skills, and motivation to participate in therapy. Her internship was a huge success! She knew she wanted to continue in the field, and we knew that we wanted her to stay. She left the internship with plans of wrapping up her school program, getting married, passing her Board Exam, and taking the necessary steps to become a therapist with CTRC! We were thrilled to welcome her back in December 0f 2023!