THIS YEARS SPEAKERS!
We are so honored to be welcoming a diverse and inspiring
group of expert speakers
Scott Beckstead
MC for the Conference
A lifelong student and admirer of horses and all equines, Scott Beckstead grew up with horses on his family’s farm and spent much of his childhood and youth on horseback in the mountains of Idaho. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Utah State University and his JD from the University of Utah, Beckstead worked as an attorney in private practice for 17 years on the central Oregon coast before going to work full-time in the animal protection sector as a legislative lobbyist, agriculture policy director, and equine welfare specialist. During his time on the coast he also served as the mayor of Waldport, Oregon from 2002 to 2007.
Beckstead became known for his special expertise in the field of animal law, and has taught that subject as well as classes on wildlife, animal agriculture, marine conservation, and polar law at Willamette University College of Law as an adjunct professor of law since 2010. In 2000, he co-authored Animal Law, the first casebook on the subject.
Because of his familiarity with horses, livestock, and farm animals, Beckstead provides training to law enforcement agencies on how to handle and work with those animals, and how to investigate equine and livestock cruelty and neglect. He currently serves as Equine Programs Director for The Wild Animal Sanctuary, overseeing the organization’s work to save and protect equines both wild and domestic.
Beckstead is married to Jackie and has four children, two grandchildren, and an assortment of pets
Laura Leigh
Laura Leigh, Founder and President of Wild Horse Education, identified a pressing need due to her journalism background. Recognizing a lack of accessible information, she founded WHE to confront challenges head-on, focusing on combating abuse within the wild horse management system.
Through fieldwork, research, and litigation, Wild Horse Education has made significant strides in advocating for these animals.
With over 15 years of on-the-ground data collection, her record has been instrumental in court proceedings, securing unprecedented rulings and driving policy changes. Notably, WHE is the only org to directly address inhumane treatment during roundups in the courts
Beyond roundup advocacy, Leigh's work extends to First Amendment cases securing public access and preventing unjustified removals. Through her relentless advocacy and legal victories, Laura Leigh has become a leading voice in the fight for the humane treatment and preservation of America's wild horses.
Erik Molvar
Erik cut his teeth in conservation fighting oil and gas projects in Wyoming during the Bush administration, and his signature accomplishment is defeating the 1,240-well Seminoe Road Coalbed Methane Project during that time. He is a wildlife biologist with published research in the behavior, ecology, and population dynamics of Alaskan moose as well as large-scale conservation planning. He spent 13 years as a conservation advocate and later Executive Director of Wyoming-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and led WildEarth Guardians’ Sagebrush Sea Campaign for three years. Over this period, he became one of the conservation community’s leaders in sage grouse conservation and recovery. He is the author of 16 hiking guidebooks and backpacking techniques manuals for national parks and wilderness areas spanning the West from Alaska to Arizona. Erik is a contributor to The Hill and his blog.
Kerry Ferguson
Kerry Ferguson is the Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting America’s wild horses and burros. She joined the organization in 2022, bringing a strong background in education and nonprofit leadership, along with a lifelong passion for animals and advocacy.
Kerry specializes in analyzing federal policy and translating complex Bureau of Land Management directives into clear, actionable information for advocates and the public. Her professional journey spans the classroom,
the arts, and leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, where she has built programs and partnerships that empower communities.
Originally from San Diego, Kerry has called Colorado home since 2012 and often explores its landscapes on horseback—frequently from the back of
her friend Toby, “The Wonder Horse.” A proud self-described horse geek, she blends policy expertise, education, and on-the-ground advocacy to support the long-term protection of wild equids and the public lands they depend on.
Manda Kalimian
Founder and president of Rewilding America Now, which for over a decade has worked to rewild America’s wild horses and land to promote environmental and climate sustainability. Through Rewilding America Now, Manda has not only raised awareness of issues surrounding wild horses and environmental destruction but she’s also worked with lobbyists for years to create sustainable policy initiatives in DC for wild horses. Manda is the author of “Born To Rewild". She helped secure a scientific grant to fund McMaster University’s Poinar lab on "Quaternary ecosystems using environmental DNA drawn from sediment cores with a primary goal of collecting additional evidence regarding last appearance times for horses in North America. Manda is also an active participant at The Native Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and a founding member of The Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. She spearheaded the effectuation of rewilding language for managing America’s wild horses in the FY2020 Interior Appropriations budget bill and presented at the Cambridge Conservation Forum in the UK in 2019.
Colette Kaluza
Colette Kaluza, welfare team assistant director for Wild Horse Education, has spent hundreds of days observing wild horse and burro roundups from Wyoming to California and deep in research as a volunteer. She is a video journalist dedicated to exposing the needless inhumane treatment during roundup operations and at the facilities where they land by the governmental agency charged with protecting them. Her videos have shown such events as a helicopter that relentlessly drove a colt, causing its leg to break at the Pancake Complex roundup, and the palomino stallion Sunshine Man that suffered a broken leg at Antelope. Pilots fly so dangerously close to horses that one helicopter was shown hitting the ground causing an accident at Triple B. The reckless roping, handling, or kicking of animals seen in her videos at Blue Wing are not unusual.
Her Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program assessment reports detail agency non-compliance with welfare standards at roundup operations and off-range corral facilities. Her reports are based on personal observations and Freedom of Information Act citizen requests.
Through her experiences she has developed suggestions on needed improvements to the current welfare program and how to achieve necessary reforms.
In addition to her work being featured on Wild Horse Education website, her opinions have appeared in Reno Gazette Journal and The Nevada Independent.
Laurie Ford
For more than 30 years, I have worked in animal welfare advocacy, addressing systemic failures and rescuing animals harmed by them—from dogs and cats to horses and burros. Though circumstances varied, the root causes remained consistent: lack of public awareness, accountability, and oversight, along with weak or unenforced laws.
My work began in New Jersey with the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, where I helped house, retrain, and rehome Standardbreds after their racing careers ended. After relocating to New Mexico, I became aware of the dire situation facing wild horses and burros and unprotected populations statewide. I began observing and photographing wild herds throughout the West, sharing their stories through images and articles published in Desert Exposure.
Despite the widespread use of burro imagery in New Mexico, I was shocked to learn there were no federally protected burros. Near my home, two small herds that had roamed state, federal, and private lands for decades were secretly rounded up and sold as roping burros. I was able to locate and purchase one surviving jenny, who later gave birth to a foal that did not survive.
That experience cemented my commitment to protecting our often-forgotten wild burros and led me to my current work with Wild Horse Education, where I focus on burro-specific issues. These challenges do not end after a roundup—they begin as burros enter a broken system of holding, adoption, and sales.
Today, my goals remain the same. The systems may have new faces, but I now have far more burros—and experience—than I did 30 years ago.
Ron King
Ron King is a visionary leader, animal welfare advocate, and co-founder & CEO of Oscar’s Place Adoption Center & Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming donkeys in need. After a successful career in media, culminating as a senior vice president at Time Inc., Ron left the corporate world and pursued meaningful impact work.
In 2021, moved by a viral video highlighting the plight of donkeys facing slaughter, Ron opened Oscar’s Place in Hopland, California. Since then, the sanctuary has grown into a hub of compassion and expertise, caring for hundreds of donkeys and placing many into loving homes. Ron’s leadership blends strategic vision with deep empathy, fostering a culture where animals and humans alike find healing and purpose.
Ron’s journey and the daily life at Oscar’s Place are featured in Donkey King, a 17-episode docuseries premiering on ABC, which showcases the sanctuary’s work and the donkeys’ unique personalities. Through storytelling, education, and community engagement, Ron continues to change perceptions about donkeys and inspire others to act with kindness.
Cynthia Smoot
iA veteran of broadcast news with over 40 years as a main anchor and special projects reporter. During 25 years with WTVT, Fox 13 in Tampa Florida she became well known for her outstanding stories on animals and animal issues including invasive species, abandoned pets and horse slaughter in Florida. One of her favorite stories, an interview with internationally renowned horseman and trainer, Monty Roberts, which was titled, “A Real-Life Horse Whisperer,” earned her an Emmy award. Cynthia serves on the advisory board for the Humane Society of Tampa, is a cheetah ambassador for the Cheetah Conservation Fund and is on the Board of The Cloud Foundation which is dedicated to preserving America’s wild horses on the range. Carrying the passion that she feels for Wild Horses she was able to adopt ‘Mustang Dream’ whom she sees as her partner in Wild Horse Advocacy. She has worked with many Wild Horse Organizations including Equine Collaborative International to help advocates deal more effectively with the media. Her goal is to help educate fellow journalists who, much too often, do not tell all the facts about what is happening with our Wild Horses but rely on government generated press releases. Her expertise and direction are always appreciated in this very importantpart of advocacy.
Vickery Eckhoff
Vickery Eckhoff is an investigative journalist and award-winning screenwriter. She has written about U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management policy for Forbes, AlterNet, Counterpunch, Newsweek, Salon and the Daily Beast.
Vickery’s work on the brutal underground horsemeat trade, wild horse politics, and public lands ranching has also served as source material in two documentaries; New York Times science-writer Stephen Nash’s book “Grand Canyon for Sale”; in Bioscience, Idaho Law Review and Sciendo; and in articles by numerous other journalists.
Patricia Miller
Patricia Miller is a futurist, designer, and conservation leader whose work bridges policy, industry, and the natural world.
Her career began in international and U.S. politics before moving into Fortune 500 healthcare and biotech leadership. She later became owner and CEO of M4 Factory, transforming it into a pioneering regenerative American manufacturer recognized by Inc., Crain’s Chicago, and Plastics News for innovation and growth.
Following the sale of M4, Patricia now leads American Wild Horse Conservation, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to protecting wild horses and burros on public lands.
From her countryside home among horses, hounds, and gardens, she continues to advocate for conservation, animal welfare, and regenerative design. Her work lives at the intersection of beauty and responsibility—where progress and preservation are not opposites, but companions.
American Wild Horse Conservation
Linda Greaves
A lifelong animal advocate whose deep love for wild horses has shaped her work and commitment to their protection. She has long been an active voice for wild horse and burro advocacy at both the grassroots and national levels.
In 2018, she co-founded the Save Our Wild Horses Campaign and Conference with Linda Kemp, helping to build a national platform for education, collaboration, and action. Now in its fifth consecutive year, the event—now known as the National Wild Horse and Burro Conference—continues to grow in reach and impact and will convene in Park City, Utah, in 2026.
Based in Washington, D.C., Linda is a Volunteer Documenter with Wild Horse Education and helps organize rallies and public awareness efforts supporting America’s wild horses and visiting advocates In D.C..
She is also actively engaged at the federal level, serving on the board of the Horse Plus Legislative Coalition as a wild horse specialist and on the board of TrapFree America. Linda’s work reflects a collaborative, steady commitment to protecting wild horses, wildlife, and the landscapes they depend on.
Britta Hesla
In the 6th grade, Britta completed a journal entry school assignment talking about what she wanted to be when she grew up, amongst other parts of the assignment. On her 50th birthday she found the assignment in a box of childhood memories. In cursive, she wrote: "I want to help people and animals and stop animals from being slaughtered." Her mother told her it was a result of seeing chickens fall off of a chicken truck going to slaughter when Britta was 4. Today, Britta is a psychotherapist trained in neuropsychotherapy, trauma, family systems and equine assisted psychotherapy with more than 30 years of experience. Britta has trained medical professionals and law enforcement in crisis intervention and has been recognized for her leadership in multidisciplinary treatment and public health initiatives.
In addition to her clinical work, Britta is a national advocate for equine welfare and serves as a Legislative Director, Consultant and advocate for federal and state equine protection legislation, including leadership efforts supporting the SAFE Act to end horse slaughter. She works directly with members of Congress, state legislators, coalitions, and national organizations to advance policy solutions, combat illegal slaughter networks, and protect American horses through strategic lobbying and public policy reform.
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Fernando Guerra
Fernando is the Director of Law and Policy for American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC). In this role, he supervises and supports AWHC’s lobbying and litigation efforts. Fernando has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy and earned his Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Environmental Law.
Samantha Couper, PhD
Samantha has been involved with horses since before she was old enough to walk. She spent her childhood and young adult life assisting her mother, a veterinarian, on house calls. By the time she was in high school she was working at a performance Paint barn training new foals husbandry behaviors. Samantha has always been passionate about the environment, and studied Geology (an Earth and Environmental Science) in college at the University of California, Davis. She continued this passion at the University of Utah where she received her MSc and PhD. During her time at Utah, she was introduced to the Onaqui wild horses through the many photographers who love this herd. Congruently with this, Samantha was studying the science of Animal Behavior through online academic courses. Perplexed by the mismatch between the general public’s understanding of horse behavior and the scientific consensus on wild behavior, Samantha wanted to see what was really going on in the wild. She began to talk with locals and compile information and observations that they had been collecting for decades.
It quickly became clear that there was a desire for a compilation of this knowledge in the community to unify photographers and visitors to the herd, and thus the Onaqui Catalogue began its infant steps. Samantha has two adopted mustangs, Oberon and Nova, from the round up that occurred in the Onaqui HMA in 2021.
Tessa Archibald
Tessa Archibald is a Policy Associate for the Equine program at the Animal Welfare Institute and Manager of the Homes for Horses Coalition, a network of equine rescues and sanctuaries. Tessa is dedicated to advocating for domestic and wild horses, donkeys, and mules through policy and welfare initiatives. Tessa is trained in the remote delivery of PZP immunocontraception and served on the Colorado Wild Horse Working Group. Tessa received her MS in Animals and Public Policy from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
Lisa Diersen
Lisa Diersen is an equestrian who has been riding since she could first sit in a saddle and has a deep appreciation for all equestrian disciplines. She is the Founder and Director of the EQUUS Film & Arts Fest, now in its 13th season, and the Wild Horse Summit. The festival empowers storytellers to share the horse’s rich history and cultural impact through equestrian film, art, and literature, bringing together filmmakers, artists, and horse lovers from around the world.
The EQUUS Film Festival is the first international film festival dedicated entirely to equestrian-themed content, showcasing feature films, documentaries, shorts, music videos, educational materials, art, and literature across all disciplines.
Lisa’s mission is to highlight how horses bring people together regardless of background or ability, while educating and inspiring others about the important role horses play in our lives.
She is a producer and writer of the equine documentary A Pony and His Boy: The Story of Berry & Josh, created for the EQUUS Film Festival in New York City and the National Down Syndrome Congress with director Julianne Neal. Additional documentaries in the Spotlight Rescue Series are in development, including the Mustang Discovery Ride Project.
Lisa is also a published equine author and continues to advocate for horses through storytelling, film, and education
Operation Remount
Kelly Alexander is a dedicated veteran with over 22 years of service in the Army and Army National Guard. Throughout his distinguished career, he participated in multiple deployments across the globe, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his service, Kelly was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, challenges that many veterans face.
His path to emotional healing was profoundly supported by working with his mustang, Endy, which helped him find renewal and purpose. Inspired by this transformative experience, Kelly founded Operation Remount Corporation: Mustangs for Veterans and First Responder Program. His organization provides opportunities for fellow veterans and first responders to experience healing and recovery through working with mustangs, fostering hope, resilience, and a new sense of purpose.
Karen Alexander, DNP, FNP-C, holds a doctorate in nursing with a specialty in Family Practice. She currently serves at a rural clinic in Lusk, Wyoming. Witnessing the profound impact that a mustang named Endy had on her husband Kelly’s recovery from PTSD inspired her deeply. Recognizing the healing potential of working with mustangs, Karen was motivated to support Kelly’s vision of helping others find healing.
Together, Karen and Kelly co-founded Operation Remount Corporation: Mustangs for Veterans and First Responder Program. Their organization is dedicated to providing veterans and first responders the opportunity to experience emotional and physical healing through working with mustangs, fostering hope and resilience for those who serve.
Mary DeBonis
Mary DeBonis is the heart and driving force behind Mustang Valley Sanctuary, a safe haven devoted to the rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and lifelong care of the iconic American Mustang. Her deep-rooted passion for these majestic animals and her profound understanding of their unique needs fuel everything she does.
For years, Mary has dedicated her life to building a sanctuary where Mustangs can truly heal—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. From the hands-on, daily care of each horse to navigating the complex logistics of sanctuary operations, she approaches every challenge with tireless commitment and compassion. Her expertise in equine health, behavior, and rehabilitation is reflected in the powerful transformations seen in the horses she cares for.
But Mary’s work extends beyond the fences of the sanctuary. She is a passionate advocate for equine welfare, working to raise awareness about responsible horse ownership, the plight of abandoned and neglected horses, and the vital role sanctuaries play in giving them a second chance. Her collaborative approach has built strong relationships with local veterinarians, farriers, and equine professionals, ensuring the highest standard of care for every horse that comes through Mustang Valley's gates.
Mary’s vision is not just about rescue—it’s about restoration and hope. She strives to create a place where Mustangs are not only saved, but where they can flourish and eventually find
Sumee Chang
A long time strategic and results-oriented executive Sumee transitioned from a successful, decades long career at The Walt Disney Company to founding an animal-rights nonprofit for America’s wild horses. With her background in business operations, stakeholder management, and program design, she’s carefully bringing a lifelong dream to reality, savings the lives of horses. Founded in 2024, and bringing their first BLM mustang to sanctuary in spring of 2025, the American Mustang Project team, including volunteers and head trainer Henry Merrill, has now grown the herd to 8 as of January 2026. All gentled and willing ambassadors for their brothers and sisters in holding, and on the range. AMP focuses primarily on bringing community awareness and engagement around wild horses in holding, and endeavors to open people’s hearts and minds to the extraordinary value of the American Mustang.
Debra West
Debra West is the founder and executive director of Liberty Sanctuary, an equine rescue and advocacy organization dedicated to protecting America’s most vulnerable horses, including at-risk and displaced wild horses. In 2015, Debra and her husband, Scott Horner, acquired Liberty Ranch in Utah and began developing it into a safe haven for animals in need. That vision led to the launch of Liberty Sanctuary in 2022, focused on rescuing equines from the slaughter pipeline and advocating for stronger protections nationwide.
A lifelong horsewoman and passionate animal advocate, Debra leads efforts to rehabilitate rescued horses and help them transition into qualified, caring forever homes. At Liberty Sanctuary, horses are given the time and space they need to rebuild trust and recover from trauma, honoring what Debra calls “the horse’s timetable.”
Before founding Liberty Sanctuary, Debra built a career in marketing and media, working with companies including Warner Records, BMG, Viacom, Sony Music, Mark Burnett Productions, and Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. She has also supported a number of nonprofit initiatives and now focuses her experience and leadership on advancing equine welfare and protecting these iconic animals
Barbara Phillips
Barb Phillips, founder of Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation, has been an animal lover since the beginning. Her passion for horses came later in life when she started spending more time riding and caring for them.
In 2013 Barb caught word of a horrific situation where horses, who were once being cared for, were being left to die due to a land dispute. Barb personally rescued 14 horses from this case and that included Gracie whose situation led to the story of the Horse Thief.
After this life-changing experience, Barb knew she could no longer stand by idly allowing this mistreatment of animals to continue. In 2014 Barb officially created the Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation with the goal of rescuing and rehabilitating neglected, abused and abandoned horses.
Sonya Richins
Sonya Richins is the founder of Wild Heart Sanctuary, the first woman-owned, exclusively mustang rescue sanctuary in Utah. After a successful career as a clinical specialist in neurology and stroke, Sonya’s path changed in 2005 when she witnessed the reality of wild horse roundups and the slaughter pipeline. She went on to raise funds and produce a documentary from 2005 to 2008, exposing the crisis, then rescued her first two mustangs, Wind Walker and Noble Moon, who became the foundation of the Wild Heart Herd.
Sonya ultimately cashed out her life savings to create a volunteer- and donation-supported, plant-based, forever sanctuary where mustangs are never broken or separated and are invited to help humans heal simply by their presence. She is also the creator of Free Choice Equine Connection, a heart-led model of equine partnership that honors each horse’s sovereignty, intuition, and free will. For over 20 years, Sonya has been a devoted advocate for “the wild ones,” developing sanctuary practices that center on ethics, relationships, and long-term holistic herd wellbeing.