HEART Team

Board of Directors

Robin Sweely - President & Director of Operations
An equestrian enthusiast since the age of ten, Robin has been with HEART since 2000. As a competitor, Robin reached the highest tiers of the sport, competing for the United States Equestrian Federation on Nations Cups teams and riding at the Grand Prix level in United States, Europe, and South America. Currently, Robin holds a “r” jumper judging license and trains clients in equestrian sport out of her farm in Madison, Virginia. She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and an avid Tar Heels fan.

Shanette Barth Cohen - Vice President
Shanette, a lifelong rider, has been Executive Director of the Hampton Classic Horse Show since 2005. During Cohen’s tenure at the Hampton Classic, growth has exceeded 80%. She has overseen major capital improvements to the stabling and parking areas as well as a $1M renovation of the Grand Prix arena. Other enhancements shepherded by Cohen include upgrading to a 5*/2* FEI competition, the establishment of the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities Finals, and the addition of Animal Adoption Day, which gives rescued dogs, cats and horses a platform to find their forever home. Prior to joining the Hampton Classic, Cohen operated the company she founded in 1999, Barth Group LLC, a New York based event-marketing firm which served corporations and non-profit organizations by providing event planning and sponsorship marketing services. She previously worked in Washington, DC, as a lobbyist and as a White House assistant in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush. Cohen is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.

Sharon MacDonald - Secretary
Sharon is a third-generation equestrian riding purely for fun. She is the Chief Operating Officer of Oxer Technologies and founder of the Oxer Group. Oxer Technologies, entering its third decade, helps organizations use strategic technology to improve workflows and productivity serving small companies to multinational conglomerates. The Oxer Group specializes in global technology mergers and acquisitions and offers business advice with an emphasis on the process of integration. Sharon splits her time between New York City and Monaco.

Tony Hitchcock - Treasurer
Anthony, a resident of Sagaponack, New York, has a long and storied history with equestrian events. As co-executive director (along with his wife Jean Lindgren) of the Hampton Classic Horse Show (1976-2006), Tony helped develop the show into one of the largest and most prestigious equestrian events in the United States. After passing the reins to Shanette Barth Cohen, Tony continued to work for other esteemed equestrian competitions, including the HITS Horse Show Series (National Marketing Director, Senior Vice President), and the WIHS (Chief Operating Officer). Tony currently serves as pro-bono treasurer for three non-profits, including HEART, the Hayground School (Bridgehampton, NY) and OLA of Eastern Long Island. Prior to working in the equestrian event industry, Tony was a high school teacher focusing on math and science on Long Island and an adjunct assistant college professor at Southampton College.

Debbie Stephens - Board Member
An Illinois native and University of Syracuse graduate with a degree in sociology, Debbie began riding at a young age. She made history in 1982 when she rode “Spindletop Rocky Raccoon” to an outdoor high-jump record, tying with Dennis Murphy at 7’8” in Cincinnati. In the early and mid-1990s, she went on to compete in two Pan American Games (in Havana and Buenos Aires) where she won team bronze at both games. She also coached the Gold Medal show jumping team at the 1995 North American Young Riders’ Championship. Debbie is married to longtime course designer and equestrian professional Steve Stephens, who was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2013.

Jessica Lohman - Board Member
Jessica hails from Poolesville, MD, and has been involved in almost every aspect of the horse show industry. She is a "R" hunter and equitation judge and manages the esteemed Maryland Horse & Pony Show with her husband, Alan. Jessi has worked in livestock, horse and pet nutrition for over 20 years for Cargill Animal Nutrition. When time allows, she enjoys showing her horse, Addison, in the Amateur Owner Hunters. She truly appreciates the value HEART brings to horse show exhibitors across the country.

Joanna Wahl Feffer - Board Member
Joanna is a lifelong rider who has experienced the horse show world as an owner and exhibitor competing in equitation and hunter divisions. After graduating law school, Joanna continued on to receive her masters in international business and trade law and has been practicing for 25 years, specializing in equine law. Joanna serves on the board of another equine non-profit - NYC Mounted Auxiliary - and uses her expertise in both the courtroom and show ring to advocate for her clients.

Mary Helen Shaughnessy - Board Member
Mary Helen is an events and sponsorship specialist who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Washington International Horse Show. Mary Helen has an expertise in sponsor relations, branding activations and event management alongside a strong fundraising and development background. A graduate of NYU, Mary Helen worked for over a decade in New York City’s world of film and television where she created original television treatments, organized network pitche, and managed logistics for sponsor events. Prior to joining WIHS as the Executive Director, Mary Helen worked with the Maryland Film Festival to complete an $18 million capital campaign for the renovation of the historic Parkway Theatre in downtown Baltimore, reopening its doors in 2017 as a state-of-the-art movie theater, unique community space and classroom for Johns Hopkins University and MICA’s film programs.

Reyna Archer - Board Member
Reyna is a lifelong equestrian who has worked at the Hampton Classic Horse Show in marketing and sponsorships for 20 years. She applies her background in equestrian sport and sponsor relations management to both the Washington International Horse Show and the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show series where she serves as a VIP hospitality manager. A graduate of Skidmore College, Reyna lives in East Hampton, New York, where she grew up riding and competing on the local Long Island hunter/jumper circuit.

Catlin Lane - Board Member
Caitlin has worked in the equestrian industry for more than 10 years, focusing on sport and event operations and logistics, including Championship level events and working with National Federations in all disciplines. Experience includes the WIHS, Traverse City Horse Shows, the 2023 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping, Dressage and Vaulting Finals, the 2020 Olympic Games Tokyo, the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018. Caitlin started in the industry riding at her family's Tartan Farm in Poolesville, MD, and competing on the hunter/jumper circuit as a junior and amateur rider. A graduate of Washington & Lee University, Caitlin now resides in Washington, DC.

Carter Iseman - Board Member
Carter is a native of Richmond, VA, and grew up enjoying all of the benefits that Virginia horse country has to offer. Her equine "career" was started at the age of five where she learned to ride at a local lesson barn and then found her spot with a trainer who would take her through the pony and junior ranks and into the adult divisions. When looking for a new challenge to pique her interests, she tried fox hunting for the first time and has not looked back. Carter also sits on the boards of the Deep Run Hunt Club and the Deep Run Horse Show Association to stay involved in the horse show world. Carter's professional career involved 25 years as a training and organizational development professional but she recently retired from this to try something new and went to work for Markel Insurance in the Equine Claims Department. She is now happily employed with a whole brokerage company based out of Boston, MA, where she is focused on selling commercial cyber insurance. In her spare time, she keeps 5 horses fit to show and hunt and has 8 dachshunds that demand all left over time and attention.

Elise Ledsinger - Board Member
Elise is a contract-based consultant in Online Marketing and Fundraising for various nonprofits such as Journey Through Hallowed Ground and the National History Academy. As the former Director of Business Development for Engaging Networks, Elise led sales activities, acquired new clients, discovered opportunities and introduced the platform's tools to nonprofits. Prior to Engaging Networks, Elise was the Director of Online Fundraising Strategy at Grassriots Agency, and was Senior Manager of Online Marketing & Communications at Humane Society International, where she helped to increase online fundraising income by 224% overall, increased the number of online gifts by nearly 400% and increased the number of active monthly donors by 270%. Elise has over a decade of experience in online fundraising, communications and marketing for nonprofits.

Carly Weilminster - Board Member
Carly has worked in equestrian sport for eight years and brings a specialized skill set in communications, marketing, digital strategy and activation expertise. She has most recently worked for US Equestrian as Senior Director of Communications & Public Relations, responsible for overseeing all communications and digital content creation for the organization, including the digital and communications strategy for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games, the 2023 Pan American Games, and the 2022 FEI World Championships. She worked for Equestrian Sport Productions and associated portfolio properties in Wellington, Tryon, and Parker (CO), as well as for the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. She also served as the National Press Officer for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018.

Ambulance Attendants

Erick Nagy - Assistant Director of Operations
Preston Crum
Craig Kellogg
Kevin Nace
David Raisor
JoAnn Bashore
Ashley Deemer
Monique Carlone
Mariah Carlone
Tiffany Matthews

support STAFF

Vandy Lipman - Marketing Director
Amanda Tesvich Brown - Website Designer