Board of Directors
Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program is a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 2013. Our Board of Directors volunteer their time acting as advisors and advocates, providing sound governance ensuring that the mission of Savannah Station TRP is carried out with the utmost transparency and proper allocation of funds. Our board’s wide variety of experience in business, education and finance assists us in securing contributions and support on behalf of the organization. This support allows us to continue to serve our large service area with the highest standards well into the future.
|
|
|
Joy Turner
Chairman | Advocate General, State of Oklahoma, Office of Juvenile Affairs Joy is the youngest of three children. Her older sister was born with developmental disabilities and passed away when she was just ten years old. This impacted Joy’s life and instilled in her a heart for individuals with disabilities at an early age. That heart for individuals with disabilities carried over into her professional life as a lawyer many years later. Joy’s father was an avid horse lover and ingrained her a love of horses at a very young age. She and her father bred and raised a foal together when she was in her early teen years. Joy understands first-hand the therapeutic impact horses can have on a person. God and her family, along with the horse she and her father raised, helped her cope when her father passed unexpectedly when she was thirteen.
Joy is a lawyer and currently serves as the Advocate General for Oklahoma's Office of Juvenile Affairs. In this role, she is the chief advocate for all youth in the custody of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Prior to that, she served 25 years as an attorney with Oklahoma’s federally funded Protection and Advocacy System (P&A) for individuals with disabilities. Joy has represented both adults and children with disabilities before State, Federal, and Administrative Agencies and Courts. Through her zealous advocacy, Joy has successfully handled disability discrimination cases, special education cases, and has obtained necessary medical devices and services from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). God intertwined Joy’s love of horses and heart for serving individuals with disabilities when she and her husband, Dale, began volunteering with Savannah Station in January 2022. Joy and her husband live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
Keely Mallory
Vice Chairman | Business Development Sales Manager, Resource Innovations Keely is a wife, mom, and firm believer that life is best lived a little outdoors (and a little on horseback). She’s been married to her husband, Joe, for 12 years and together they’re raising their two kids, Rhett and Emma—who keep life busy, loud, and full of fun.
By day, Keely has spent the past 10 years working in the energy efficiency world, helping businesses find smarter ways to save energy and money. She is passionate about making a meaningful impact through her work while building strong relationships across the communities she serves. Outside of work is where you’ll really find her in her element. For the past six years, she’s been part of the Savannah Station community, rarely missing the opportunity to watch her son, Rhett, ride on Wednesday nights. She’s also a founding member of the “Mom Rail”—a group rooted in connection, encouragement, and a shared love of their children. Whether it’s around the dinner table, at the barn, or out with her community, Keely is all about making meaningful memories, slowing down when it matters, and soaking up the moments that count most. Keely and her family live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
Susie Munday
Secretary | Sr. Principal Project Management, Northrop Grumman, Corp. "I am blessed as a volunteer of Savannah Station." Susie grew up around Oklahoma City and graduated from Putnam City schools. From there she went to Central State University and graduated with a BA in Education, social studies and an instrumental music minor. She has a Master’s Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University and worked for Governair, an HVAC manufacturing plant as a buyer. Then she went to work at Northrop Grumman, and has been with them for 21 years. She started as a buyer and now her role is in project management. Susie has two grown children, a daughter and a son, four granddaughters and a grandson. She has been an active volunteer with Therapy Dog International for 27 years, training eight therapy dogs. "What I have learned from my therapy work is that the animals are the real stars of the show. They just need us to give them a ride or groom them and they do the rest as only animals and God can do." Luke 12:48b “To whom much is given, from him much is required.” I have been given so much!!
|
Lynn Blankenship
Member | Retired Financial/Nonprofit Leader Lynn brings more than four decades of financial leadership to the Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program board. A volunteer with Savannah Station since 2021, Lynn has witnessed firsthand the impact the program has on its riders and their families, and she is honored to support its mission through board service.
Lynn's career in banking began in 1980 and spanned nearly thirty years, during which she rose to the level of senior vice president. Over the course of her banking career, she managed commercial loan portfolios, designed and built executive and private banking divisions, and oversaw budgets, lending, and financial analysis at every level. She later brought that financial discipline to the nonprofit sector, serving as CEO and Executive Director of Cooperative Christian Ministries & Clinic in Hot Springs, Arkansas, a nonprofit dedicated to providing healthcare and wraparound services to underserved, uninsured members of the community. There she managed the operating budget, led the organization through a major mission expansion, oversaw three annual fundraising events, and expanded legacy giving — work that earned her recognition as Arkansas Business Non-Profit Executive of the Year in 2019. She subsequently served as Interim CEO of Good Shepherd Clinic in Oklahoma City — a clinic devoted to that same mission — guiding the 50-year-old organization through a successful merger. With a career rooted in both banking and nonprofit leadership, Lynn offers Savannah Station deep expertise in budgeting, financial reporting, strategic planning, fundraising, and grant writing. She is committed to supporting the program in any way she can and to ensuring its sustainability for years to come. Now retired, Lynn lives locally with her husband, David. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother to two, and she is delighted that her board service keeps her close to a cause and a community she holds dear. |
Sam Craven
Governance Chairman | Retired Rancher Sam is formally from Yukon and now lives with his wife, Nikki, on their ranch in Cogar. After recently retiring with 40 years of Federal government service, Sam is a full-time rancher. He and Nikki have a cow/calf operation, along with cattle dogs, chickens, ducks and horses. Sam and Nikki have five grandsons and one granddaughter, all of whom live in Oklahoma. Sam has several college degrees but the one he is most proud of is his degree in Child Development. While Sam attended Oklahoma State University, he worked as a pre-school teacher. He has been a class volunteer for many years at Savannah Station and was a class volunteer and mentor in the Alternative School Program at Sunset, the forerunner of our program. Sam’s volunteer experiences include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Center of Family Love, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, and being a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in the Canadian County Court System. Sam’s life philosophy stems from the children’s book, “Tuck Everlasting”, i.e., “Don’t be afraid of death, be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever; you just have to live.”
|
Bryant Alvarez
Member | Loan Officer, BancFirst Bryant Alvarez is a BancFirst Lender with a deep heart to serve people in their financial needs. He was born in Las Cruces, NM but was raised in a small town called Goodwell, Oklahoma. After graduating from Oklahoma Panhandle State University with a degree in Business Administration, Bryant pursued the career he first dreamed of at a young age of 12 when he opened his first bank account. Bryant believes in giving back to the community. He proudly serves on the boards of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce and Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program, viewing these roles as a vital part of God’s purpose and plan for his life. Beyond his professional life, Bryant is a devoted family man. He has spent the last 13 years building a life with his wife Nora, and their two beautiful children, Mateo and Gianna. They are a family of adventure and travel. When they are not at home, they can be seen at soccer/basketball games, Yukon BMX Raceway or even planning their next family vacation. On the weekends, Bryant and Mateo are part of the parking lot team at Faith Church in Oklahoma City, where they provide a VIP golf ride experience to all Saturday attendees. Don’t believe? Go see for yourself! Deuteronomy 6:5- Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
|
Athena Captain
Member | Founder/ CEO Athena Captain Coaching Athena Captain is an executive coach, keynote speaker, published author, and podcast host dedicated to helping leaders turn clarity into action. With over three decades of experience in sales leadership and business development, Athena now channels that expertise into transforming the way CEOs, founders, and leadership teams think, execute, and grow.
Through her coaching and consulting practice, Athena works with high-achievers who are ready to bridge the gap between where they are and where they know they should be building systems, alignment, and sustainable momentum that sticks well beyond any single session. As the host of two podcasts, Roadmap, and That Sh*t Doesn't Define You: Stories of Hope, Athena brings raw, practical wisdom to audiences navigating both business and life's hardest seasons. Her voice as a speaker and author carries the same conviction: you are not defined by your circumstances, and your next chapter is closer than you think. Athena's impact has been recognized with honors including Prosperity Bank's Women of the Year Finalist (2014) and a spot on the Top 50 Women Making a Difference list (2020). Rooted deeply in community, Athena is a Co-Founder of the Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program, established in honor of her daughter Savannah. Former Board member for the Oklahoma Family Network and The ARC of Oklahoma. She is based in Edmond, OK. |
Justin Kuester
Member |Senior Director Platform Operations, Life Church/You Version Justin Kuester is a Technology and Organizational Leader and Senior Director of Engineering Talent at YouVersion, where he leads leadership development, onboarding, and talent strategy for a global engineering organization. With more than 25 years of experience, he has built and scaled high-performing teams, led complex organizational transformations, and driven execution in environments where clarity, speed, and results matter.
He has held executive roles including CIO, COO, and Vice President of Software Applications, with experience across government, financial services, retail, and nonprofit organizations. Justin is known for developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and bringing focus and momentum to the work that matters most. Justin has a long-standing commitment to service, previously serving on the Board of Directors for Cure SMA, where he supported organizational growth and transformation. His passion for leadership, combined with his love for animals and heart for helping others, aligns closely with the mission of Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program. He is honored to serve on the Board and support an organization that brings healing, confidence, and hope through equine-assisted services. Justin lives in Oklahoma with his wife, Shannon, and their family. |
Cody McPherson
Member l Director of Business and Industry Services, Western Technology Center Cody McPherson is most proud of his title as Clem’s dad. As the father of a Savannah Station student, he has seen firsthand the incredible impact therapeutic horseback riding can have on children and families. Savannah Station holds a special place in his heart because of the difference it has made in his own family’s life, and that personal connection has given him a deep appreciation for the confidence, growth, and joy the program helps create.
Cody serves as the Director of Business and Industry Services and Campus Director for the Weatherford, Elk City, and Hobart campuses at Western Technology Center. He has worked in CareerTech education for over 16 years as both a teacher and an educational administrator. He holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration, is currently pursuing his doctorate in Educational Administration, and is also a certified special education teacher. His background in education has given him a strong passion for helping students with different needs grow, succeed, and reach their full potential. In addition to his work in education, Cody is the owner of McPherson Solutions, which he founded in 2009. Through that work, he provides training and consulting in safety and leadership, along with fundraising consulting and charity auction services. His professional experience has allowed him to work with businesses, schools, nonprofits, and community organizations in ways that help strengthen leadership, build partnerships, and support meaningful causes. Cody has also served for more than 10 years as a volunteer firefighter, EMS provider, and in emergency management. Service has always been an important part of his life, and he cares deeply about helping others and giving back to his community. As a board member, Cody is proud to support Savannah Station and the life-changing work it does for riders and families. |
David Stone
Member | Retired Chief Operating Officer, Ward Energy Companies. Owner Trout Creek Resources LLC and WEP Royalty Holdings, LLC Dave and his wife Patricia have been involved with Savannah Station since 2013 as active Volunteers. Dave grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Oklahoma in 1980 and was employed in the Energy Business for over 40 years as a Geologist/Executive for Marathon Oil and Ward Energy Companies. Dave is involved in several charitable activities and programs in Oklahoma and Wisconsin including serving on the Board of Directors of the University of Wisconsin – River Falls Foundation to Chairman of the Administrative Council of the Mustang United Methodist Church. Dave and his wife Patricia have 3 Children and 6 Grandchildren. Dave lives in Yukon, Oklahoma.
|
