Board of Directors
We are pleased to introduce ourselves as the Board of Directors for the Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy. We are committed to honoring this program and helping Great Plains thrive.
Thank you for believing and investing your time and energy into this program. We are looking forward to serving you all for this great cause. If you see us around the barn, please feel free to say hi, ask questions, and share any concerns and comments you have. Our goal is to make the Great Plains the best program it can be to serve our amazing community!
Laurie, James, Steve, Christine, Katelyn, and Lisa
Board Members
President
Laurie Mosier
Horses have always been an important influence in my life. After discovering Great Plains, I feel like I get to experience tiny miracles all the time. There is truly nothing better than to watch the riders develop and grow while laughing and smiling. At the barn, the outside world just melts away. There is no place quite like this.
Vice President
James Zeeb
After retiring with 26 years as a career firefighter, I still feel a need to serve the community I live in. My wife Angie and I have lived in the Piper Community of Kansas City, Kansas for over 27 years. All 4 of our children graduated from Piper High School, so our sense of community is deeply rooted in the Piper area. After attending a fundraising event in 2021, I had the desire to do more for this organization. I look forward to serving the riders, families and staff of the Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy as a member of the board.
Treasurer
Steve Swanson
Since retiring from a career in accounting, I have been focused on community service. As a volunteer for 2 1/2 years, I have seen the positive impact that Great Plains has made. I am committed to enhancing the experience for our riders and their families as a member of the board.
Secretary
Christine Hamilton
I’ve volunteered with Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy since 2018 and love working with both the riders and horses. Originally from North Carolina, I grew up riding horses and am so grateful for the support from the community to ensure that riders have access to the beneficial services offered by GPARA. I currently work at the University of Saint Mary and live in Overland Park, KS with my husband and cat, Kramer.
Member
Katelyn Kok
Katelyn is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist, L Grad with Distinction and FEI rider/coach. She has worked with and trained under some of the USA’s most respected trainers including Pam Goodrich and Lendon Gray as well as Europe’s most respected including Johann Hinnemann. She has spent several years in Germany riding and learning the art of Dressage from a Master Trainer. She has kept the pursuit of education close to her heart and knows to be successful in this sport you must continuously seek knowledge and be a lifelong student as well as a kind and attentive caregiver of horses.
Katelyn has many successes under her belt already; among several USDF Regional Championships, she was the anchor rider in 2011 for Region 8 at the North American Junior Young Rider Championships and helped her team win the bronze medal and also was fifth individual. In 2013 she returned to the North American Junior Young Rider Championships and the Festival of Champions. Katelyn ended that year as one of the top 12 Young Riders in the country with a horse she brought to Prix Saint George herself under the tutelage of Pam Goodrich and Lendon Grey. In recent years Katelyn has earned her USDF Gold Medal, L Grad with Distinction, competed several horses at the US Dressage Finals as well as the Markel Young Horse Dressage Championships and helped her students achieve many goals in their riding!
In Germany Katelyn was the second rider for a successful international Grand Prix Rider and mentored under a Master Bereiter. She rode everything from stallions to Grand Prix horses to youngsters just getting their start in Dressage. She gained valuable experience by training sales projects and working with misbehaving horses. The experience she gained in Europe riding high quality horses and through learning Germany’s training system gives Katelyn an advantage and a unique approach in training her clients and horses in the USA.
Member
Lisa Fielder
Bio coming soon
Member
Anthony Kratke
Anthony started his GPARA volunteering journey in February 2024. He grew up as a country boy in Northeast Nebraska where some of his earliest memories revolve around horses and enjoying the outdoors. Anthony discovered at an early age that volunteering and community involvement is at his core and has carried on through the years. Upon discovering Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy, he knew he wanted to be part of this organization.
“I am consistently impressed with the folks that I meet in the barn. I have great respect for the fellow volunteers and the riders inspire me time and again. As a member of the board, I will help ensure that the barn remains a safe and welcome place for all as we reach our goals.”