We
are very blessed at Morning Dove to have an amazing staff. We
have assembled a group of instructors and therapists that bring a
wealth of knowledge to our program. Each is unique and
specialized in his or her own way. We believe that
everyone has something to offer and continue to nurture and develop the
individual talents of our staff. We currently have 5 NARHA
registered instructors on staff and usually have an apprentice or two
studying to become an instructor. Our staff is very dedicated to
providing the highest standards and staying involved with the newest
research in their fields. We all wear a lot of hats and help out
when necessary. If you are interested in joining our apprentice
program or finding out more information please contact us.
Lisa John
Executive Director
Lisa
joins Morning Dove as the new Executive Director. Her previous
work with the Boone County Community Foundation and other local
agencies makes her a perfect fit to help bring Morning Dove into the
next chapter. We welcome her and look forward to moving forward
under her leadership!
Blair McKissock CTRS, MSEd
Program Director
Blair
McKissock has 10+ years working in the field of Animal Assisted
Therapy. She has been a NARHA registered instructor since 1998
but has worked
with horses for over 15 years. She is a Recreational Therapist with
specialties in experiential and adventure education as well as
curriculum development and animal assisted therapy. Blair has had
the opportunity to work with many different animals in therapeutic
settings including dolphins and wildlife but horses kept her here. She
earned her Masters degree from Purdue University in Education with an
emphasis on animal assisted learning. While at Purdue she helped
create a certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy for interdisciplinary
students. She has gone on to consult and write curriculum for the
Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 4-H, Black Stallion Literacy
project, Encouragym and now for Morning Dove. She has presented
her work at several national conferences including two national
NARHA conferences. Currently she is the Program Development Coordinator
for Morning
Dove and also works as a wellness/life coach. Recently she began
working on the EAGALA Level one certification. She brings
creativity and
passion to the Morning Dove staff!
Corinna Wagner
Barn Manager
Corinna
joins the Morning Dove staff as the new Barn Manager. She brings
a wealth of horse and leadership experience to care for our herd.
Lisa Caroll
Volunteer Coordinator
Lisa
Caroll comes to Morning Dove from the great state of Minnesota.
She brings a divers background and wonderful experience to our
staff.
Sue Pitts
Instructor/ Horse Handler
Sue
is a newly certified riding instructor(August 2006). Four years ago,
she felt the need to touch other lives as hers had been touched.
She has a visual disability that has allowed her to understand some of
the challenges people with disabilities face. As a child she was
lucky enough to have access to horses. As an adult, she has just
come back to them in these last four years. During that time
she has heard a child speak his first word; seen an adult regain
mobility lost to disease and watched developmentally disabled students
gain confidence and skills while working with horses. She is
currently working towards her driving certification for students
with disabilities who for whatever reason cannot ride a horse.
Susan McDowell
Instructor/ Autism Specialist
Susan
is an Independent Autism/Developmental Disabilities Consultant with a
rich background in education. She received her B.A. degree in
Spanish from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and her
M.S. in Education, with a minor in Reading, from Butler University,
Indianapolis, Indiana. She has certification in Special Education
from Butler University, and holds Indiana Teacher Licenses in the areas
of Learning Disabilities, Seriously Emotionally Handicapped, Spanish
and Reading. Susan has worked with families and schools as an
Independent Autism/Developmental Disabilities Consultant for over 10
years. She specializes in positive behavioral and educational
supports. She has presented numerous autism workshops, including
at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Butler
University and recently presented a Webinar on autism at the invitation
of Kappa Delta Pi. Susan has worked as the autism specialist for
Opportunities for Positive Growth and a behavioral consultant at the
former Camp Awareness. She also has been a supervisor of Special
Education student teachers at Butler University. Susan has had
articles published relating to autism, most of which have focused on
her now young adult daughter, Liesl, who is high functioning with
autism. She has ridden for over 15 years. Her equine
experiences include dressage, eventing and fox hunting. Susan
loves to teach, and becoming a therapeutic riding instructor seemed a
natural match of her love of horses and her professional background in
the area of special education. Susan teaches with unbridled
enthusiasm! She has been a NARHA Certified Registered Instructor
since 2005.
