Since its inception in late 2005, SAFE has been an organization that has grown and evolved a lot over the years. SAFE’s Board of Directors is a dedicated group of people who volunteer their time and talent to oversee the day-to-day operation of the rescue as well as its long-term vision. As the organization grows, its management team must also grow. We are delighted to introduce the two newest members of the SAFE Board of Directors: Sharman Conner and Kyle Putnam.
Sharman Conner got her start with horses at the tender age of two, thanks to her grandfather, who had Morgans and Quarter Horses when she was growing up. Her grandfather gave Sharman her first horse when she was in grade school, and she rode all through her childhood and teenage years. She took a 20 year break from riding as an adult, until an interest in rescue brought her back to horses and riding. Sharman volunteered for two years for another local rescue organization where she did everything from mucking stalls and grooming horses to training volunteers and assisting with fundraising and event planning. She also learned a great deal about the management and oversight of a rescue, including best practices for running a 501(c)(3) and the laws that govern non-profits in the state of Washington. Sharman has been working at Seattle Children’s Hospital in clinical and behavioral research since the mid-90s. She is currently a Research Manager at Children’s, working with a large team of psychologists, medical doctors, and therapists on studies that focus primarily on children with craniofacial disorders. Sharman has been volunteering with SAFE for the past year and has been assisting with the Volunteer Program in addition to the care and feeding of the SAFE horses. She sponsors Strider and has done a lot of the hands on work needed treating his injuries.
When she was ten years old, Kyle Putnam started cleaning stalls in Peters Creek, Alaska to earn riding lessons on a pony named Sammy. But educational opportunities were limited in Alaska, so as a high school student she began spending summers in Colorado as a working student for dressage trainer and judge, Kristi Wysocki. After college, Kyle moved to Barboursville, VA to be a working student for USDF Gold Medalist and German Reitlehrer Gerd Reuter. Kyle stepped away from riding to attend law school and graduate school, and returned to the industry in 2010 as a Licensed Massage Practitioner with a Large Animal Endorsement. She currently splits her time between her equine massage practice and being a professional groom for USDF Silver Medalist Caryn Bujnowski. Kyle has been volunteering for SAFE off and on since 2008, lending her talents as a rider to many of our horses, providing foster care and training, and participating in many of our special events. Kyle owns an off-track thoroughbred named Reel Popular who she describes as a daily joy in her life.
We welcome Sharman and Kyle to the Board of Directors, and look forward to the contributions that they will be making to SAFE. In the coming months, I’m sure you will be hearing a lot more from both of them!
