Junior/Young Rider Candidates:
Gracie Seevers
Hi! I am Gracie Seevers and I would be interested in running for the Junior Representative of the NDA. I am 16 years old and a junior in high school. I am a C2 level member of the United States Pony Club and currently ride at the Lincoln Equestrian Center. I would love to be more involved with the NDA and learn more about dressage as well as meet new people who love dressage as much as I do!
Thank you!
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General Board Member Candidates:
Carrie Cross
My name is Carrie Cross and while I am fairly new to NDA I am not all that new to horses or dressage. I began riding at a young age in North-East Texas. I started riding western and as an adult transitioned over to English because it seemed to fit the horse I had at the time. I started taking dressage lessons with two trainers in Indiana. After moving back to Texas I continued my dressage education with two other talented dressage trainers. This year I ventured into the new realm of Western Dressage on my leased Appaloosa Suddenly a Zip – “Louie”.
I have shown and ridden many different breeds as well as disciplines in the horse world, but it all comes back to dressage. Before moving to Nebraska I served on the board of directors for the Tri-States Dressage Association for 2 years. I was active in the dressage community there as well as helping to manage shows. I hope to bring to NDA my knowledge and background from Tri-States so that I can serve the Nebraska Dressage Community and give back as they have welcomed me in the last year.
Jane Fucinaro
Jane graduated from UNL in 2012 with a degree in Equine Science and went straight into the equine industry as a trainer in the sport of dressage, working with all ages, skill sets and disciplines. Jane is now in the advanced training phases of Masterson Method® Integrated Equine Massage. Jane is the Administrative Assistant at The Dressage Foundation, in Lincoln, NE and works with GMOs and dressage enthusiasts across the country. This gives her a great insight on fundraising and grants, but also experience with the inner-workings of many dressage groups. Jane has been the Vice President of Nebraska Dressage Association for two years, and has been a previous board member at large for three years, and a Jr./YR Rep. way back in the day. She is the Horsemasters Liaison for the Cornhusker Pony Club, as well.
"I would be thrilled to serve on the NDA Board for another term and continue the forward momentum we are gaining as a result of our enthusiastic membership and volunteers."
Margo Hamilton
I am an active rider, teacher and student of dressage. In my opinion the sport of dressage contributes strongly to the betterment of horsemanship, both in our local community and nation wide. Together with my husband I co-manage Lincoln Equestrian Center, where I also teach riding lessons to a wide array of students with diverse backgrounds and goals. As a student of the art of dressage for over 30 years, I have a long-term perspective of the development of the sport and our organization over time. NDA does a marvelous job providing educational and competitive opportunities for it’s members and I would like to be a part of sustaining and growing those activities for the membership. As a board member I would strongly support affordable educational opportunities, including unmounted clinics which help develop good horsemanship practices as well as social events to which could grow our dressage community.
Kathy Hanford
I was born and raised in Geneseo, Illinois (mile marker 19 on I-80). I bought my first horse (Penny, a 25-yr-old part mustang mare) in eighth grade with money I earned detasseling corn. I bought my second horse (Banshee, a 3-yr-old arab/quarter horse mare) in 10th grade working as a waitress at a truck stop. Because of my love of horses, I ended up majoring in Animal Science at Montana State University. I had Banshee at MSU my last two years (it cost me a bag of chocolate chip cookies to have her hauled out there) and sold her in 1979 in order to go to graduate school. I met Steve Kachman while studying at the University of Illinois and we’ve been married for 34 years. After moving from Illinois, to Montana, to New York, we finally settled in Nebraska in 1990. In 1996 we bought an acreage by Lake Conestoga, which has become a retirement home for an almost 30-yr-old Arab gelding, Fanfare and an almost 30-yr-old minnie, Lucy and a 10-yr-old minnie mule, Molly. I earned a Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics is 2001 and became a faculty member in the UNL Statistics department in 2004.
After over 25 years without a horse, I bought my grade Paint mare, Peppermint Patty in 2006, when she was 2 and a half. Six months later she surprised us with a beautiful Paint filly, Mirrhi (currently leased by Grace Spaulding). After buying Patty, I went through a couple of disciplines (reining and jumping), several trainers, several barns, a few trips to the emergency room and a couple of surgeries, before deciding to try dressage about six years ago. Alyssa Storey was willing to take me on as a student and has been the little voice in the back of my head (and great friend) that has allowed Patty and me to progress. I became an NDA member my first year of dressage. I have really enjoyed volunteering when I am able, including compiling the scores for the awards for the past few years. I have been a board member for three years. I have been Treasurer for NDA for the past two years, which has given me a whole new perspective in all that the NDA does for the Nebraska Dressage community. If I’m reelected to the board, I will be willing to continue on as Treasurer.
Sundance Miller
Sundance Miller currently works as a civilian for the Nebraska Army National Guard as an Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff/G3/G6 as well as a yoga instructor to veterans.
Sundance was born in Denver, Colorado on March 30, 1980. She moved to Raymond, Nebraska with her grandparents when she was five. She lived on a farm with her grandparents where she received her first horse, December Storm “Stormy”, a white quarter horse yearling with one brown eye and one blue eye. She graduated from Malcolm High School, Malcolm, NE in May of 1997, from AMU with a BS in Accounting in September of 2000, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering in December 2007, & from 300RYT Yoga School at Lincoln Yoga Center in May of 2013. She has many certificates from numerous courses spanning computer programs, travel, safety, aviation, yoga, veteran therapy, PTSD counseling, & massage therapy and is currently finishing her MS in Kinesiology.
After receiving her high school diploma, Sundance joined the Nebraska Army National Guard. Throughout Sundance’s 15 year military career, she was trained as a Helicopter Electrician, Avionics Technician, Aircraft Mechanic, Medic, and Program Manager & Budget Analyst for Nebraska Aviation while holding a top secret security clearance, FCC license and AP License. She supported the training, maintenance, flying and missions of 9 UH-60 Blackhawks, 7 CH-47 Chinooks, 6 OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, 4 LUH-72 Lakota & one C-12 Private Plane with an annual budget of $3.8M. She opened doors as the First Female Full Time Mechanic, First Female Technical Inspector & First Female Aviation Budget Analyst/Program Manager in Nebraska. Sundance accomplished many small tours as well as a nineteen month deployment to Iraq where she served as the only Female Technical Inspector. She accomplished many missions that awarded her the Army Distinguished Service Medal and an Army Commendation Medal for leading and safely executing 7 Downed Aircraft Recovery Missions in Iraq.
In November 2013, Sundance was medically retired from the Army and pursued a civilian career working as the assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Nebraska. She has also completed Yoga school, Counseling Certifications & massage therapy courses to assist with returning veterans and their PTSD. Sundance has been in her current position as Deputy Chief of Staff’s Assistant for three and a half years. She is responsible for traveling, scheduling, staff meetings, memorandums, documentation, budgeting and staff pay/leave for the Deputy Chief of Staff and all personnel in the G3 and G6 directorate (currently 53 employees.)
Sundance has a fifteen year old daughter, Porshe, who is an avid equestrian competing in many disciplines as well as a High School Cheerleader, marathon runner, enrolled in the IB Program, and a volunteer at WindSong Equitherapy. Porshe has participated in several NDA shows and NDA educational events, and Porshe and Sundance have volunteered together for NDA throughout the year.
Sundance has extensive experience in leadership, women empowerment, budgeting and fiscal responsibility as well as life learning virtues of compassion, kindness, empathy, love and patience. Sundance can provide many letters of recommendation from co-workers, supervisors and trainers both past and present, as well as a resume & copy of Top Secret Security Clearance.
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