Our Board Members

Joshua Sears, JD | Chair

Josh was elected to the Board of Directors in January 2009, elected Chair of the Board in February 2010, and reelected Chair of the Board in January 2011. Josh is employed by Ameriben/IEC Group as Corporate Counsel, and previously was a partner in the Meridian law firm of Foley Freeman PLLC, which he joined in 2005 after a year as law clerk for Hon. Juneal Kerrick in Idaho's Third Judicial District.

Rachel was elected to the Board of Directors in May 2010 after joining Ride for Joy as a volunteer in early 2010 to co-chair the “Pony Up for Joy” spring fundraising campaign. Rachel is Director of Marketing for Gem State Radiology, Intermountain Medical Imaging and Advanced Vein Therapy. Rachel also serves on the board of the national Radiology Business Managers Association (RBMA) and has worked as a Marketing Chair and Program Committee member of RBMA for the past three years. Rachel has a BS in Health Information Management.

Dr. David Hayes was elected to the Board of Directors in January 2011. He brings a wealth of expertise in the equine world to Ride for Joy's board, with over 30 years of experience as a veterinarian, farrier, and breeder and trainer of American Quarter Horse Association performance and barrel horses. Dr. Hayes received a BS in Farm Management from Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo, a BS in Veterinary Science from UC Davis, and a DVM from UC Davis.

Dana was elected to the Board of Directors in July 2009, after seeking out an opportunity with a program that enabled her to reconnect to her roots - growing up on a cattle ranch in Montana.  She brings 10 years of experience in the areas of accounting, finance, auditing and IT consulting.  After 5 years at KPMG, Dana transitioned into the software industry by joining Balihoo as a Program Manager, a position which she currently holds.  Dana received a BA in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Boise State University.

Shelly Williams was elected to the Board of Directors in April 2011. As a youth, she rode for over 10 years as a member of the Eh-Capa bareback riders, serving on advanced teams and holding several offices within the Eh-Capa youth leadership. She was the 1998 Miss Rodeo Idaho and 1999 Miss Rodeo America and has served on the Miss Rodeo America Board of Directors in the positions of president, vice president, communications team member and clinician. She is currently employed as Director of Marketing for Knitting Factory Entertainment and brings a wealth of career experience in marketing, communication and event planning to Ride for Joy’s board. She also remains very active in horse activities through the National Barrel Horse Association as both a competitor and organizer of nearly 20 local barrel racing events each season. Shelly received a BA in Communication from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.

Heather was elected to the Board of Directors in May 2010 after joining Ride for Joy as a volunteer in early 2010 to co-chair the “Pony Up for Joy” spring fundraising campaign. Heather brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and special event planning to Ride for Joy’s board, with previous experience as Manager of Donor Relations and Major Events and Interim Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Heather also owns a small business called Petals and Company, designing custom flowers for events and special occasions. Heather has a BA from the University of Utah, Department of Recreation & Leisure, with an emphasis in Commercial Marketing.

Mark Mosher | Treasurer and Secretary

Mark is currently employed by Wilson, Harris & Company, a public accounting firm in Boise. He joined Ride for Joy as Treasurer in July 2009.

Valerie is employed as Ride for Joy’s Executive Director and serves as the chief executive officer. She has a BA in English and an MBA, and an extensive background in healthcare marketing and administration. Valerie has been involved with the program in some capacity since 2006.