AMHA Committees

COMMITTEES

AMHA's governance is highly dependent on our committee structure. The committees serve several important functions:

  • Assist in the on-going review/management of AMHA's operations, as assigned;
  • Provide a grass-roots network to AMHA members, assuring a broad and continuous input from members for decision making purposes; and,
  • Assistance in program content designs to assure that AMHA's programs and services meet the needs of the bulk of our members.

Of the above, the role of a network conduit between our members and the AMHA Board is most critical. It is imperative that member input be the basis of AMHA's Strategic Plan, stating where we want to be in 1-3 years; and what the content and/or philosophy of AMHA’s programs should be.

General Objectives for all Committees:

  • Identify constituent needs/wants that AMHA might address to further increase the "value-added" to members;
  • How can AMHA improve/increase compliance with published rules, regulations, standards, and guidelines while increasing ethical, sportsmanship behavior;
  • Identify data elements that should be collected and maintained in AMHA databases, and how best to collect these data elements;
  • To promote the Morgan horse, AMHA membership, and usage of AMHA's programs and services on a continuous basis;
  • Explore ways that we can better showcase the Morgan horse; 
  • Document why various constituents belong to AMHA;
  • Explore ways that attendance and participation at Morgan events can be increased; and
  • Identify educational needs of the public, and our various constituents, concerning the Morgan horse and AMHA.

Standing Committees

AMHA has standing committees as listed below. These committees are composed of members of the Board of Directors who are appointed by the President at the annual reorganization meeting of the Board following the annual members meeting and election. All standing committee meetings are open to all Board members.

Officers
President:
Steven Handy
Recording Secretary: Carrie Mortensen
Vice President: Sharon Boyce Bender
Vice President of Finance: Ashleigh Wood

Executive Committee
Chair:
Steven Handy
Staff Liaison: Executive Director, Carrie Mortensen
Members: Sharon Boyce Bender, Vice President; Ashleigh Wood, Vice President of Finance; Terri Sturm, Bylaws Chair; Harlan Grunden, Registry Chair; Carrie Mortensen, Recording Secretary
Charter: To function on behalf of the Board of Directors between regularly scheduled Board meetings, and as the Personnel Committee of the Board.

Finance Committee
Chair: Ashleigh Wood
Staff Liaison: Executive Director, Carrie Mortensen
Members: Carol Fletcher,  Michael Foy, James Gruenberg, Steven Handy, Kate Kirsch, C.A. Lee III, Marshall Mougine, Terri Sturm
Charter: To oversee the financial operations of AMHA, including reserve funds and trust funds to achieve long-term strategic economic objectives, to oversee the development of an annual budget with input from the board and the committees, monitor performance in accordance with that budget and make recommendations to the board on matters impacting the short-term and long-term integrity of the Association.

Registry Committee
Chair: Harlan Grunden
Staff Liaison: Registrar, Erica Eulau
Members: Kris Breyer, Shanna Gish, James Gruenberg, Steven Handy, Angela Jenkins, C. A. Lee, III, Iann Fu Longenecker, Glenn T. Werry
Charter: To maintain and ensure the integrity of the AMHA Registry and to make recommendations to the board concerning changes to policy/rules and existing and proposed registrations/applications.

Bylaws Committee
Chair: 
Terri Sturm
Staff Liaison: 
Executive Director, Carrie Mortensen
Members:
Sharon Boyce Bender, Dallas Bolen, Kris Breyer, Carol Fletcher, Steven Handy, Kelly Kraegel
Charter: Responsible for the periodic review of the Bylaws of the Corporation and recommend to the Board of Directors proposed changes as necessary.

Special Working Committees

As described in bylaw 4.18, the Board may elect or appoint one or more committees to assist them with the on-going business of the Association. Special Working Committees are chaired or co-chaired by the members of the Board of Directors or Directors Emeriti. Remaining committee members are non-board members approved by the Board.

Awards Committee
Chair: 
Carol Fletcher
Members: Sharon Boyce Bender, Dallas Bolen, Shanna Gish, Steven Handy, Peggy Hatfield, Kelly McFaul, Christine Nava Moulthrop, Selina Skelton, Ling Fu Wylie (Erica Eulau and Carrie Mortensen, Non-voting staff representatives)
Staff Liaison:  TBD
Charter: To facilitate the nominations from the membership to honor and recognize those that do their all for the Morgan horse. 
 
Convention Committee
Chair: C.A. Lee III
Members: Sharon Boyce Bender, Dallas Bolen, Carol Fletcher, James Gruenberg, Harlan Grunden, Steven Handy, Kelly Kraegel, Jessica Sebring, Terri Sturm, Ashleigh Wood (Carrie Mortensen and Nikki Dumas, non-voting, staff representatives)
Staff Liaison: Erica Eulau
 

Customer Relations, Marketing & Corporate Sponsorship Committee
Chair: C.A. Lee III
Members: Sharon Boyce Bender, Dallas Bolen, Carol Fletcher, Steven Handy, Tami Johnson, Tuffy Owens, Erlene Seybold-Smythe, Savannah Sturm, Ashleigh Wood
Staff Liaison:  TBD
Charter: The Customer Relations, Marketing & Corporate Sponsorship Committee is a committee of the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) that oversees the strategic communications and marketing plan to promote the Morgan breed through AMHA's mission and vision.  The committee provides guidance on the implementation of the marketing and communications plan, which includes:
  • Increasing the overall awareness, breeding and sales of the Morgan horse; 
  • Assisting in the continous development and promotion of the website;
  • Facilitating and promoting partner participation to increase membership value, benefits, and satisfaction;
  • Providing content ideas for partnership wide communications as needed;
  • Promoting activities and accomplishments of AMHA through various media modes; and
  • Identifying opportunities to partner with existing or new public events related to AMHA's mission.
 
Discipline Steering Committee
Chair: Dallas Bolen
Members: Kris Breyer, Steven Handy, Kathy Newcomb, Lucy Ray, Christina Stewart, Amie Taber, Angela Thayer, Jennifer Valentine
Staff Liaison:  Nikki Dumas
Charter: To facilitate awards, communication, education, promotion and support of members who participate with their Morgans in competition events and to develop initiatives that will further the growth and development of all disciplines for Morgans in the open competition arena.  The committee will also work to support all disciplines in Morgan shows, with recommendations and support for AMHA committees involved with Morgan shows.
 
Executive Director Employment Committee (TBD at a later date by the President)
 
Fundraising Committee
Chair:  Ashleigh Wood
Members: Sharon Boyce Bender, Leesa Galatz, Steven Handy, Adam Lagosz, Terri Sturm
Staff Liaisons: Carrie Mortensen and TBD
Charter:  Under development.
 
Magazine Advisory Committee
Chair: Dallas Bolen
Members: Steven Handy, Ashleigh Wood
Staff: Carrie Mortensen, Stephen Kinney, Kim Oplotnik
Charter: To provide advice and support to the staff associates on content and image of AMHA publications, audio and video products, and recommend new products to the Board to meet the needs of AMHA's diverse membership.
 
Museum Committee
Chair: Kris Breyer
Members: Dallas Bolen, Linda Braddon, James Gruenberg, Steven Handy, Rick Lane, C. A. Lee, III, Lin Nelson-Mayson, James McClay, Mari Sanderson, Heather Smith, Ashleigh Wood
Staff Liaison:  Carrie Mortensen
Charter: To educate the public about the Morgan Horse, and to further that purpose by collecting, preserving, and making available for display and study original works of art and historical materials, to encourage historical research relating to the Morgan Breed.
 
Professionals/Judges Committee
Co-Chairs: Cindy Mugnier & Larry Bolen
Members: Jonalyn Gwinup, Steven Handy, Coby Holowacz, Daryl Hopson, Karen Homer-Brown, Terry Jones-Brennan, Tim Roesink
Staff Liaison:  Carrie Mortensen
Charter: Our purpose is to ensure that every Morgan horse is judged against the same criteria regardless of who is judging or in what part of the country a show is held. We also will investigate means to improve the overall horse show experience for owners, trainers, grooms, and spectators.To accomplish these goals, the committee will oversee Judges’ programs, plan the curriculum for Judges Seminars and Judging Schools, and will devise and provide to all horse show judges a standard of perfection against which horse show competitors may be measured and placed. The committee also will provide continuing education of the membership regarding horsemanship, sportsmanship, and showmanship, and will maintain a close working relationship with the United Professional Horsemen’s Association to foster mutually beneficial relationships among all participants in the horse show industry.
 
Shows Committee
Chair: James Gruenberg
Members: Cindy Becker, Dallas Bolen, Richard Boule, Clea Cloutier, Steven Handy, Kelly McFaul, C.A. Lee III, Mari Sanderson
Staff Liaison:  Nikki Dumas
Charter: (Pending) To review and coordinate guidelines and procedures associated with AMHA recognition of horse shows.  To recommend to the Board, Best Practice for operating regional and other horse shows, to review guidelines and procedures associated with the AMHA Star Award program, and to recommend improvements and how shows can build attendance and esprit-de-corps.
 
USEF Morgan Rules Committee
Chair: Kelly McFaul
Members: Larry Bolen, Carol Fletcher, Daryl Hopson, Steven Handy, Adam Lagosz, C.A. Lee III, Mattie Luedeker, Cindy Mugnier, Molly O’Brien, Tim Roesink, Elizabeth Viets-Wallen, Ling Fu Wylie
Staff Liaison: Carrie Mortensen
This committee is appointed by USEF and serves four-year terms.
Charter: To continually review the rules published in the USF Rule Book and utilized as objective measures by show officials in the judging of Morgan horses in all USEF shows; and to oversee the rules review and change process and recommend changes to existing rules to AMHA's Board of Directors and USEF.
 
Youth Advisory Committee
Chair: Jolene Galvin Yerckie
Members: Jennifer Granger, Taylor Gruenberg, Emilia Saint Loup, Steven Handy, June Karbowski, Alexandra Matta, Marcie Palmer-Eaton, Celia Salmon, Andrea Sawyer, Pamela Turman
Staff Liaison: Nikki Dumas
Charter: To develop youth membership recruitment and retention strategies and to evaluate and strengthen youth programming. 
 
Welfare & Rescue: 
Chair: Kelly Kraegel
Members: Kate Kirsch, Terri Sturm, Harlan Grunden, Steven Handy, Colleen Saint Loup, Lori Sargeant
Staff Liaison:  Kathie Morrow
Non-Voting Staff Advisors:  Erica Eulau and Stephen Kinney
Charter: To serve as a resource for rescue organizations and members who identify and assist at-risk Morgans, by gathering and sharing information, promoting and fundraising for the programs related to the welfare of the Morgan horse, and reporting information and/or recommendations to the AMHA Board of Directors as needed. AMHA is unable to participate or assist in the direct rescue of Morgan horses.

 

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees and task groups are formed to accomplish specific tasks, and may be formed or disbanded as deemed appropriate by the AMHA President or board. Members of ad hoc committees may include non-Board members, and are appointed by the President. Current ad hoc committees and the present members of each include:

Promotional & Show Grant Review Committee
Chair: Kris Breyer
Members: Carol Fletcher, Harlan Grunden, Steven Handy, C. A. Lee, III, Terri Sturm
Charter: To review all grants requests and to make recommendations to the BOD for disbursement of funds in response. 

Grievance Committee
Chair: Mari Sanderson
Members:  Elizabeth Burick and Elizabeth Ciccone
Alternates:  Stan Morey and Kelly McFaul

Charter: The AMHA Grievance Committee is a venue for mediating grievances or complaints about the Association, its Board, or any board member in the hope of reaching resolutions acceptable to all concerned.

Mobile App Development Subcommittee

Chair: C. A. Lee, III

Members:  Sharon Boyce-Bender, Kelly McFaul, Steven Handy, and Savannah Sturm.  

Staff Liaison:  TBD

Non-Voting Staff Advisors:  Erica Eulau and Carrie Mortensen