Meet Our Board
Jean Ellen Zavertnik
Board Member
Simulation Director/
Lecturer Clemson University
Jean Ellen has been a registered nurse since 1979. She is an advanced practice registered nurse, has a doctorate in nursing and is currently a full time faculty member at the Clemson University’s School of Nursing. She has been a leader in her church and active in the community. She volunteers with the Student Nurses Association, Family Promise of Pickens County and many other organizations. For several years, Jean has raised puppies, trained dogs and participated in fund-raising activities for Canine Companions for Independence, an organization providing service dogs to those in need.
Jennifer Cartledge
Board Member
President, Adva- Tec, Inc.
Jennifer is an executive with over 20 years of product development, and Regulatory Affairs experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining ADVA-Tec, she co-invented a novel technology deployed in the oncology market. She obtained her Masters of Science degree in Bioengineering from Clemson University and maintains an appointment on the Clemson Bioengineering External Advisory Board. Following her daughter’s love of horses, the Cartledge family adopted a cherished rescue horse and became volunteers for Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center.
Debbie Maupin
Board Member
Fundraising Committee Chair
Debbie is a career executive with over 30 years of management experience and an extensive background in operations, business development, and revenue generation. As President of an international company, she spent 20 years building service teams and developing client relationships. Prior to that, Debbie started up and built her own company which is still in business today. As a woman business owner, Debbie was the recipient of the Small Business of the Year Award, and she won the Leadership Award for Women in Business presented by the Association of University Women. Debbie has her MBA degree and is an accredited Paralegal in corporate and real estate law. She has served on several Boards including the Economic Development Council of Manatee and Sarasota Counties, and Altrusa International. Retirement brought Debbie to SC, where she decided to volunteer with service organizations providing help to those in need. With her love of horses and children, Wild Hearts was a perfect fit for Debbie. She also serves as a Guardian ad Litem helping children in the foster Care system.
Mike Ledford
Facilities Committee Chair
Duke Energy
Mike is essential to operations at Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center. To date, he has been responsible for all facilities planning and construction projects at the Center. Mike is currently an assistant outage manager at Oconee Nuclear Station where he has worked since 2008. Prior to his time at Oconee Nuclear, he owned a construction company and managed several large scale building projects while leading construction teams to meet aggressive deadlines. He earned an Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Electrical Engineering from Tri-County Technical College that same year. Mike holds numerous industry certifications including Protective Relaying, Maintenance and Calibration, and EPRI Procurement Engineering. He enjoys spending his spare time with Jessica and their three sons.
Tanya Fry
Advisor & Volunteer
Licensed Massage Therapist
Tanya served in the United States Navy for four years and then served in the Naval Reserves while attending Nursing school where she earned her LPN. She practiced as a nurse for 28 years during which time she obtained her license in neuromuscular therapy. She currently practices as a Licensed Massage Therapist in Seneca SC. She and Steve were married in 1980 in Dundee Scotland where their daughter Jessica was born followed by their son, Dustin in Hawaii. Together they have given her and Steve four grandsons. Tanya likes to devote most of her spare time to educating herself on spiritual healing practices.
Steve Fry
Advisor & Volunteer
CEO, Keystone Technologies, LLC
Steve has over 38 years of experience in national security and information technology projects. For 22 years, he served the United States Navy as a Master Chief Cryptologic Technician where he performed intelligence collection and analysis operations in support of strategic and tactical objectives onboard ships, aircraft and land-based facilities. While on duty with the Navy, he earned a degree in business administration from Excelsior College. After retiring from the Navy, Steve continued to support the Navy as a government contractor with Space and Naval Warfare Atlantic. In 2002, Steve was assigned as the project manager for the Coast Guard’s National Distress and Response System Modernization Project. In 2010, he served as program manager for the Tactical SATCOM systems integration team supporting Special Operations Command. He is an active member in the Charleston Defense Contractor’s Association (CDCA) and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). He and his wife Tanya have been married 34 years, have two children and four grandsons. Most of their free time is dedicated to family activities and supporting Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center.
Jan Bridwell Walker
Advisor
Professor, Anderson University
Jan Bridwell Walker grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. Jan worked as a graphic designer at WATE-TV6 in Knoxville, Tennessee before earning a Master of Arts degree in Art History with an emphasis in Aesthetic Philosophy from East Tennessee State University in 2004. Jan served as Assistant Professor of Art and Department Chairperson at Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. She currently teaches Art History at Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. Jan is also an eating disorder survivor and advocate, and is a volunteer speaker of the National Eating Disorder Awareness organization. She is a member of NewSpring Church, and an avid hiker, runner and visual artist.
Alexandra Tracey, DVM
Advisor & Veterinarian
Owner, Palmetto Equine
Veterinary Services
Dr. Alexandra Tracey, one of only two practicing board certified large animal surgeons (DACVS-LA) in South Carolina, has been dedicated to horses since her first riding lesson many years ago. She has competed in eventing, dressage, western pleasure, barrel racing, and even polo over her years. Veterinary medicine and surgery are more than a job or a career for Dr. Tracey…they are a calling and she commits her life to the complete care and health of her patients. After graduating from veterinary school at Kansas State University in 2008, Dr. Tracey spent a year as an intern at the top equine hospital in the world, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Following her time in Kentucky, Dr. Tracey moved to Iowa to complete a residency in Equine Surgery. After three years of residency and one year as the emergency surgeon for Iowa State University, Dr. Tracey moved south to enjoy warmer weather and rejoin the horse communities of her youth.
Cindy Sullivan
Advisor
Owner, Tribe Equus
Cindy “Hawk” Sullivan is a professional hoof and horse rehabilitation practitioner, clinician and instructor who has been involved in the modern “barefoot” movement since 1998. She is the owner of the web site www.TribeEquus.com; Co-Founder, Senior Instructor, Director of Academic Affairs of the Equine Sciences Academy www.equinesciencesacademy.com; Board of Directors and Operations Manager of Whisper Ranch Equine Rescue www.WhisperRanch.org