Jill grew up in Virginia horse country and relocated to the Memphis area in late 2014. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Tech, and was previously employed as the Executive Director of EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program in Virginia Beach. She was the founding Executive Director of the We Promise Foundation, and served on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern Virginia, as well as the Virginia State Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Jill is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, and has been actively involved in the nonprofit industry since 1996.
 

Jill is married to Doug, and they have two boys, Jack and John. She continues to ride and enjoys spending time with her thoroughbreds, Rhett and Bender.

Sara is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She studied Business Administration and Economics at Central Piedmont Community College and has been an avid equestrian for more than two decades in a multitude of disciplines, including riding, showing and training. She is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, mentor and is certified as a PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.

Sara enjoys spending time with her son, Ellison, and daughter, Charlotte.

Lizzie was born and raised in Germantown, TN, and moved to the Nashville area in the fall of 2018 after graduating from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing Management. While in Nashville, Lizzie pursued her passion for marketing by gaining experience in the healthcare and IT industries before moving back closer to home. Lizzie has loved horses from a very young age, and has experience volunteering for numerous organizations benefitting individuals with disabilities. 

Outside of work, Lizzie enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and walking her dog, Millie. 

Meredith grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and she moved to Memphis in 1987 to attend Christian Brothers University where she graduated with a degree in Telecommunications and Marketing. She worked at Baptist Memorial Health Care for 11 years as a sales representative in their managed care department before becoming a stay at home mom to her 2 boys. 

Meredith started riding horses with her parents when she was 2. She began volunteering at Southern Reins in 2019 and enjoys being with our participants, horses and wonderful volunteers.

 

Meredith lives in Collierville with her husband Joe and two boys, Parker and Carson.

Maddy was born and raised in Collierville, TN, and resides in Arlington, TN. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Memphis in 2022. Maddy grew up with horses and began riding when she was four years old. When she was 11 years old, she got her first barrel horse named Zippy. She has a diverse riding background and has ridden hunter/jumpers as well as learning dressage basics, but her true passion is barrel racing. After graduating college, Maddy purchased her paint mare, Zara, and enjoys training and competing with her.

 

Maddy joined Southern Reins as a volunteer in 2022. She gained her PATH Intl. CTRI Instructor certification in August of 2024. In addition to spending time with her horse, Maddy spends her time away from the farm enjoying walks with her mini daschund Smokey, running, and listening to her favorite band, The Beatles. 

Rebekah grew up in Southaven, Mississippi, and now resides in Collierville, Tennessee. She attended the University of Memphis, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish, followed by a Master of Arts in English. Her professional background is as diverse as her interests, encompassing roles as an entrepreneur, copywriter, and youth mentor. Known affectionately as “the horse girl” during her school years, Rebekah’s love for horses has been a lifelong passion. At age 12, her parents surprised her with an Appaloosa and a western saddle, sparking a journey that continues to this day. Currently, Rebekah rides hunter/jumper and enjoys doting on her lease horse, Mika.

 

Rebekah’s passion for horses and talent for teaching converged when she started volunteering at Southern Reins. She began pursuing her PATH Intl. CTRI Certification in 2024 and joined the program as an Instructor in Training in January 2025. Rebekah is married to Matthew and has two daughters, Pippa and Daisy.

Diane was born and raised outside of Memphis in Germantown, TN. She attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville where she received a degree in Recreation and Sport Management with a Therapeutic Concentration with a Minor in Psychology. Diane became a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist and has focused on working with adults with various disabilities. Moving back to Memphis, Diane began working as a Recreation Therapist with SRVS serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She began volunteering at Southern Reins where she saw a whole new side of therapeutic activities, and became a PATH Intl. CTRI Instructor in August of 2018. 

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Diane is married to Reed and they have a son named Logan. 

Virginia was born and raised in Kingsport, TN. After moving to Memphis for undergraduate studies at the University of Memphis she attended the University of Tennessee Health Science Center where she received a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2009. Since graduating summa cum laude, she has worked in several settings including adult acute care, community-based mental health, home health, and inpatient pediatrics. She, her husband, and their seven children live on their family farm, Maranatha Farms.

 

Virginia provides occupational therapy services at Southern Reins utilizing equine movement as an effective treatment tool to improve function in daily skills. She has received specialized training through the American Hippotherapy Association and is a PATH Intl. Registered Therapist. She received her AHCB certification in October of 2022.

From New Orleans and raised in Memphis, Alicia credits the horse for many life lessons learned. Alicia spent several years at Shelby Farms Stables where she led rides through the wooded trails and helped develop summer camp programs for children to learn the basics of horsemanship and share in the fun of riding. She enjoyed caring for the entire herd of horses at Shelby Farms, as well as for the four resident horses at Graceland, and found it inspiring to see visitors of all ages experience so much joy from interacting with horses.

 

Alicia began volunteering at Southern Reins as a Sidewalker in January 2019 at both the Collierville and DeSoto campuses, and joined the program as a member of our barn staff in August of 2019.

Kaylee was born and raised in Memphis, TN, where her passion for helping people and animals grew from a young age. She began volunteering at Southern Reins in January 2024, and quickly fell in love with the horses and the supportive community at the barn.

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Kaylee will begin pursuing her Instructor in Training hours in 2025 to gain her PATH Intl. CTRI certification. When she is not at the farm, she enjoys spending time with her lease horse Siri, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Lilly grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and moved to the Memphis area in 2018. She is currently pursuing a degree in Veterinary Technology at the University of Tennessee Martin’s Somerville campus.

 

Lilly has been riding horses since the age of six and has a diverse equestrian background. She began her journey riding reining horses, transitioned to western pleasure and all-around disciplines, and now focuses on hunter/jumpers.

 

When she is not in class or at Southern Reins, Lilly enjoys spending time with her personal horses; Happy, Bill and Mo.