Our Staff
GallopNYC’s talented and passionate employees are motivated by the sense of purpose that comes with our mission and programs. Many of our staff first started their career at GallopNYC as a volunteer.
Interested in joining our leadership?
James Wilson
Executive Director | PATH Int'l Certified Instructor
James joined our staff full-time as of January 2014, volunteering since 2010. His love of horses goes back to his hometown in Texas, where his father taught him to ride and rope. James holds a BS – Agribusiness and a MS -Marketing from Texas A&M. He is also a PATH Intl. certified instructor, and enjoys photography in his spare time.
Jean Smith
Senior Director of Development
Bio Coming Soon
Bonnie Perry
Program Director, MSW
Bonnie joined the GallopNYC team in January 2016. She grew up riding and loving horses in rural southeastern Ohio and is so happy to have the opportunity to reconnect with this part of her life here in New York City. Bonnie previously coordinated a city-wide Travel Training program, teaching adults with disabilities independent travel skills. Bonnie has an MSW, with a focus on Organizational Management and Leadership, from Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work. She has a BS in Psychology from Baldwin-Wallace College. In her spare time, Bonnie enjoys traveling and live music and she is an avid reader.
Marie Varvaro
Barn Director | PATH Int'l Certified Instructor
Marie has been with GallopNYC since 2010, starting her journey with us as a therapeutic riding instructor. She began riding very young, developing a love for horses. Prior to working for GallopNYC full-time, Marie worked for the Veterans Administration Hospital as a dental hygienist and in her own successful businesses. She is enthusiastic about sharing her love for horses and good horsemanship, and in her role as Barn Director she oversees the coordination, care, and fitness of our herd of therapy horses.
Jenni Messner
Program Manager
Jenni Messner just recently found and fell in love with GallopNYC, joining the team as associate program manager in February 2019. She came to NYC in 2019 from Colorado as a folksinger and has been deeply missing the outdoors, so she’s excited to get to spend time with horses. Jenni is originally from Ohio and holds a MFA in performance, and a BA in psychology and theatre. When she’s not working, she loves playing guitar, hiking, and is active in the meditation community.