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?
Nicole Cicogna
Executive Director
Nicole was first introduced to horses by her father, a NYC Mounted Police Officer. She learned to ride when she was just 8 years old. Nicole is a graduate of Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business and over the last 20 years has built a successful career across both the private and nonprofit sectors. Nicole had been the Executive Director of Hartley House, a nonprofit organization founded in 1897. She was appointed Executive Director of GallopNYC effective July 1, 2018.
James Wilson
Director of Operations | 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 in the process of becoming a PATH Intl. certified instructor, and enjoys photography in his spare time.
Amy Price
Director of Development
Joining GallopNYC as its Director of Development in January 2019 is truly a return home for Amy Price. She and her husband Ira were first exposed to horseback riding and learned to ride at the very barn that is now GallopNYC Forest Hills. Amy has a long history of commitment to the nonprofit sector, and she transitioned her primary focus to fundraising and building organizational sustainability 10 years ago, to help nonprofits of every size master the challenges of financing their missions to sustain their good work. Amy has passionately worked both in the education field and on behalf of individuals with special needs for more than 15 years. Amy is a graduate of Brandeis University and her continuing education includes a Certificate in Managing Major Gifts. Amy proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Development Officers, a leading resource for fundraisers in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Dana Fairbairn
Instructor Manager | PATH Int'l Certified Instructor
Dana joined GallopNYC in 2010 as a volunteer and immediately fell in love with the organization. She decided to become even more involved, and in 2016 joined our family as a certified instructor. When she is not teaching lessons, Dana can be found taking trapeze classes, writing the next big adventure, volunteering for other organizations and enjoying time with friends and family.
Amanda Gallo
Marketing & Communications Manager | PATH Int'l Certified Instructor
Amanda Gallo found GallopNYC in 2015 as a volunteer. She loved volunteering so much that she is now a PATH Intl. Certified Instructor. Amanda grew up in San Diego, CA where she rode competitively on the Hunter/Jumper circuit. She started riding at 9 years old and has over 22 years of experience owning horses. She came to NYC after graduating college with a BA in Fashion Merchandising. Today she is delighted to apply her creativity toward a more fulfilling role as GallopNYC’s Marketing and Communications Manager.
Beth McReynolds
Front of Barn Manager Forest Hills
Beth McReynolds grew up in the hills of rural Virginia, and received a BA Humanities from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fl. While in school, she worked in the Education Department at Sea World of Florida. Beth discovered GallopNYC while investigating programs for Veterans. Beth volunteered with GallopNYC to learn about the program and immediately fell in love. She found happiness and purpose through GallopNYC and what began as volunteering became a career. Besides GallopNYC, Beth’s favorite things are horses, history and marathon walks.
Jenni Messner
Associate 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.
Maggie Munoff
Development Associate
Maggie grew up in the mountains of the Adirondacks, where she developed a love of the outdoors, animals, and recreation.After graduating from NYU with BA in Multimedia Production and Journalism, she survived a short stint as a substitute teacher and then began a career in the film & tv industry, working with a number of high-profile productions. She joined GallopNYC in August 2016, where she currently serves as an Associate Program Manager. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys photography, yoga, Crossfit, hiking, live music and attempting to meet every dog in Brooklyn.
Bonnie Perry
Program Manager
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.
Cheriselle Scott
Volunteer Manager
Cheriselle, commonly referred to as Cher, recently joined the GallopNYC team this past September. Cher was first introduced to GallopNYC and therapeutic horsemanship while looking for meaningful opportunities for a young man with Autism, whom she supported while supervising a community based program for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She is new to horses but excited to learn and continue her work empowering people through focus on their abilities rather than focusing on disability. Cher has a B.A in Psychology from Georgetown University and is an avid sports fan and basketball coach.
Marie Varvaro
Barn Manager | PATH Int'l Certified Instructor
Bio coming soon…
