HORSES IN THE HOOD


Board of Directors
    Founder & Chairman of the Board: Kathy Kusner
    President: Jacob Wheeler III
    Treasurer: Glen Strauss
    Secretary: Craig Chambers
    Nina Bonnie
    Joe Gillet Davies
    Virginia Fout
    Glenn Goodstein
    Maureen Hanley

Pro Bono Contributors
    Pro Bono Tax Accountant:
    Tamara Schuh Hanson, Rolling Hills Estate, Ca

    Pro Bono Counsel:
    Latham & Watkins

    Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

    Alex H. Fukui 
    501-C3 Advisor


    Pro Bono Webmaster:
    Dallas Jones

    Pro Bono Promotional Video Director & Producer:
    Marc Fusco
Photos by Donna Gulnac

Kathy Kusner, Founder & Chairman of the Board

Kathy Kusner was named Horsewoman of the Year before joining the United States Equestrian Team at the age of twenty one. As a member of the team, she rode in three Olympic Games  Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968, and Munich in 1972 (silver medal). Kathy also rode on the United States team in two Pan American Games Sao Paulo in 1964 (gold medal) and Winnipeg in 1967 (silver medal). Kathy has ridden for the United States in countless international competitions. Her wins include twice the Grand Prix of Dublin (Ireland); the French   championship, LaBaule (France); Pre-Olympic Grand  Prix of Rotterdam (Holland) in 1968 and twice the Puissance at the international horse show in Aachen (Germany); the Grand Prixes of Hickstead (England), Wiesbaden (Germany), Wulfrait (Germany), Ostend (Belgium), Lucerne (Switzerland); and the Ladies European Championship, Fountainbleu (France).  At home, Kathy was twice the leading international rider at Madison Square Garden in New York and won the President's Cup at the International Horse Show in Washington D.C. Kathy's other wins at major horse shows, both international and national, and the times that she has been leading rider are too numerous to mention.

In 1990 Kathy was inducted into The Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Kathy was inducted into the Virginia Horse Show Association Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Kathy was chosen by The Chronicle of the Horse and the American Horse Show Association's as one of the 50 most influential horsemen of the 20th century.

Kathy mounted a successful legal challenge in 1968 to become the first licensed woman jockey in the United States. She rode races up and down the Eastern Seaboard and Canada, and became the first licensed woman jockey to ride races in many countries. She was also the first woman to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup, the toughest timber race in the world.  Kathy is a licensed pilot with commercial, multi-engine, instrument, seaplane, and commercial glider ratings. She obtained a Lear Jet type rating and became the first woman to work as a Lear Jet pilot for Executive Jet Aviation. She also has aerobatic skills.  Kathy is an experienced scuba diver and has had the opportunity to dive most of the best waters in the world. Kathy is a marathon and ultramarathon runner. As of October 15, 2003, she has completed 92 marathons and 57 ultramarathons including 20 races 50 miles or longer including the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.  Kathy remains very involved with the world of horses which includes giving clinics in the United States and abroad on riding, training and competing.

Jacob P. Wheeler, III

Jacob Wheeler is President of Searose International, Inc. a multi-diversified entertainment company, focused on film production, screenwriting and Internet marketing.  He is currently in pre-production on a self-penned film entitled “Hero’s Café”.  He has spent over 13 years in the financial services industry as a Stockbroker with Smith Barney and Bank Manager with Citibank both of the Citigroup family.  A former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Specialist who left the military and spent more than twenty years as an entrepreneur in the Entertainment and Fashion Industries of Europe and Japan, Mr. Wheeler is a committed community activist.  He has held various leadership roles and has served as guest speaker for local and national organizations including First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles, The New Leaders, Summit 2000, the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), State Bar of California Annual Meeting, Boys & Girls Club of Venice and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).  Mr. Wheeler’s community based efforts have been characterized by his constant search for pragmatic approaches to policies, strategies and techniques that will significantly enhance the economic welfare of African Americans and other minorities through wealth creation.  A member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Film Independent (FIND) and Film Industry Network (FIN), fluent in French and Italian, currently studying Spanish, he lives in Hollywood.

Glen D. Strauss, Treasurer

Glen D. Strauss is a Managing Director with Wachovia Securities. Prior to joining the firm, he practiced as an attorney in the areas of general business and securities litigation. While practicing law, Mr. Strauss also functioned as a Registered Investment Advisor, combining his legal and investment training to help meet the needs of his clients. He holds a law degree from the University of Southern California and remains an active member of the State Bar. Mr. Strauss’ investment experience focuses on fixed income investing with emphasis on California municipal bonds for investors seeking tax-free income and an emphasis on U.S. Government and agency bonds for pension and tax-advantaged accounts. He also manages equity and balanced accounts, both as a consultant who screens, selects, or monitors outside money managers, and as a Senior Portfolio Manager within the firm’s Consulting Services Group. Mr. Strauss is a Platinum member of Wachovia’s Chairman’s Circle of Excellence, the firm’s highest recognition group. He manages over $650 million in assets. Mr. Strauss is a concert pianist, bassoon player and co-founder of the Santa Monica Mountain Goats, a group that runs once a week in the Santa Monica Mountains. He also enjoys golf and racquetball. Mr. Strauss lives in Santa Monica, CA with his wife Krista and their children Andrew, Rachel and Michael.

Craig Chambers, Secretary

Craig Chambers is a co-founder and part owner of Phidippides-Encino, a specialty sporting goods store for runners and triathletes. For five years (1981-86), Craig ran to and from work across Santa Monica mountain trails (26 miles per day) and has run in 100+ marathons and 20+ultra-marathons. His running has taken him across the United States as well as Europe and Africa. Craig's endeavors have been featured both in print (L.A. Times, Sports Illustrated, City Sports, Triathlon Magazine, Daily News, and Newsweek) and television ("Eye on L.A.", KABC, KCBS, and KNBC 6:00pm news). Craig has undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Psychology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a graduate degree from U.C. Irvine. Craig is a frequent speaker on running and fitness and author of "Writings on the Run" and "Life-Sport Running".

Nina Bonnie

Nina Bonnie’s two main passions over the last 40 years have been horses and social welfare issues. She looks forward to serving on the Horses in the Hood Board as that brings both issues together! Nina has served on several boards that address the issue of the effects of poverty on young people. She served on the Board of St. Benedict, a day care center that takes high risk children and gives them a healthy start in life. In addition she was a long time board member of the Lincoln Foundation, which raises money for inner- city scholarships, develops enrichment programs and started Whitney Young Scholars, a program mentoring children from the 6th grade through graduation from high School with a guaranteed college placement. She started a “Sponsorship” program at an independent elementary school which awards full scholarships to financially needy children. Nina was named as a “Woman of Distinction” (a Louisville honor) in 2000 for her volunteer efforts in both the equine and social services area.
Nina grew up in Virginia with a pony as a “best friend”. She started showing as a teenager and, after marrying and moving to Kentucky, she continued competing with considerable success in the Amateur Owner Hunter Division with championships at major shows including the indoor circuit, Florida and Indio, Devon, Upperville, Kentucky etc.
In 1985, she was asked by the Governor of Kentucky to chair the Kentucky Horse Park Commission, a state agency the governor reorganized to breathe life into a faltering institution. The Park has been a real success story and that has culminated in the FEI granting of the World Equestrian Games to the Park for 2010. Nina chaired the Commission for 12 years and until 2004 was chairman of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation which was created in 1985 to garner private support for the Park. She still serves on that board. In 2001 Nina along with her husband Ned received The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Unites States Equestrian Federation for their respective contributions to the horse industry.

Joe Gillet Davies

Joe Gillet Davies has been the CEO of an automobile recycling facility in Los Angeles since moving to California from Maryland in 1995. Clean Steel recycles over 1000 cars a day. As an avocation, Joe is one of the top amateur steeplechase jockeys in the country, which involves traveling over 60,000 miles a year to compete in races, primarily in the mid-atlantic states. He has competed on international teams in England, Ireland, France, Italy and Russia. His most notable wins came in the 1998 and 2000 renewals of the Maryland Hunt Cup, considered one of the world's most challenging steeplechase races. Joe does color commentary for various racing broadcasts and is working on an equestrian sports documentary for Saddletude. He recently married Blythe Miller, who just retired as the leading professional steeplechase rider of all time and the first woman rider to ever win a Breeder's Cup race. ( 1998 and 2001).

Virginia Fout

About Virginia Fout, owner of V Productions, in the world and art of event planning, rarely do you get it all. But you can find Virginia Fout meticulously selecting floral arrangements one moment, organizing haute cuisine delight for 500 in another and the next, climbing scaffolding with cable cords to perfect an audio-visual moment. She brings a blend of both stylistic chic and no nonsense sensibility to V Productions, ultimately delivering clients around the globe customized and unprecedented event planning and production results. And while her talents are dichotomous, they are each sublime. For her range of expertise across the glamorous to the gritty, Fout credits her equestrian upbringing. When she wasn’t mentally redesigning the cotillion entryway, Fout could be found sweeping stables, building fences and riding her beloved breed. But life in Middleburg, Virginia was all neigh, so with her imaginative aptitude, an art diploma and a mensa degree in organization, Fout traveled west to perfect her skills. Years with CNET, the technology information powerhouse, E! Entertainment Television, Columbia TriStar and Vivendi Universal, left Fout with a keen understanding that in this information age, design, imagery, sponsors and machinery must intersect. And after hundreds of transformative corporate and product events, dozens of dazzling media and launch tours, thousands of locations scouted and draped, and calories of hors devours sampled, she formed V Productions with the goal of energizing the events market. Since 2003 Fout has reinvigorated the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party, movie premiere parties for Warner Bros. Pictures, product launch events for Vivendi Universal Games, and even planned her own wedding. To each job she brings her enviable rolodex, filled with her beloved vendors from talent wranglers, designers, lighting experts, florists and caterers to ice sculpture creators, scenic artists, crane and truck operators and secret service detail. With her no job is too small, or too big attitude, Fout approaches each event with pride and care, and integrates each client’s distinct need into her planning. Her diligence, passion and combination of artistry and adulation for the joy of celebrating, presenting and just getting it done, have made her one of the most sought after event producers in the public and private sector. .

Glenn Goodstein

President, GSG Capital Advisors LLC; Trustee, Jewish Big Brothers.
Glenn has integrated a successful career in investment management and consulting with a commitment to community service. He founded GSG Capital Advisors in 1997 and later that year launched Mercury Partners LP, a hedge fund. Glenn has been a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) since 1999. Glenn is also a Vice President of GKM Advisers, an SEC-registered Advisory firm located in Los Angeles. Glenn earned a B.A. in Economics from UCLA. Glen has also served on the Finance Review committee of the UCLA Alumni Association Board from 2000 thru 2002.
Inspired by his own valuable experience with Jewish Big Brothers, both as a youngster and as a Big Brother himself, Glenn has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles/Camp Max Straus since 1990. He lives with his wife Laura and their children, Grant, Annie, and Hallie in Carlsbad, CA.

Maureen Hanley

Maureen Hanley is the director of operations/co-owner of Fox Chase Farm, LLC in Middleburg, Virginia. She oversees clinics; monthly horse shows, riding camps, media events, and all activities at the farm. Ms. Hanley formed the Timothy C. Hanley Fox Chase Horse Show Series, named in honor of her late father. In 2006, the series was awarded 'Top 10 Horse Show' by the Virginia Horse Show association. As well as running one of the most famous horse farms in Middleburg, VA, Ms. Hanley is Executive Producer of Hear The Angel Voices, the debut solo recording of world-renowned American tenor, Carl Tanner. The recording features the Northwest Sinfonia and Northwest Boychoir and was one of the Top 20 in the Billboard Crossover. Ms. Hanley is a co-producer of a new documentary for television on Mr. Tanner's life. She is co-producing this 60 minute high definition program with the Johnson Group, who produced the critically acclaimed HBO program, "Paper Clips". She is also working on a production for public television on Virginia horse country. Before her involvement with Fox Chase Farm, Ms. Hanley was an award-winning producer at National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and Washington, DC's WETA-FM. Growing up in Connecticut and Virginia, Ms. Hanley has been riding horses most of her life. Ms. Hanley serves on the Special Events Committee for the Virginia Horse Show Association (VHSA) and for 6 years, served on the board of directors for the Washington International Horse Show.