Meet our Board

Alyssa is the President and founder of Every Horse Counts Inc. (EHC). Her passion for horses began at a young age, growing up immersed in pony club and hunter/jumper competitions. Her journey with horses deepened when she rehabilitated and rehomed her first off-the-track Thoroughbred in 2019, sparking a lifelong commitment to helping retired racehorses. Since that time she has helped find horses forever homes an informal capacity before the founding of EHC.

Her dream is to educate others on the importance of lifelong care for horses, provide safe futures for as many as possible, and partner with rescued horses to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of both animals and humans.

Mary Elena Moran has been a professional horseman for the last two decades alongside a rewarding career in law enforcement which has been primarily focused on mounted police instruction. Mary Elena is an internationally recognized mounted police instructor who has developed a program where rescued horses who were once slaughterbound are rehabilitated and trained to be police horses to be community ambassadors of the ultimate rescue transformation. She is an active clinician of horsemanship workshops for civilians, therapeutic program volunteers/staff, equine rescue volunteers, and also conducts programming for veterans and first responders. Aside from mounted police training, Mary Elena is focused on groundwork, dressage, liberty, bridleless riding, obstacle training and the sport of cowboy mounted shooting. She started Superhero Rescue Horses, a platform to highlight rescued horses in therapy and service careers, connect retired police horses to therapy careers, and to show the “building of a superhero,” the journey through the rehab and training process as she transforms rescued horses into police and therapy horses-the Superheros of the equine world. All of her police horses were once slaughterbound.

Mary Elena’s passion lies in transforming the life of the underdog who was thrown away, proving the value of their life, and sharing their transformation story. She states, “after seeing their transformation, will others then believe, open their hearts with more acceptance and love, curiosity for why things are going wrong with their own horse and then develop relentless dedication to solve the puzzle so that there can be harmony in the partnership? Will they then support rescue? I hope to inspire it to be so.”

Mary Elena holds a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Delaware Valley University, a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is a Level 3 Harmony Horsemanship Certified Instructor, a practitioner of several equine body work therapies, is a practitioner of several equine assisted learning and therapy modalities, and is a member of the Horses and Humans Equine Wellbeing Comittee. She is a board member of the North American Police Equestrian Council, Every Horse Counts Inc. and Gerda’s Equine Rescue. She is the two time champion of the North America Police Equestrian Championships. Most recently, Mary Elena is a published author in the anthology “Heart Horse.” Mary Elena was most notably the recipient of the 2024 USEF/EQUUS Foundation’s Humanitarian Award.

Janine and Alyssa first met as members of the same Pony Club, where her love for horses and competition began. She spent her junior career competing her pony, Heartbreaker, at shows throughout the East Coast. Today, Janine works in finance and brings her professional expertise to the role of Chief Financial Officer for Every Horse Counts, Inc., where she is excited to combine her business background with her lifelong passion for horses.

Lillian Dugan, LCSW, OSW-C is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker certified in equine-assisted psychotherapy and a board certified oncology social worker. She I brings years of experience from private practice, schools, nonprofits, and hospitals. Creating her own practice has been an incredible journey—allowing her to combine her two greatest passions: helping people and working with horses.

She offers therapy both in the office and in the barn, providing a unique and supportive space for healing and growth. Currently, she hold an EAGALA certification (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) and is in the process of earning her PATH certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.

Eli brings to our board a strong background in business and finance, paired with years of equine experience as a Thoroughbred owner. His lifelong connection to horses is rooted in his fondest childhood memories of spending summers with his family in Saratoga, New York.