Fran co-founded NCWHA in 2008. She served as its President for several terms following its inception and rejoined the Board of Directors in 2020.  Fran was a California representative on the TWHBEA board from 2013-2017, where she was an advocate for the sound horse.  She was formerly President of both the Tennessee Walking Horse Foundation and Bear Yuba Land Trust, serving  on the boards of Gold Country Trails Council, the Rudiger Foundation, Nevada County Media, Community Beyond Violence and the Rudiger Foundation.  She is currently the President of the League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County.  Fran is a practicing attorney who has a number of nonprofit organizations as her clients. She received the Colonel Lambert Award for Community Service in Nevada County in 2020. 

Tammy is a third generation Tennessee Walking Horse enthusiast, introduced to a love of the breed by her grandmother  Peggy (Margaret) Smith and her aunt (Fran Welch). She was a co-founder of NCWHA in 2008  and served as Treasurer. She also managed and spearheaded the Oktoberfest Horse show for many years.  Tammy has promoted and represented our great breed for years at the California State Fair.  She is serving on the Board again because she missed the involvement  on club committees for horse shows, trail riding, education clinics, kids camps and breed promotion events. 

Rhonda has owned Walking Horses for over 30 years and has been an exhibitor, breeder and  advocate for the breed.  She was a founding member of Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH)  and served as Director of Horse Show sanctioning for several years.  She has produced gaited horse shows at the local and national levels across the US.  She has served as show secretary for NCWHA since 2015, as well as Treasurer for the past several years. Rhonda has enjoyed serving on the NCWHA board for the past seven years along with such passionate supporters of the breed! She looks forward to what the future of our breed can be!

Bub has been a Walking horse trainer for over 23 years.  He has trained multiple World and World Grand Champions over that time.  He is also an international clinician, teaching about our great breed in Mexico, Canada and all over the United States.  He was TWHBEA Pleasure Horse Ambassador of the year for 2020.  Bub is an avid trail rider and wants to help the shows and club in any way he can.

Kris is a club co-founder who has previously served several terms as NCWHA’s President and Vice President and has been a director since NCWHA’s inception.  Kris was a California representative on the TWHBEA board for several terms.   Her mother, Bonnie Herman, was a legend in the California Walking Horse world.   Kris’s daughter, also named Bonnie, has been featured for several years  in our shows’ leadline classes and this year is riding on her own, carrying on the family tradition.  Kris is known for her versatility skills and has promoted our breed in dressage and other open competitions throughout Northern California.  Kris is best known for her role in making  NCWHA’s Oktoberfest show our premier event. She accomplishes all of this while also managing a practice in medical genetics at UC Davis.

Joanna grew up riding Tennessee Walking Horses, and loved riding her mare Friday in versatility classes. She received her undergraduate and masters in accounting degrees at St. Mary’s College in Moraga. She is Fran Cole’s daughter, is a Certified Public Accountant, and works for Viasat, a satellite company based in San Diego. Previously an auditor at KPMG, Joanna has brought her wealth of accounting skills to the Treasurer’s position, including implementing a new streamlined system for horse show payments.

Bob is co-owner of Alpine Boarding Stables in the Stockton area.  Together with his wife Valerie Valentine Ammirato, they own a pony and seven horses, six of which are Tennessee Walking Horses.  Bob retired from fifty-one years in the retail business, serving as Vice President of Macys for twenty-seven years  and as Vice President for Western Contract for six years.  He also owned his own company for eighteen years.  Bob was on the board of directors of the National Home Furnishings Association for twenty-two years, serving in multiple officer positions, including President.

Bob will contribute his experience and love of the Tennessee Walking Horse to further create awareness of the breed, along with expanding the show schedule and adding trail riding events.

Grass Valley local born and raised, Traci has shown Tennessee Walking horses for the last 12 years throughout California and has also participated in schooling shows with her thoroughbreds. She has been a member of the Gold Country Glide Riders Drill Team for many years.  This organization has opened doors and created opportunities for Traci, and she is very grateful for that. The future of Tennessee Walking Horses and educating those new to the breed is very important to Traci.