Geri Rivers, President
Geri Rivers has more than 20 years of experience in human resources management with major corporations, has owned and directed two human resource consulting firms and an executive search firm, and is President of Gericho LLC in Los Angeles.

Committed to community service, Geri has been the Executive Director for a successful Southern California Community Foundation, has served on the Boards of Directors of many nonprofit organizations, and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Arthritis Foundation.

Geri is an equestrian (just ask her about Minnie!) who is dedicated to providing the finest therapeutic riding to children who have special needs.

Joe Anderson, CPA - Secretary/Treasurer
Joe Anderson is a corporate financial officer by profession and has brought that expertise to SERT for 13 years, along with his calm, reasoned persona and a lifetime commitment to serving children and youth. He is veteran of Arthur Andersen & Co., has been with Griffin Homes since 1988, and is known in the home building industry for having developed sophisticated cost reporting and tax strategies for volume home builders.

Joe is a tireless leader for SERT, is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, and serves on the board of the West Valley Boys and Girls Club, where he is Past Chairman. Did we mention that he loves horses?

D’Arlene A. Beard
D’Arlene A. Beard is the Co-Founder/ Exec. VP of footwear brand Piloti Inc, which she founded with her husband in 1999. She has supervised the Company’s customer service, web, domestic vendor negotiations, social networking and human resources functions. Prior to co-founding Piloti, D’Arlene served as the Assistant to the General Counsel of Adidas AG in Germany. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Art from California State University at Los Angeles, post-graduate work at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, an MA in illustration and photography, and a certificate for her command of the German language. D’Arlene began her formal equestrian education four years ago. She and “Willow Bay”, her 10 year-old Percheron-Thoroughbred cross, are in hunter/jumper training with Sana’a Pharayra.

D’Arlene is committed to sharing with others her love of horses and the calm and educational interaction between horse and rider. She believes that SERT provides this unique opportunity for children and families of all backgrounds, and is honored to join the board.

Tom Carnahan
Mention either kids or horses and Tom Carnahan’s face lights up the room! Having grown up with horses in the San Fernando Valley, he is one of the Valley’s busiest Realtor/Brokers, owning a Woodland Hills-based company that specializes in Residential and Commercial sales and leasing, property management, and mortgage services. Tom is a tireless community booster, and has been a member of the Executive Committee of Boy Scouts of America, and involved with the National Charity League, Assistance League of the San Fernando Valley, and the Chamber of Commerce. What compels Tom’s support for SERT? “The love of kids and horses… Giving IS receiving!”

David Eichen, Attorney
David is SERT’s resident expert in organizational details and legal matters, trusts and estates, prize-winning orchids, Springer Spaniels and Weimaraners. An alumnus of UCLA, he rode horses for fun as a young adult, and loved being a Camp Director for several years, when he worked closely with children of all ages.

David finds SERT’s mission both amazing and heartwarming, and appreciates the opportunity to be a volunteer leader for such a long-established, worthwhile organization. He is most generous with his time, talent, and special knowledge.

Will Merrill
For 30 years, Will Merrill’s Majestic Tree Company has been a fixture in the San Fernando Valley, north and west of Los Angeles, where homeowners trust Will and his team to diagnose and treat Southern California’s most persistent threats to their landscaping.

When invited by his friend – coincidentally also named Wilford III -- he eagerly jumped at the chance to become part of SERT’s leadership in order to help provide more children with special needs with a warm, nurturing experience that could carry over into their home lives. In addition to the similarity in names, it had not escaped his notice that he had been a longtime supporter of nonprofits and a former horse owner and rider, who well understood the therapeutic benefits of pairing horses and people.

As Will says, “The coincidences were just too great! I obviously was meant to become part of SERT, not only helping the kids, but their families as well.”

Sanaa Pharayra
A life long equestrian sports enthusiast, Sanaa Pharayra, has worked as a professional horse trainer and riding coach for the past 14 years. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Sanaa ran the prestigious Lake Oswego Hunt Riding School for two years during which time she was able to work closely with the area therapeutic riding program, Oregon Riders Unlimited. Ten years ago she relocated to southern California and continued her work with horses and riders in the “A” circuit Hunter/Jumper industry. In 2002 she started her own training operation, Sanaa Pharayra Stables, that is now located at Spirit Equestrian in Somis, California.

Sanaa first learned about the SERT program in 2003 while working at a stable in the Chatsworth area. She was impressed with the professionalism and thoughtfulness with which the program was run as well as the strong emphasis on safety. Throughout her life with horses she has seen first hand the healing and therapeutic power of these amazing animals and believes that there is no better way to help children with special needs. She joined the board of directors in 2010 and looks forward to using her “horse business” experience to make a positive contribution to SERT in the future.

Will Ross, Past President
Will is SERT’s immediate Past President, having been a devoted member of the Board of Directors for more than eight years. He brings a droll sense of humor, practical experience from having been a volunteer leader for other nonprofits, and a highly focused perspective that has been honed, no doubt, from his long and continuing career as an Administrative Judge with the United States Department of Defense. As many SERT supporters know, Will is a great admirer of everyone involved in the program.