Farewell and Hail – AHC Announces Board of Trustees Officers
Past Chair Dr. Rick Mitchell
The American Horse Council (AHC) congratulates outgoing Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Rick Mitchell and incoming Chair Marilyn Breuer-Bertera.
Like most professional associations, the AHC relies on the leadership of volunteers for its Board of Trustees. These positions, especially that of the Chair, are crucial to the success of the Council’s mission to “protect and strengthen America’s Equine Industry.”
Dr. Rick Mitchell, a co-founder and senior partner of Fairfield Equine Associates, practices in Tryon North Carolina and Wellington, Florida, serving the sport horse sector. Dr. Mitchell has also served as an official veterinarian for the US Equestrian Team at six Olympic Games as well as multiple Pan American and World Games. Despite this demanding schedule, Dr. Mitchell has provided leadership to the AHC over the past three years of his term. Under his guidance, the AHC developed policies and programs including:
- Creation of the Congressional Scorecard
- Hosted hybrid and virtual events including Congressional Fly-Ins, and restarting in-person conferences and events post-pandemic
- Foreign Animal Disease Diagnosticians Training Exercise Drill
- Horse Census Campaign
- Addressed hemp by-products in feed additives.
- Shepherded the 2023 Economic Impact Study
The AHC Board of Trustees, members and staff have benefited greatly from the leadership and hard work of Dr. Mitchell. We wish him well and look forward to his continued involvement with the AHC.
Ms. Marilyn Breuer-Bertera is taking over the reins as Chair. Ms. Breuer-Bertera is a Director of the United States Trotting Association. She is a lifelong participant in harness racing as an owner/trainer. She and her husband, Rocky Bertera, race a small stable of horses in the Midwest and Canada. Growing up on a farm in central Michigan, she began racing at the Michigan fairs with her father and purchased her first racehorse when she was 16. She is a past director of the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association from 1997 to 2012, serving as secretary of that board. She holds a B.S. in both business education and physical education from Central Michigan University.
Chair Breuer-Bertera has wasted no time in her new role, initiating her term with Capitol Hill meetings with Senate Agriculture Chair Stabenow’s (D-MI) senior professional staff, Chief of Staff for Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY), and the office of Senator Gary Peters (D-MI). Advocating for the AHC legislative agenda, Chair Breuer-Bertera talked about the need for a Farm Bill that includes health and welfare provisions for the equine industry. We congratulate Chair Breuer-Bertera on her new appointment and look forward to her leadership in guiding AHC forward.
AHC President, Julie Broadway announces the following changes to AHC Board of Trustees:
At AHC recent Annual Meeting, the Board of Trustees elected the following Officers:
- Marilyn Bertera, Chair; representing US Trotting Association.
- Joe Wilson, Vice Chair; representing Thoroughbred Racing Association
- Matt Iuliano, Treasurer; representing The Jockey Club.
- Kristin Werner, Secretary; representing The Jocky Club.
- Dr Rick Mitchell, Past Chair; representing United States Equestrian Federation.
Also, the following standing committee chairs were approved:
Kathy Alm, of PATH Intl as chair of Equine Welfare; Dr Katie Flynn, DVM of USEF as chair of Health; Joe Wilson of TRA as chair of Racing Advisory; Randy Rasmussen of BCHA as chair of Recreation/Trails/Land Use; Dr. Billy Smith of NRHA as chair of shows/competitions; Tom O’Mara of USEF as chair of the Regulatory.
A full list of committee members can be found on the AHC website www.horscouncil.org
Broadway stated “We are pleased to welcome new Chair Marilyn Bertera and Vice Chair Joe Wilson to new leadership roles on the board. We believe their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to the organization. We also want to acknowledge and thank Dr Rick Mitchell for the three years of service as chair. His leadership was instrumental during the challenges of the pandemic.”
About the American Horse Council
As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests and opportunities
