MEET OUR SPEAKERS!
We are so honored to be welcoming a diverse and inspiring group of expert speakers:
Laura Leigh
Laura Leigh, Founder and President of Wild Horse Education, identified a pressing need due to her journalism background. Recognizing a lack of accessible information, she founded WHE to confront challenges head-on, focusing on combating abuse within the wild horse management system.
Through fieldwork, research, and litigation, Wild Horse Education has made significant strides in advocating for these animals.
With over 15 years of on-the-ground data collection, her record has been instrumental in court proceedings, securing unprecedented rulings and driving policy changes. Notably, WHE is the only org to directly address inhumane treatment during roundups in the courts
Beyond roundup advocacy, Leigh's work extends to First Amendment cases securing public access and preventing unjustified removals. Through her relentless advocacy and legal victories, Laura Leigh has become a leading voice in the fight for the humane treatment and preservation of America's wild horses.
Manda Kalimian
Founder and president of Rewilding America Now, which for over a decade has worked to rewild America’s wild horses and land to promote environmental and climate sustainability. Through Rewilding America Now, Manda has not only raised awareness of issues surrounding wild horses and environmental destruction but she’s also worked with lobbyists for years to create sustainable policy initiatives in DC for wild horses. Manda is the author of “Born To Rewild". She helped secure a scientific grant to fund McMaster University’s Poinar lab on "Quaternary ecosystems using environmental DNA drawn from sediment cores with a primary goal of collecting additional evidence regarding last appearance times for horses in North America. Manda is also an active participant at The Native Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and a founding member of The Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. She spearheaded the effectuation of rewilding language for managing America’s wild horses in the FY2020 Interior Appropriations budget bill and presented at the Cambridge Conservation Forum in the UK in 2019.
Elise Lowe-Vaughn
For over a decade, Elise has been a leading advocate for wild horses, working to strengthen protections at the national level, on Capitol Hill, and across western states, including Colorado. She continues to champion legislative reform and innovative management to prevent America’s wild equines from being managed to extinction by current policies. Elise serves on Colorado’s House Bill 23-275: Wild Horse Workgroup, shaping future policy, and is Director of Workforce Initiatives and Wild Horse Policy at Rewilding America Now (RAN). She also supports organizations like The Cloud Foundation, Safe Food Safe Horses, Wild Horse Education, Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition, Wild Equid League of Colorado, and the Sierra Club Headwaters Group.
With 25+ years in government, Elise brings deep experience in coalition-building and delivering strategic solutions that benefit both wild horses and the communities they inhabit. She has served on national, state, and county boards, testified before a Congressional subcommittee, and presented to legislative committees on wild horses, veterans’ programs, and public/private partnerships. Believing in the vital role of biodiversity and interspecies synergy, Elise advocates for wild horses as a keystone species essential to the health of grasslands and western ecosystems—now and for future generations.
Mary DeBones
Mary DeBonis is the heart and driving force behind Mustang Valley Sanctuary, a safe haven devoted to the rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and lifelong care of the iconic American Mustang. Her deep-rooted passion for these majestic animals and her profound understanding of their unique needs fuel everything she does.
For years, Mary has dedicated her life to building a sanctuary where Mustangs can truly heal—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. From the hands-on, daily care of each horse to navigating the complex logistics of sanctuary operations, she approaches every challenge with tireless commitment and compassion. Her expertise in equine health, behavior, and rehabilitation is reflected in the powerful transformations seen in the horses she cares for.
But Mary’s work extends beyond the fences of the sanctuary. She is a passionate advocate for equine welfare, working to raise awareness about responsible horse ownership, the plight of abandoned and neglected horses, and the vital role sanctuaries play in giving them a second chance. Her collaborative approach has built strong relationships with local veterinarians, farriers, and equine professionals, ensuring the highest standard of care for every horse that comes through Mustang Valley's gates.
Mary’s vision is not just about rescue—it’s about restoration and hope. She strives to create a place where Mustangs are not only saved, but where they can flourish and eventually find
Kerry Ferguson
Kerry Ferguson joined The Cloud Foundation in 2022, bringing with her a strong background in education, nonprofit leadership, and a lifelong passion for animals. Originally from San Diego, she has embraced Colorado’s beauty since 2012—often exploring it from the back of her friend, Toby (The Wonder Horse).
Her professional journey spans the classroom, the arts, and leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, where she’s built programs and partnerships that empower communities. A proud “horse geek,” Kerry is excited to blend her skills and passion to support The Cloud Foundation’s mission of protecting wild horses and burros.
She and her husband, Dana, live on a hobby ranch outside Colorado Springs, home to a lively crew of dogs, cats, chickens, goats, a turkey… and 10 horses—three of them formerly wild.
Diana McPherson
Diana McPherson is a wildlife and conservation photographer, environmental educator, traveler, photography instructor, podcaster, and blogger. She teaches photography workshops, lead photography tours, hosts her podcast, Nature Detectives, and encourages women to travel through her blog, Globe Trotting Women. Diana serves on board of Art Works Northwest as webmaster and outreach coordinator and serves on the North American Nature Photograph Association (NANPA) Ethics Committee. Diana enjoys hanging out with her family, participating in activities such as skiing, kayaking, watching movies, reading, and playing music on her drums.
Scott Beckstead
A lifelong student and admirer of horses and all equines, Scott Beckstead grew up with horses on his family’s farm and spent much of his childhood and youth on horseback in the mountains of Idaho. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Utah State University and his JD from the University of Utah, Beckstead worked as an attorney in private practice for 17 years on the central Oregon coast before going to work full-time in the animal protection sector as a legislative lobbyist, agriculture policy director, and equine welfare specialist. During his time on the coast he also served as the mayor of Waldport, Oregon from 2002 to 2007.
Beckstead became known for his special expertise in the field of animal law, and has taught that subject as well as classes on wildlife, animal agriculture, marine conservation, and polar law at Willamette University College of Law as an adjunct professor of law since 2010. In 2000, he co-authored Animal Law, the first casebook on the subject.
Because of his familiarity with horses, livestock, and farm animals, Beckstead provides training to law enforcement agencies on how to handle and work with those animals, and how to investigate equine and livestock cruelty and neglect. He currently serves as Chief Equine Programs Director for The Wild Animal Sanctuary, overseeing the organization’s work to save and protect equines both wild and domestic.
Beckstead is married to Jackie and has four children, two grandchildren, and an assortment of pets
Colette Kaluza
Colette Kaluza, welfare team assistant director for Wild Horse Education, has spent hundreds of days observing wild horse and burro roundups from Wyoming to California and deep in research as a volunteer. She is a video journalist dedicated to exposing the needless inhumane treatment during roundup operations and at the facilities where they land by the governmental agency charged with protecting them. Her videos have shown such events as a helicopter that relentlessly drove a colt, causing its leg to break at the Pancake Complex roundup, and the palomino stallion Sunshine Man that suffered a broken leg at Antelope. Pilots fly so dangerously close to horses that one helicopter was shown hitting the ground causing an accident at Triple B. The reckless roping, handling, or kicking of animals seen in her videos at Blue Wing are not unusual.
Her Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program assessment reports detail agency non-compliance with welfare standards at roundup operations and off-range corral facilities. Her reports are based on personal observations and Freedom of Information Act citizen requests.
Through her experiences she has developed suggestions on needed improvements to the current welfare program and how to achieve necessary reforms.
In addition to her work being featured on Wild Horse Education website, her opinions have appeared in Reno Gazette Journal and The Nevada Independent.
Linda Greaves
Linda Greaves is a lifelong advocate for animals, whose deep love for wild horses has driven her to become a unwavering voice in their protection. In 2018, she co-founded the Save Our Wild Horses Campaign and Conferences alongside Linda Kemp, creating a national platform for advocacy, education, and action. Now entering its fourth consecutive year, the annual conference continues to grow, moving in 2025 to scenic Craig, Colorado, and evolving into the broader initiative: Save America’s Wild Horses.
Recognizing the interconnectedness of wild horses, burros, and ecosystems, Linda also helped establish Save Our Wild Horses and Wildlife, expanding the mission to include all range-dwelling wildlife.
Linda plays a hands-on role as a Volunteer Documenter for Wild Horse Education, a leading force in wild horse and burro preservation. Based in Washington, D.C., she leads rallies and public awareness campaigns—not just for her own initiatives, but in support of fellow advocates who come to the capital. Passionate and persistent, she actively lobbys and coordinates federal-level lobbying events to drive meaningful change.
In addition to her grassroots and field efforts, Linda serves on the board of TrapFree America, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting wildlife from trapping. She also holds a board position withHorse Plus Legislative Coalition, where she acts as a wild horse specialist and advocate,
Linda’s work reflects a powerful blend of passion, leadership, and action, making her a respected and influential figure in the world of animal and environmental advocacy.
Marie Milliman
Marie Milliman
A founding official Welfare Team member, correspondent, and regular contributor to Wild Horse Education articles, data, and investigations. Documented hundreds of days at roundups, range, and holding facilities in Utah, Nevada, and surrounding states; regularly has spoken and provided written comments at BLM Advisory Board meetings and Motorized Vehicle hearings.
Her lifelong addiction to horses and her desire to become involved in an animal charity in retirement were fast-tracked when she adopted her first mustang, Hallelujah, in 2016. She has relocated to Northern Nevada from California to pursue her advocacy efforts more effectively.
She was drawn to WHE for its integrity and in-depth information on inhumane treatment at the roundups of her two adopted Mustangs. The final straw of her desire to attend her first roundup was the photos of the 2012 Owyhee roundup on WHE’s website that galvanized her decision to experience/document her first roundup eight years ago. This was Grace's roundup with pictures of horses being run over barbed wire fences. As she grimly viewed the photos, she simultaneously reviewed Grace's round-up roster and could positively identify some of the babies, so it became profoundly personal.
She would never qualify in the shy category:) While in the field, she communicates diplomatically in real time with BLM about concerns and solutions, follows up with assessment reports and FOIA results, and communicates directly with a wide range of BLM personnel.