Our Board

Our Board of Directors

Exceptional Equestrians would not be possible without the help of our highly dedicated Board of Directors. These professionals volunteer time out of their busy lives to provide a trove of advice and guidance to the program. They come from a variety of backgrounds and different walks of life, but they all have one thing in common-- their passion for Exceptional Equestrians and its mission.

Board President- Bill Schuck

Bill Schuck has spent much of his life dedicating time to helping others. As a member and Past District Governor of Rotary International, he is no stranger to community service, and in fact has spearheaded many projects that have improved the lives of the disabled and less fortunate both in America and abroad. Bill has been with Exceptional Equestrians since 2002, and has helped the program grow more than 400%! When Bill is not working on EE and Rotary projects, he is running his own business. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his sons and working on his backyard koi ponds.

Tammy Dietrich- Board Treasurer

Tammy started volunteering at EE in the fall of 2013 as a side walker and has never looked back. She fell in love with the program and loves to see the progression of our riders. She currently works at Our Lady of Lourdes as a secretary. She continues to volunteer each week and serves on the Auction Committee Board. When not volunteering or working, Tammy enjoys spending time with her daughter Maria and husband Todd. Tammy chairs the Finance Committee.

Dr. Dan Smith

Dr. Dan Smith spends most of his time with animals--however, not the hooved variety! As a small-animal vet in Washington, Dr. Dan has devoted his life to helping our four-legged friends. But it was his dedication to the community that led him to become involved with horses, as a board member for Exceptional Equestrians of the Missouri Valley. Dan has been a member of the EEMV board for more than 10 years, and is currently the Vice President. In his animal-free time, Dr. Dan enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

Lynette Voss

Lynette is a life-long equestrians who recently joined the EE Board of Directors. Lynette serves on the Pasture Management Committee.

Tracey Keeven

Tracey Keeven joined the EE board in the fall of 2018. She is a life-long horse person, and she competed in rodeos at the national level. She is a PATH Intl. Registered level riding instructor. When not at EE, Tracey enjoys riding her horse CD and spending time with her family, including her two grandchildren.
She's also busy with her new program, Power of Hope Equestrians Center, which is at her farm in Steelville. Tracey serves at the Board Volunteer Liason

Charla Shurtleff, Founder, Advisory Board Member
Charla and her husband, Tim founded Exceptional Equestrians in 1991. Charla's experience as a life-long horsewoman and a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant have lead her to start and grow Exceptional Equestrians from a small program in her back yard, to the premier center it is today. Charla continues to provide valuable guidance and support to the program as it continues to flourish.

Dave Dieckhaus

David Dieckhaus is a lifelong resident of Washington, Missouri. He has been married to Christine Wiedemann- Dieckhaus for thirty- six years. They have four adult Children, Scott, Jason, Kristin, and Lucas. David has been active in the Shriners for many years and is a past President of the Moolah Shriners of Eastern Missouri. After graduating from St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in 1978, Dieckhaus attended East Central College and earned an EMT certificate. David worked in Law Enforcement for 12 years as a road officer, as well as at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. David is the head of the Security Committee.

Colleen Himmelberg

Colleen has been a volunteer in some capacity with EE for 24 years. She works for Empac Group, a partnering organization that provides employment services for individuals with disabilities. In addition to her work with Empac Group, Colleen has more than 30 years of administrative experience in the non-profit sector. Colleen is a life-long equestrian.

Tim Unnerstall

Tim Unnerstall is a crucial part of Exceptional Equestrians. A Rotary International member who also serves of the board of the Emmaus Homes, Tim truly gives back to his community. In addition to his role as the EEMV treasurer, he is also a licensed CPA, and runs an accounting firm with his brother. When Tim is not crunching numbers, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Lynne, hosting events at his home and searching the internet for the perfect Silent Auction items! Tim is head of the Finance Committee.

Peggy Winzenburger

Peggy was raised on a large grain and cattle farm in central Illinois where she learned to ride horses. She met her husband at a camp for disabled children at Southern Illinois University where she got a degree in Microbiology. Peggy and her husband have continued working with children throughout their lives. Peggy spent her professional career in medical research and she also obtained a Master's Degree in Marketing from Webster University.
As long time volunteer at EE, Peggy enjoys working with horses, the staff and our many clients. As a member of the board, she am interested in further developing community support. This includes building financial and volunteer support to secure the future of our program.

Shawn Thiemann

Shawn has recently returned to the EE board after some time off. Shawn studied Business and Hospitality Management at Mizzou and is a professionally trained chef and sommelier. He was a restaurant owner and chef for several years. Shawn currently resides in Union and is the owner of FKI Cleaning Services.
Shawn enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife and two children. He can often be found coaching or watching his children's softball and baseball teams.
Shawn is the chair of the Financial Assistance Committee.

Brian Phillips

Brian has lived in MO since 1987 where he attended Union High School. He graduated from Fontbonne College with and MBA and is the Vice President of SBA lending for the Bank of Washington. He has one daughter Autumn who is married to Austin Toelke. He has 2 dog and one cat and has a passion for the outdoors, camping, hunting , movies, and golf. He attends church at Faith Church in Sunset Hills, where he is part of the leadership group.