Equest is pleased to announce the recent hire of Jacqueline (Jacquie) Maddox as the new Director of Development and Matilyn Skinner as Development and Communication Associate. They join Director of Community Engagement Christine Volkmer in the marketing and development department to support Equest’s mission to bring hope and healing to children and adults with diverse needs through equine assisted activities and therapies.
“We are excited to welcome Jacquie and Matilyn to the Equest family,” said Equest CEO Lili Kellogg. “Both women have received the highest praise, and their skills and experience shine, as do their personalities.”
Jacquie Maddox returns to her hometown of Dallas after spending 15 years working in New York City. She brings a decade of progressive fundraising and communications experience to her new role as Director of Development, where she will be responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive and strategic fundraising programs and events.
Before returning to Texas, Maddox held the Director of Development position at The Town Hall, a 1,500-seat, 501c3 non-profit national historic landmark venue in the heart of New York City. At Town Hall, Maddox served as a senior leader responsible for all fundraising, finance, and operations activities to support the organization’s sustainability. While there, she successfully directed a $10 million dollar capital campaign. Prior to Town Hall, she worked at Girl Scouts of the USA as a Grants Specialist, National Dance Institute as Manager of Institutional Giving, and TheatreworksUSA where she started as the Development Associate and was promoted to Manager of Development. Maddox received her Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University and Bachelor of Science in Fashion Business and Management from Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York.
Matilyn Skinner joins Equest as the Development and Communications Associate where she will be responsible for social media and website management, organizing fundraising logistics, and developing collateral for events and marketing.
Before joining Equest, Skinner served as the Student-Athlete Programs Assistant for The Big 12 Conference in Irving. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations and academic honors from South Dakota State University where she served as Team Captain of the Division I Women’s Equestrian Team and the Equestrian Representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Originally from northwest Washington, Skinner grew up showing on the hunter/jumper A-rated circuit.
Founded in 1981, Equest provides equine assisted learning, therapies and counseling to children and adults with physical, cognitive, sensory, coping and learning disabilities and veterans with adjustment challenges. The services provided include physical and occupational therapy, equine facilitated counseling and equine assisted learning, therapeutic carriage driving, therapeutic horsemanship and competition. With the help of 30 therapy horses, eight instructors, four therapists, three counselors, and 700 volunteers, lives are changed for more than 2,000 served annually. Equest was the first PATH International Premier Accredited Center in Texas and remains one of the largest in the country. Equest offers an engaging volunteer program that provides 30,000 hours of direct program service opportunities each year. www.equest.org