Two-Legged Team

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Julie Jensen, PhD, Executive Director

Julie began volunteering for HorsePower in 2023 as a Mentor while also serving as an Organizational Consultant. In January of 2024 she accepted the position as HorsePower’s Executive Director. Julie is a retired educator having spent 28 years in public education as a classroom teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist for the LSR7 School District. After retirement, Julie was searching for something to “fill her heart” like the role of a teacher had done for years. She felt that working with the HorsePower students along with horses would be a perfect fit. HorsePower is blessed to be receiving Julie’s passion and leadership.

Hilary Funk, Program Instructor; Board Chair
Natural Lifemanship Trained; CPR & First Aid Certified

Hilary began volunteering for HorsePower in 2020. She began serving as a mentor and quickly accepted a larger role as the HorsePower Board Chair. She then began training to become and started teaching at the end of 2021. Hilary has long known the power of horses. She attributes their “friendship” to helping her get through the struggles of her teenage years. Hilary works for Family Center Farm & Home as the Footwear & Accessories Buyer.

Shannon Gammon, Program Director; Instructor
CCHI Certified; CPR & First Aid Certified; EAL Trained; EAGALA Trained

Shannon has been involved in HorsePower since the beginning. First as a horse donor for the program, then a mentor which quickly transitioned in to instructor’s assistant and then instructor. Shannon has over 10 years experience as a Youth Director in Lee’s Summit, is the Director of Communications for Country Club Christian Church and owns Savvy Graphix. Her past youth leadership experiences, passion for foster and adopted children (having been adopted herself) and desire to serve God have all led to her current role as HorsePower Instructor.

Nancy Leslie, Program Instructor
PATH Certified; CCHI Certified; CPR & First Aid Certified

Nancy began serving HorsePower as a HorseHandler in 2008, then mentored, and soon become an instructor. She is no stranger to jeans and boots having grown up on a 2000 acre family farm & ranch in central Missouri. She showed Charolais cattle in 4-H, was a member of the American International Junior Charolais Association, showed horses and competed in fun shows. As an adult she owned, trained and competed horses in Cross Country 3-day Eventing and was a Board Member for the Mid-America Combined Training Association. Currently, Nancy is an Electrical Designer for Gibbens, Drake, Scott Inc, is active in her church doing outreach events, leading Bible Studies and sharing her love for Jesus. Nancy continues to improve her riding skills and inspire others to never give up by barrel racing on her quarter horse Digger. She has two step-daughters and a son.

Katie Shellenberger, Equine Therapist
LMSW; Natural Lifemanship Trained, CPR & First Aid Certified

Katie began volunteering with HorsePower in 2008. She initially served as a HorseHandler, then Lead HorseHandler, then Mentor and now is a HorsePower Instructor. It has been a long time desire of Katie’s to merge her passion for horses and her desire to work with at-risk youth. Being a HorsePower Instructor is the perfect fit. Katie grew up riding horses and showing dressage. She is currently operating her own dressage training business in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2021 Katie graduated from the University of Missouri with her Masters in Social Work with a clinical focus. She is currently pursuing supervision for her LCSW and certification through Natural Lifemanship. Katie is working as a therapist for Lee’s Summit Counseling Services and offering group and individual Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy through HorsePower.

Torey Geiger, Founder
CCHI Certified; PATH Certified; EAGALA Trained; EAL Trained Certified; CPR & First Aid Certified

Around 2004, God put a desire in Torey’s heart to use horses to bring healing to children with emotional and behavioral problems. While developing the HorsePower program, she and her husband Mike decided to become foster adopt parents. Both pursuits focused on helping abused & neglected children. Having owned and shown horses in her youth, connecting with a grad student at Washburn University to create a study on HorsePower and pursuing NARHA (now PATH) certification all culminated in the creation of the HorsePower program, helping hundreds of children through the years.

Certification Abbreviations:

  • CCHI: Christian Camping Horsemanship International
  • EAGALA: Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association
  • EAL: Equine Assisted Learning
  • PATH: Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship