Our Directors &
Advisory Members
P. Pearl O'Rourke, M.D.
President
(Patricia) Pearl O’Rourke grew up in Bristol, attended Bristol Eastern High School before going to college and Harvard Medical School. She worked as a pediatric intensive care doctor in Boston and Seattle until 1998 at which time she accepted a position at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in health policy. In 2001, she returned to Partners Healthcare in Boston as the director of the legal and ethical oversight of research involving human participants. She recently retired from Partners and is splitting her time between Boston, MA and Plymouth, CT. She comes to the Board of Directors with a long-held interest in horses and experience in healthcare and research.
Larry Gonzalez
Vice President
A native Floridian, Larry moved to Connecticut to attend graduate school. He became involved at the farm in part because of his interest in the thoroughbred industry. He’s an attorney who works for Allied World Assurance Company in Farmington, and has lived in Bristol for more than 15 years.
Mark Davison
Secretary
Mark became involved with the center in the fall of 2020 when he participated in our Veterans Program. He is a US Marine Corps Veteran. He values his time at the center so much, that he is now a dedicated volunteer helping in program and he takes horseback riding lessons on a weekly basis. He joined the Advisory Board in 2021 and became a member of the board in 2022. He is also Indy’s biggest fan!
Affiliation: Connecticut State Police
Liz Lefrancois
Board Member
Liz was awarded the 2020 Volunteer of the Year for PATH, Intl. Region 1 which covers the U.S. Northeast and Eastern Canada. A Bristol native, Liz is a retired Guidance Counselor from the Bristol School District. She has been volunteering at the center for over 10 years in a variety of capacities. She helps with facilities, program and even takes riding lessons under our volunteer/community riding program.
Michael Higgins
Board Member
Michael is a Bristol resident born and raised. He is also a 20+ year member of the Bristol Public School System serving as an English teacher, a High School Assistant Principal and currently as the Principal of Bristol Eastern High School. Michael began frequenting the farm with his daughter in the summer of 2020 and they continue to participate in programming that the farm offers year round. His wife Nicole is a real-estate agent in town and an active supporter of the farm, helping to sponsor Lola this past year.
Andrea Lanese
Board Member
Andrea is a lifelong horse lover and credits her grandmother for introducing her to her herd of palominos at age six. Andrea showed her first horse, Honey as a hunter–jumper through her teenage years. After building her career as a Human Resources executive, and with her family now grown, she wanted to return to this earlier passion. She began volunteering with Shepard Meadow in ’22 and started riding again this past year, gaining some dressage skills with her favorite mount, Moses. Andrea, her husband Brian, and Daughter Jillian live in Wolcott. She currently is a Human Resources executive with Barnes in Bristol, CT. Andrea is also a Board Member of the Main Street Community Foundation.
Daniel Zakin
Board Member
Daniel, an engineer and resident of West Hartford, CT, Daniel became involved with Shepard Meadows as a volunteer with Facilities, then Program, as a rider and finally as Board of Director.
Brett Arruda
Board Member
Brett, Arruda, Esq., is a long-time supporter of Shepard Meadows and our mission. He is an Attorney at CapSpecialty-A Berkshire Hathaway Company in Hartford, and he lives in West Hartford, CT. With two grown and independent children he is looking forward to giving back to the community in a meaningful way.
Veronica Marshall
Board Member
Veronica (Roni) Marshall became involved in Shepard Meadows in 2024, as a rider and volunteer. Her passion for horses and dedication to serving her community lead her to become further involved with us.
Jayne Perzan
Board Member
Jayne has been an active volunteer at Shepard Meadows for several years, helping out with barn chores, youth programs, and retreats. Through her volunteer work, she has found meaningful connection with the people, horses, and programs that make Shepard Meadows special. Jayne brings nearly 30 years of leadership experience from The Hartford, where she serves as AVP of IT Management. She is grateful for the opportunity to give back and support the farm’s mission as a member of the Board of Directors.
Bryan Cassidy
Advisory Member
Bryan resides in Burlington and helps maintain the website and provides other technical guidance to Shepard Meadows. He was awarded Hartford Business Journal's C-Suite Award in 2023. Bryan served on the Board of Directors from 2022-2023.
Thomas Ward, M.D.
Advisory Member
Tom and his wife Christine live in Bristol, CT. As a local pediatrician, he understands our work and how we are a resource to children in the community.
Meghan Houle
Advisory Member
Meghan is the Founder & CEO of Conce. She is an executive search leader and hiring strategist with more than 20 years’ experience. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the future of hiring, AI, leadership, career strategy and workforce transformation. Meghan has supported the fund-raising and special event efforts of the organization for over five years.
Christopher Weber,
DVM
Honorary Member
Dr. Weber practices out of Salmon Brook Veterinary, he and the practice have cared for our therapy herd since our inception. A graduate of Tufts Veterinary School, Dr. Weber is the 2021 PATH, Intl. Veterinarian of the Year for Region One, and we couldn’t be more proud!