The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) recently announced that Executive Director Margo Urad would end her term as Executive Director on December 6, 2021 and assume a new role as Director of Programs and Horse Show Development. In addition to this change, Mallory Maddox who held the position of Admin and Marketing Program Specialist left after this year’s Celebration.

In the executive committee meeting on Friday November 12, 2021, Urad addressed the executive committee and resigned her position as Executive Director effective immediately and will not accept the position of Director of Programs and Horse Show Development.  Also, Friday was the last day for Kristen Corbin who was Executive Assistant at TWHBEA.

It is no secret that tensions are high with not all of the executive committee in favor of the staffing moves.  From all accounts the last several executive committee meetings have been quite tense with a division on the path forward as well as who best to lead the association during this critical time as areas of disagreement.

The attention now turns to the upcoming election on the first weekend of December.  The nominating committee consisting of Jim Heiting, chairman, Bobby Beech, Mike Floyd, Robin Webb and Brad Woodruff, has nominated the following slate of officers for the upcoming year.

President – Ashley Wadsworth (MS)
Senior Vice President – Charles Gleghorn (TN)
Administrative/Fiscal – Kasey Kesselring (FL)
Breeders/Futurity – David Sisk (TN)
Marketing – Melanie Lawrence (KY)
Owner/Exhibitor/International – Joyce Moyer (OH)
Performance Horse – Lance Meisenheimer (IL)
Pleasure Horse – Kristen Reichard (PA)
Training – Thom Meek (TN)
Equine Welfare – France Bates (TN)
Member at Large/Youth – Chris Hazelwood (TN)
Member at Large ByLaws/Enforcement – Tom Kakassy (SC)
Secretary – Walt Chism

During the annual board of directors meeting on December 4, 2021, directors can nominate someone from the floor to run against any of the above directors selected by the nominating committee.  The new executive committee will be immediately faced with who to hire to lead TWHBEA moving forward.