NEER North’s president and founder, has been involved with horses for over 40 years. After serving as a board member of a Rhode Island-based rescue, in 2005, she started her own Massachusetts rescue in 2008, which received 501c3 status as New England Equine Rescue-North, Inc., in 2011. A licensed riding instructor and member of multiple horse-related organizations, Mary works with other equine rescues locally and nationally to advocate for equine welfare and to raise public awareness of and support for rescue activities.
Caitlin has volunteered to support the NEER North Events team since 2016, co-chairing the annual auction from 2017-2018. In her professional life, she manages a team of software developers for a consulting company and is the head of the corporate giving program. She is skilled in project management and technology operations, with experience supporting finance, sales, marketing, and IT. Caitlin was a licensed wildlife rehabber in the state of Massachusetts before moving to New Hampshire and she is passionate about helping animals of all sizes, with an especially deep, lifelong love for the four-legged equine variety!
Caroline Matterson has been involved with horses most of her life and has long been committed to equine rescue, joining NEER North in 2008 and serving as a NEER North founding board member and treasurer until 2012. She spent the next five years at the MSPCA Nevins Farm sharing her knowledge and experience managing their tack shop, increasing revenue yearly, and chairing beach and trail ride fundraisers among her many contributions. Caroline rejoined NEER North in June 2018 and currently manages the Tack Shop with a team of dedicated volunteers. Under her guidance, the Tack Shop continues to grow and provide one of the consistent sources of funding for NEER North. Not one to sit around after her retirement in 2011, Caroline joined the Maudslay State Park Association in May 2012. She has continued to serve on the board as the elected treasurer since 2016. Caroline’s professional experience includes executive roles in computer, retail, and business ownership as well as her work in the non-profit arena. She brings a depth of organizational experience to NEER North along with her extensive equine knowledge and her familiarity with the equine community in the area. Caroline also cares for the two equines she adopted, Red Star Clint, and Violet giving them a loving forever home.
Annie grew up on the Northshore and has been a licensed riding instructor for over 40 years. She was assistant trainer at Meadow Ridge Farm in Essex for many years, changing her focus from Hunt Seat to Eventing and Dressage before going out on her own as a free lance instructor. She enjoyed working with young riders during their Pony Club years as well as with young horses and re-starting and training many OTTBs over the years. She also had a successful career as a Cancer Program Coordinator for several area hospitals. Anne supports the NEER North Events Team (co-chairing the 2019 Auction) and volunteers in the NEER North Tack Shop as well as a hospice volunteer for Care Dimensions. She currently trains and cares for Icelandic Horses, but enjoys working with all breeds.
Linda started volunteering for NEER in May of 2021. She then went on to manage one of NEER’s satellite barns in Merrimac. When that closed, Linda came to volunteer at the main West Newbury farm and has held various titles, such as volunteer coordinator, bookkeeper, and barn manager. Linda has been involved with horses for almost 40 years. She has volunteered and worked in different therapeutic riding programs in FL, MA and NV and is a licensed MA riding instructor. Linda holds an AA in ASL studies and is currently pursuing her degree in American Sign Language Interpreting at UNH Manchester. Linda has worked in the human services field for almost 30 years and is currently working for a local nonprofit program that supports both adults and children with various cognitive and physical disabilities. Besides her love of horses, she is also a dog lover and volunteers for a local dog rescue organization in the area.
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Dr. Derek Cavatorta is a large animal veterinarian and owner of Black Brook Veterinary Services, based in Hamilton, MA. He grew up in Rowley and attended Triton Regional High School. He earned his B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Massachusetts before completing veterinary school and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Cornell University. Dr. Derek finds his work at NEER very rewarding and enjoys providing medical assistance for equines in need.
Kathryn is an avid horsewoman who has supported NEER North since 2015 and works with NEER North horses at Abenaki Farm. She adopted two horses from NEER, Hottie in 2019 and Pye in 2020. In her professional life, she is a Managing Partner of KPinC Consulting, LLC where she provides proposal and grant management, market analysis, competitive assessment, and mergers and acquisition analysis.
Sue is a Professional Trustee, horse owner, and animal lover. Sue has been a Neer North supporter and volunteer since 2014. She has had a long career as a Financial Advisor. Sue’s emphasis is to assist Neer North to continue solid financial growth. Sue and her husband Chris share an off the track thoroughbred, Junior. Junior was previously an Outrider’s horse. In their spare time, they enjoy trail and beach rides, and competing in dressage shows.
Nicole Reilly is the mother of four children and has been a criminal defense practitioner in both the District and Superior Courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for over 19 years. She is licensed to practice law both in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the State of New Hampshire. In 2020, Attorney Reilly was honored by the Commission on the Status of Women as a Commonwealth Heroine of Massachusetts relating to her pro bono advocacy for the survivors of domestic violence and their children. She is also trained as a Certified Conciliator, is on the Board of Directors for the Newburyport Bar Association, is a panel member on the Innocence Program Pre-Screen Panel for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Committee. Further, Attorney Reilly has been a sole presenter and a panelist for several Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education programs involving a range of criminal justice issues. She has offices in Amesbury, Massachusetts and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.