Our Team
Jill Haag, Executive Director
Jill grew up in Virginia horse country and relocated to the Memphis area in late 2014. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Tech, and was previously employed as the Executive Director of EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program in Virginia Beach. She was the founding Executive Director of the We Promise Foundation, and served on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern Virginia, as well as the Virginia State Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Jill is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, and has been actively involved in the nonprofit industry since 1996.
Jill is married to Doug, and they have two boys, Jack and John. She continues to ride and enjoys spending time with her thoroughbreds, Rhett and Ben.
Sara Zurenko, Program Director and Head Instructor
Sara is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She studied Business Administration and Economics at Central Piedmont Community College and has been an avid equestrian for more than two decades in a multitude of disciplines, including riding, showing and training. She is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, mentor and is certified as a PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.
Sara enjoys spending time with her son, Ellison, and daughter, Charlotte.
Lizzie Cash, Marketing and Event Manager
Lizzie was born and raised in Germantown, TN, and moved to the Nashville area in the fall of 2018 after graduating from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing Management. While in Nashville, Lizzie pursued her passion for marketing by gaining experience in the healthcare and IT industries before moving back closer to home. Lizzie has loved horses from a very young age, and has experience volunteering for numerous organizations benefitting individuals with disabilities.
Outside of work, Lizzie enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and walking her dog, Millie.
Meredith Massa, Volunteer Coordinator
Meredith Massa was raised in North Carolina, where her lifelong love of horses began. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduation, she spent many years as a sales representative with Baptist Memorial Heath Care Corporation, building strong connections within the healthcare community.
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In 2019, Meredith began volunteering at Southern Reins, where she combined her passion for horses with her dedication to helping others.
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She is married to Joe Massa, and together they have two sons, Parker and Carson. Family and faith remain at the center of Meredith’s life, along with her continued involvement in equine-assisted programs.
Kirsten Barnette, Program Coordinator
Kirsten was born and raised in Germantown, Tennessee. She began her lifelong journey with horses as a working student at age 11 and has been passionate about equine education ever since. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science with an Equine Specialization from Southern Illinois University and has taught riding lessons in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. ​With experience in a variety of disciplines including hunters, jumpers, western, and dressage, Kirsten brings a diverse background and a strong foundation in horsemanship to her role at Southern Reins. She also has experience volunteering with other PATH Intl. certified centers and is currently pursuing her PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor certification.
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Outside of the barn, Kirsten enjoys creating art, practicing karate and yoga, playing board games, and spending time with her dog, Buddy, and her three cats - Dot, Echo, and Dolly.
Kaylee Hargett, Program Operations Assistant and Instructor
Kaylee was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, where her passion for helping both people and animals began at a young age. She joined the Southern Reins family as a volunteer in January 2024 and quickly fell in love with the horses, participants, and supportive community at the farm. Today, Kaylee serves as Southern Reins’ Program Operations Assistant while also supporting the organization as Volunteer Coordinator Assistant. Prior to joining the program team, she served as an Equine Care Assistant, gaining valuable hands-on experience caring for the therapy horses who make the mission possible each day.
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Kaylee received her PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor certification in 2026. When she is not at the farm, she enjoys spending time reading and spending time with friends and family.
Autumn Bultman, Education and Equine Care Assistant
Autumn was born and raised in Wisconsin. She graduated from UW-Platteville with a bachelor's degree in EC-MC Education and later obtained her farrier certification from Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School. Autumn was an elementary education teacher for 5 years before relocating to Memphis, TN and joining Southern Reins in 2026. She has worked with and owned horses since she was 5 years old, and has experience in multiple disciplines with an emphasis on breaking colts and barrel racing. Autumn is currently in pursuit of becoming certified as a PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, PATH Intl. Equine Assisted Learning
Facilitator in Education and PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor.
Outside of Autumn’s professional role, she enjoys spending time with her two adopted dogs, Doobie and Jagger, and her homebred, raised and trained 2029 futurity hopeful, DollyBeggedMeNotTo.
Virginia Roberts, Occupational Therapist
Virginia was born and raised in Kingsport, TN. After moving to Memphis for undergraduate studies at the University of Memphis she attended the University of Tennessee Health Science Center where she received a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2009. Since graduating summa cum laude, she has worked in several settings including adult acute care, community-based mental health, home health, and inpatient pediatrics. She has received specialized training through the American Hippotherapy Association and is a PATH Intl. Registered Therapist. She received her AHCB certification in October of 2022.
Virginia and her husband have seven children and live on their family farm, Maranatha Farms.
Rebekah Olsen, Instructor
Rebekah grew up in Southaven, Mississippi, and now resides in Collierville, Tennessee. She attended the University of Memphis, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish, followed by a Master of Arts in English. Her professional background is as diverse as her interests, encompassing roles as an entrepreneur, copywriter, and youth mentor. At age 12, her parents surprised her with an Appaloosa and a western saddle, sparking a journey that continues to this day. Currently, Rebekah rides hunter/jumper and enjoys doting on her lease horse, Mika.
Rebekah’s passion for horses and talent for teaching converged when she started volunteering at Southern Reins. She joined the program as an Instructor in January 2025. Rebekah is married to Matthew and has two daughters, Pippa and Daisy.
Kacie Butterworth, Occupational Therapist
Kacie is a licensed occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience specializing in pediatric care. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Kacie has received specialized training through the American Hippotherapy Association and is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapist. After working in various pediatric settings, Kacie transitioned to using equine movement in therapy, combining her clinical expertise with the sensory-rich environment of horses to help children thrive.
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Outside of work, Kacie enjoys being outdoors, playing tennis, and spending time with her husband, Alex, their three daughters, and their golden retriever.
London Arwood, Equine Care Assistant
London Arwood is a high school senior from Somerville, Tennessee, with a lifelong passion for animals and equine care. She began volunteering with Fayette County Animal Rescue at just seven years old, where her interest in animal health and veterinary medicine first took root. London joined the Southern Reins team in the summer of 2026 and is excited to combine her love of horses with her commitment to helping others. After graduation, London plans to attend Murray State University, where she hopes to compete on the collegiate rodeo team while pursuing a degree in Animal Science with a pre-veterinary focus.
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In her free time, London enjoys barrel racing with her mare, Ruby, and spending as much time as possible around horses.
Alicia Lartigue, Equine Care Assistant
From New Orleans and raised in Memphis, Alicia credits the horse for many life lessons learned. Alicia spent several years at Shelby Farms Stables where she led rides through the wooded trails and helped develop summer camp programs for children to learn the basics of horsemanship and share in the fun of riding. She enjoyed caring for the entire herd of horses at Shelby Farms, as well as for the four resident horses at Graceland, and found it inspiring to see visitors of all ages experience so much joy from interacting with horses.
Alicia began volunteering at Southern Reins as a Sidewalker in January 2019 and joined the program as a member of our equine care team in August of 2019.
