Staff  

Executive Director

Kathy McGettrick brings extensive leadership experience to Southlands, following a career as a senior executive at IBM. Her connection to Southlands is longstanding and personal. Kathy's daughter Emily boarded and rode her horse, Sheba, at Southlands for many years. Kathy has remained actively engaged with Southlands, serving multiple terms on the Board of Directors and volunteering with programs such as Samaritan-Daytop and the Anderson School. She is honored to serve as Executive Director, and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to support and advance the mission of The Southlands Foundation.

Barn Director

Jenn D’Agostino ran Southlands’ barn and ground operations for over two decades and has recently returned to her post after a nearly 15 year hiatus while raising her daughter and working for the Rhinebeck Independent School District.

Assistant Barn Manager

Emma Mearkle rode her first horse at age 4 at a small barn near her childhood home on Long Island, developing a life-long love of horses and ultimately earning a spot on the SUNY New Paltz Equestrian Team. Emma completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2023 and is currently working on her PATH certification, a nationwide program training specialists in equine therapies. Ms. Mearkle enjoys working with children, teaches introductory lessons to some of our youngest riders, was our Nature Camp Director in summer of 2023 and 2024 and then promoted to the full time position of Assistant Barn Manager. Emma also leads our equine assisted programs with The Anderson Center for Autism and teaches riding lessons to participants from Ramapo for Children.

Client Operations Manager

Carly has been a true horse lover since the age of five, getting her start at Bonny Lass Stables where she worked and rode for 15 years. She holds a BFA from SUNY Purchase and brings a wide range of experience from hospitality and art galleries to theatrical and tech operations.

At Southlands, she manages lesson scheduling and client operations, supports events and marketing, and assists with the development of new programs. She loves combining her lifelong passion for horses with her background in creative and operational work to support the Southlands community!

Office Manager

Sue Haug has been in service, management & operations for many decades. After a few years in hospitality, running an inn, a full service restaurant and managing a division of a grocery story, Sue began work at the Culinary Institute of America, initially signing on to work in their Financial Aid Office. As the college expanded, Sue was tapped to manage their newly built Student Recreation Center, a job she held for over 30 years. Sue joined Southlands in the wake of the pandemic and has been running our office for almost 4 years. Originally from Ghent, Ms. Haug now lives in Staatsburg with her husband, daughter and three dashchunds.

Farrier

Hilary Cloos is equal parts vet, blacksmith and mechanic and has been Southlands’ preferred farrier for many years (Ms. Cloos also works with other noted clients around the Hudson Valley). Hilary holds a BS in Physics from Harvard and a Farrier Certificate from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Ms. Cloos rode her first horse at age 7 on Cape Cod and was a member of Harvard’s Equestrian Club team. Hilary lives in New Paltz, NY with her husband and when not looking after horses, enjoys running, biking, hiking and practicing her French horn skills.