Meet Our Leadership Team
Dr. Evaine K. Sing
Board Chair
After being introduced to the Bella Terra Stables mission and programming, Evaine K. Sing almost immediately felt like it could be a good fit for her as she had been looking for a new board to join in a place where she felt she could add value and appreciate the work being done. She comes with experience in environmental, community development, and social service/governmental type organizations and has served on several boards as well as led one as a former executive director, making her familiar with the needs and demands on both sides. She is very operationally focused, and her strength is in implementation - figuring out how to take an idea and make it real. Because of her background in Landscape Architecture and commitment to sustainable environments with deep social impact, she sees that the farm’s location has a rich personal and ecological history, and the desire to restore this property is an amazing goal. Not only through her own designs and planning experience, but also through her extensive environmental network, she believes that the team can make some really beautiful things happen over time. Lastly, on a personal note, Evaine has a brother with significant physical and behavioral disabilities, and he has been riding horses as one of his therapies for years. He enjoys it immensely and she see the benefits provided to others like him in a very pure way. She and her sister used to ride as well, so she is familiar with (and nostalgic for) that connection from her childhood, though quite a bit rusty.
Ilse Eisele, LPC
Co Founder/Board Member
Ilse brings a strong foundation for compassionate service to Bella Terra Stables. Having lived abroad in Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Austria, Ilse possesses an informed global perspective on the human conditions of suffering and healing. After a 15-year career as a professional photographer, Ilse answered a calling to help victims of trauma and human trafficking and returned to university to become a licensed therapist. With a lifelong passion for horses, she became a certified mental health professional with EAGALA in 2019 adding yet another layer of expertise to her repertoire for therapeutic healing. In 2021, Ilse became a mental health practitioner for the OK Corral organization (specializing in horsemanship and psychotherapy) and is currently working on EMDR certification.
Ilse holds a B.A. in Psychology and a second B.A. in Communication Theory, as well as an M.A. in Professional Counseling Psychology from Washington Adventist University. Prior to joining Bella Terra Stables, she worked as a licensed therapist and counselor at Synergy Family Services in Hyattsville, MD, and the Family Wellness Center in Washington DC.
Amber Power
Co Founder/Board Member
Amber is the third generation of horse professionals in her family to make Murrysville, PA her home after returning from a 20-year career at Rock Creek Park Horse Center, a National Park Service unit located in Washington DC. As General Manager of the horse center, Amber was charged with managing and coordinating all aspects of numerous programs, riding instruction, equine therapy services, a 60 member staff, a 100+ volunteer force, private boarders, public events, summer camps, and the trusted care of 57 horses. As an employee of the National Park Service concessionaire, Guest Services, Inc., Amber was responsible for the annual $1M budget and contract relations between corporate headquarters and the National Park Service federal unit. Amber’s frequent witnessing of the healing powers of horses during her tenure at the horse center led her to seek and achieve certification as an EAGALA Equine Specialist in 2018 resulting in the creation of the equine therapy program as a new service offering at Rock Creek Park Horse Center. In 2021, Amber went on to get certified in the OK Corral Series focusing on horsemanship and equine-assisted psychotherapy as well as an ARCH (Arenas for Change) horse professional focusing on narrative therapy in treatment approaches. In 2023 she completed training in EquiLateral as an equine professional.
Laura McGee
Board Member
Laura McGee has spent much of her life as a fierce and passionate advocate. Whether it be for her four children, family, and friends, past clients she served while Director of CRR/DOM programs for a local nonprofit, or in her role as Housing Specialist on one of Mercy Behavioral Health's Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACT), Laura utilized a person-centered, trauma-informed approach as the voice for countless individuals and continues to do so. She does not look at a situation and see limits; instead, she focuses on possibilities. For example, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, she dedicated her time to aiding the vaccination initiative through a personal campaign that focused on removing universal barriers for 400+ individuals seeking the opportunity to receive the vaccine. In addition, she successfully envisioned two family-centered yearly fundraisers, Bella Terra's Halloween Festival and A Day of Magic which welcomed nearly 1,600 guests from nine counties to the farm. With an excitable eagerness, she is committed to sharing her passion for the healing, resilience-oriented work done at the stables with as many families, organizations, providers, schools, and community leaders as possible to expand Bella Terra Stables' reach through the Pittsburgh region and surrounding counties..
Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah MD, MPH, FAAP
Board Member
Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, FAAP is a distinguished pediatrician, pediatric emergency medicine specialist, and EMS expert. She serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and holds several leadership roles at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, including EMS Medical Director and Medical Director of Prehospital and EMS Services.
Dr. Owusu-Ansah is nationally recognized for her pivotal contributions to prehospital pediatric care. She was a co-lead author of the Pediatric Education for Prehospital Providers (PEPP) curriculum, the Pediatric Prehospital Readiness Policy Statement, and serves on the National Committee for Pediatric Prehospital Readiness. She also chairs the research committee of the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) board, advocating for evidence-based protocols in pediatric emergency services.
In addition to her clinical and academic leadership, Dr. Owusu-Ansah spearheaded the first anti-racism statement at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, co-leads inclusive pipeline programs for underserved middle school students, and holds national task-force positions with the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) and NREMT.
Her holistic approach to wellness, education, equity, and empowerment perfectly aligns with the mission of Bella Terra Stables. We are honored to welcome her leadership, vision, and commitment to inclusivity and youth development to our board.
Cynthia Seale
Board Member
With a reverence for the healing power of horses and nature, Cynthia Seale brings an entrepreneurial spirit to Bella Terra Stables. As a semi-retired Landscape Architect, her career path has spanned both the private and non-profit sectors. Cynthia has spent decades creating eco-sensitive landscapes and communities - promoting green infrastructure, working to save a river and its watershed, and designing outdoor learning centers for public elementary schools that double as Community Parks in underserved urban neighborhoods. Equine interests have remained with her since childhood. As an encore career, she is currently practicing Equus Coaching, guiding cognitively sound adults and youth through interpersonal development, co-facilitated by horses. Cynthia has served on numerous board of directors for civic organizations and has served as a volunteer for several equestrian centers dedicated to horse rescue, sanctuary and equine therapy for children and veterans. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture and is certified as an Equus Coach® through the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching.
Katharine McHugh
Board Member
Katharine McHugh is passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, human-centered design, and creating excellent customer experiences, including for horses! She worked in international development for more than 11 years -- primarily on market-based water and sanitation projects -- before transitioning to domestic non-profit work with AARP as a Senior Experience Designer, a role in which she is committed to helping people choose how they live as they age. Katharine has an MBA from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Science in Control of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is honored to participate as a board member of Bella Terra Stables, in particular because it is an opportunity to help care for these retired horses who previously cared for her during riding lessons at Rock Creek Horse Center, a National Park Service unit located in Washington DC.
Jefferey Fromknecht, MSW
General Counsel
Jeff is a lawyer, author, and speaker who has a passion for helping others. He is the the co-founder and Managing Attorney of Side Project Inc. Jeff is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and Florida. He holds graduate degrees in both social work and law and has more than 15 years of experience working at nonprofit organizations in a variety of direct-service and management roles.