Our Team

Gina Kuttrus

Founder, Executive Director

Gina, founder of For the Love of Aria, found her purpose in life rescuing and rehabilitating mustangs. A licensed nurse by trade, Gina has always had a passion for alleviating the suffering of others. When her daughter Abby was born with severe disabilities, she realized her love for serving and helping those in need would transfer into the realm of horses. Abby received the grim prognosis from doctors that she would never walk or talk. Gina, refusing to be subjected to those limits, started diving into adjunct therapies and healing modalities to give Abby the best chance possible at a happy, healthy life.

When Abby was about two years old, Gina discovered hippotherapy and their lives began to take a turn for the better. Horses proved to be the healers that Abby needed, and she began making progress in leaps and bounds. Abby is now able to halter, lead, groom, and ride horses independently. She can now make eye contact, which far exceeded anyones highest expectations for someone of her unique needs. Horses brought the entire Kuttrus family a sense of connection, resonance and understanding.

When Gina saw the power that horses had to reach Abby, she knew she had to take care of the horses that were taking care of her. She has since dedicated her life to discovering the best care for and training of horses as possible. She has studied many different healing modalities, and as 2018 came she was introduced to the world of wild horse and mustang rescue and rehabilitation. A new chapter was unfolding in her life and the mustang mission began in 2019.

Shannon Garrison Negi

Board President

Shannon’s career spans more than 24 years of varied experience in financial accounting, audit, revenue cycle and budget operations, business planning, corporate strategy, business leadership, technology, and long-term financial forecasting.

She is currently leading her own consulting firm, supporting corporate leaders and small businesses to achieve greater employee retention rates, drive profit, and increase productivity. She puts her decades of experience to work not only financially, but also in changing corporate culture from the top down.

Previously in her career, Shannon held a succession of finance leadership positions at Bronco Utah Mine, New Classrooms Innovation Partners, iHeart Radio, On Location Experiences, Cinedigm, Capitol Music Group, Kaplan Thaler, Warner Music Group, PWC & Deloitte. Shannon is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University.

In her spare time, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, traveling, and rescuing wild Mustangs along with other horses in need.

Stacy McClure

Board Vice President

Stacy, a Colorado native, has been a phlebotomist at UCHealth for 16 years. She previously worked as a Criminal Investigator for a Public Defender office and in Private Practice. A musician and skilled photographer, Stacy enjoys exploring Colorado's outdoors with her husband, spending time at their cabin in Crested Butte, and photographing animals. She loves traveling and has participated in FTLOA’s mustang gentling clinics with Anna Twinney for three consecutive years. Stacy lends her talent and passion as a photographer for our mustangs at Stormie Acres and for the mustangs in Sand Wash Basin.

Tom Kuttrus

Board Treasurer

Tom is a founding member of FTLOA who, with his family, has been actively involved since the beginning. His day job takes him to Highlands Ranch working with Aztec Consultants since it’s beginning in 1996. Aztec also has a huge foundation of family and making people feel welcome to join in all that needs to be done. As an owner, he has learned to have the hard conversations and make decisions that he knows will affect everyone involved. This is also where his strengths lie as the treasurer on the FTLOA board. Upon arriving home to the ranch after a day at the office, he spends hours taking care of all of the equines and doing whatever is needed around the ranch. Knowing that this organization gives his daughter a purposeful life is what keeps him going and doing whatever it takes, for horse and human.

Emily Kuttrus

Board Secretary

Emily has been an integral part of For the Love of Aria since the beginning. She has been working with and riding horses since she was 6 years old, when she was 11 she started volunteering at a horse rescue and learned she had a passion for helping horses in need. There is not an aspect of rescue Emily hasn't experienced with FTLOA. When she graduated from high school, she thought she wanted to be a veterinarian, but her first semester in college took her down a different path in nursing. Now, Emily is an EMT and currently in the fire academy on her way to being a firefighter in her hometown of Kiowa. Helping others when they are in a time of need has always been Emily's passion and will always be a part of who she is. As Emily moves more towards spending her days as a first responder and less at the barn, being on the board is her way of staying involved with all the equines and their needs.

Trish Lay

Board Member At-Large

Trish has worked for and been involved with nonprofits for over 20 years. She has had the honor of being a part of FTLOA for over 6 years, watching it grow from a conversation in a restaurant to the magical Mustang Mission it is today. Trish grounds her experience in business with her knowledge in horses and continues to be an active advocate for FTLOA and for the horses they give a voice to that otherwise goes unheard.

These days, Trish’s involvement is more from the sidelines, helping wherever and however she is able and can lend a voice. Yet, she remains a steadfast champion to Gina, her family, and all the hard work they accomplish daily.

Trish is pictured here with Bodhi [aka Hayden], a Sand Wash Basin mustang she adopted in 2024

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