Our Team

Equestrian Services, LLC, a company that caters to the various needs of the equestrian community, is the brain child of Michael M. Donovan, a former award-winning landscape designer and contractor, and his wife Jennifer Donovan, a life-long horse owner and competitive dressage rider. Although Equestrian Services was officially launched in the year 2000, it has been evolving since the couple met in California over a decade ago.

Michael Donovan, Principal

Michael Donovan, principal of Equestrian Services, has more than 20 years of experience in planning, project management, and construction, with a broad range of programming, design, development, and in-field experience in community, resort, municipal project, and private residential development. This experience is augmented by his formal scientific training and earlier work in academic research and environmental consulting. His current project work includes: equestrian amenity feasibility studies, equestrian community master planning, development, and marketing, equestrian facility planning, design, construction, and management, riding arena evaluation, design, renovation, construction, and maintenance, and barn operations management and business planning.

Michael’s in-field project management experiences began with design/build landscape contracting and included completing a California Landscape Contractor’s Association award-winning project in Fairbanks Ranch, while vice president of RBM Enterprises in San Diego, in 1992. Michael’s first "horse project”, the Albert Court Ltd. Linda Allen Grand Prix course, which was completed prior to the 1992 Volvo World Cup in Del Mar, California, was connected to the complete landscaping of the farm he completed with RBM Enterprises. He then worked with the Los Angeles-based environmental consulting firm Meredith/Boli & Associates, developing and performing large-scale environmental assessments and mitigation projects, including work on the PG&E “Erin Brockovich” project and remediating underground storage tank issues at Bank of America Data Centers throughout the United States.

After returning to the east coast in the mid-1990s, Michael and his wife Jennifer, a life-long equestrian, began developing Equestrian Services, LLC. Initially providing complete equestrian-related contracting services in Maryland, but wanting to offer the highest-quality services to the broadest group of clients, they grew Equestrian Services into the planning, design, and operations company it is today. Since its establishment in 2000, Michael has had direct involvement with more than 200 clients, including private farm owners, international community and resort developers, municipal governments, and national agencies.

The rigor and precision encountered throughout the firm’s work is based in Michael’s scientific training. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Vermont and his M.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. His commitment to both the development and equestrian industries is demonstrated by his membership in the Urban Land Institute, the American Resort Development Association, the National Frame Builders Association, the US Equestrian Federation, US Equestrian Team Foundation, the Maryland and Virginia Horse Councils, and his lead partnership role with the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource. He also currently holds a Contractor’s License.

Jennifer Donovan, Principal

Jennifer Donovan, co-founder and visionary for Equestrian Services, LLC and Equestrian Management, LLC, has owned and cared for horses for over 35 years. She comes from a family of equestrians; her mother currently owns seven horses and, at the age of 65, trains daily and competes in dressage. Growing up in Maryland, Jennifer was an avid pony clubber and hunter/jumper competitor. In her adult life, she began the transition into dressage while living in California.

Jennifer learned business practices in the field from her father, who started a temporary staffing service in the 1970s. She initially worked alongside her father after completing her B.A. degree from the University of Maryland and watched this business grow from a one-office company to a publicly-traded international powerhouse.

After a move to California in the 1980s, Jennifer spent the next 16 years in the film and video industry, first serving as script supervisor on several feature films and music videos, and then as producer, director, writer, and editor for environmental and social-issue documentaries for television. During this time, she also served as Barn Manager for a residential community in southern California. In the late eighties, Jennifer founded Earth Vision Productions, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide quality educational documentaries to schools, interpretive centers, museums, and television. That organization is still active and is celebrating its 15th year.

Jennifer Donovan has an intricate knowledge of equestrian facilities, including riding arenas, footing, fencing, pasture renovation, and construction, as well as all horse-related care and activities. She has a proven track record of interpersonal skills that enables the development of relationships with customers, staff, and equestrian community organizations, as well as effective oral and written communication skills. She prides herself on excellent planning, organizational, and follow-up skills and has demonstrated superior leadership and true equestrian management skills. Teamed with other market analysis professionals, Jennifer is positioned to provide comprehensive services for residential and resort developers, as well as municipality administrators. With her first-hand knowledge of the development process, she, along with other team members, are able to provide market research, data analysis, and marketing strategy to create focused buyer and customer profiles that allow her team to determine exactly which equestrian amenities, equestrian services, and programs are the highest and have the best use for a project to optimize sales and increase return on investment for our clients.

After 35 years in the equestrian industry, Jennifer had a vision of raising the bar in the equestrian services industry. This vision encompassed creating a professional standard for quality design that focuses on safety and efficiency of care, all the while creating an equine profession built on sound business practices, customer service, and quality management, training, and instruction.

Jennifer currently trains and competes in dressage, she has earned her USDF Bronze Medal, and she is halfway to earning her Silver Medal on Renard, her Dutch Warmblood imported from Holland.

Gary Henry, CEO

Gary Henry was tapped by Equestrian Services, LLC (EQSV) and Equestrian Management, LLC (EQMT) to serve as CEO in November of 2006.

Gary has more than 30 years of experience, spanning leadership, strategy, business process, change management, finance, I.T., and marketing. His ability to reconcile financial goals with process improvement and technological change has helped many organizations evolve to the next level.

With Gary’s experience in process, technology, finance, and marketing, he has helped Equestrian Services, LLC and Equestrian Management, LLC implement initiatives appropriate for our organization’s size and stage of development, with the ultimate goal of serving our clients and their needs as a priority every step of the way. Gary continues to provide a broad perspective in order to discover opportunities, as well as deep experience to focus on what really matters. Prior to founding G F Henry and Associates (and joining EQSV and EQMT), Gary was Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Dominion Digital, a business process and technology consulting firm for many leading companies in the mid-Atlantic region. Gary served as CEO from 2001 through 2003, when Dominion Digital was named one of the 50 fastest-growing Virginia companies by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining Dominion Digital, Gary was with General Electric for 26 years, where he received numerous awards for leadership in business process re-engineering, operations management, business startup, marketing, sales, information systems, e-commerce, and product development. At the age of 22, Gary started a new business for General Electric in Europe, and over the period of six years, he opened six offices across the continent. As a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Gary is an expert in business process improvement, Six Sigma, Lean methods, and change leadership.

Michele Schwartz, Architect/Equine Land Planner

Michele Schwartz has joined the company as Architect and Equine Planner, where she will design equestrian facility site layouts and provide architectural consultation for the associated buildings. Schwartz is a Registered Architect in Virginia and Indiana, with more than 10 years of experience in the field, including projects in the education, civic, health care, residential, and commercial markets.

"It's an exciting time to be part of equestrian development," says Schwartz. "As an avid rider, I am delighted to help Equestrian Services conceive and build top-notch horse amenities. This company has such a commitment to ensuring that both horse and rider have access to the highest-quality facilities."

"I have always been interested in horses and design, so you could say this opportunity had my name written on it," she adds.

Schwartz comes to Equestrian Services with impressive credentials, including a degree in architecture from Kent State University. While at Kent, Schwartz participated in the study-abroad program in Florence, Italy. She has also attended various continuing education seminars and conferences on Land Planning, Urban Planning, Sustainable Design, and Solar Energy.

Michele and her horse, Jet Set, compete in eventing. They competed at the very first American Eventing Championships. Michele is also Assistant Editor for Optimum Times, the USEA Area II quarterly newsletter, and she is an active Area II Adult Rider member.

Damon S. DeVito, Managing Director, Affinity Management - Strategic Partner for Management Services

As a Founder of Affinity Management, Mr. DeVito initiates business-development contacts and oversees business planning and marketing at its clients' properties. Prior to, and since, co-founding Affinity Management, Mr. DeVito has created membership launches for new clubs, rejuvenated stalled membership recruitment at existing clubs, conducted golf-course acquisition and feasibility studies for private investors and developers, and created and implemented turnaround plans for existing golf properties. He has consulted for golf-management companies, including Billy Casper Golf Management and EAGL. Mr. DeVito has also advised other golf-related businesses, including publishers and manufacturers, on strategy, marketing, and e-commerce opportunities.

Prior to forming Affinity, Mr. DeVito was the Membership Director and Director of Real Estate at Keswick Club and Estate, from its third year of operation forward. Keswick faced the challenge of being the newest and most costly entrant to the sixth-most saturated private club market in the U.S. Mr. DeVito spearheaded member recruitment efforts expanded club membership from 38 golf members in 1994 to over 325 in 1997. During that span, Keswick was the only private club in the market to experience growth in non-real-estate-oriented membership recruitment.

Prior to his attending Darden, Mr. DeVito was a consultant with the Boston-based Corporate Decisions, Inc. (CDI, now Mercer and Associates). At CDI, Mr. DeVito provided strategic counsel on marketing strategies, sales force issues, and product development to Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. DeVito has a MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, where he finished in the top ten percent of his class and was awarded the Samuel Forrest Hyde Fellowship Award, as well as the Class of 1967 scholarship.

Mr. DeVito also holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Finance from the Wharton School of Business. As an undergraduate, Mr. DeVito co-founded the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union, a student-run credit union with a 100% volunteer workforce that is now the largest of its kind in the nation, with deposits of $8.4 million.

John Tarkany, Landscape Architect / Master Land Planner

John Tarkany, award-winning Landscape Architect and Master Land Planner, has joined the Equestrian Services Design Team to help round out and enhance our service offerings. John is a licensed Landscape Architect, who brings over 25 years of experience with resort and community master-planning and design. His creativity and interest in sustainable design has put him at the forefront of this new movement. Blending natural areas with human desires in a way that partners with the environment and brings forth a sense of place and lifestyle, all integrated in telling and experiencing a powerful story, is the cornerstone of his philosophy.

The Equestrian Services team met John several years ago, while he was working for DesignWorks and creating the master plan for a 4,400-acre property, owned by Blanchard and Calhoun Developers of Augusta, Georgia. This project included master planning and site development, including site analysis, programming, budgeting, and site design of the equestrian center, as well as paddock areas, over 15 miles of trails, and associated single-family homesites. A Conservation Easement was also placed on 3,300 acres as an open-space nature preserve.

John brings extensive knowledge and experience, and he has previously recruited, mentored and managed a staff that grew to 22 designers and support personnel. He coordinated the scheduling, implementation and completion of numerous master-planning and site-design projects, led marketing efforts regarding new projects, developed and implemented project quality-control and human-resources standards for the office, and served on several Architectural Review Boards in the Charleston area.

Other notable projects include The Sanctuary/Kiawah Golf Resort, located on Kiawah Island in South Carolina, a ten-acre oceanfront luxury hotel and resort complex. This project received a 5-Star Diamond Rating from AAA and includes a 150-room hotel, a beach promenade, a swimming pool complex, one-half mile entry drive, pedestrian and bicycle paths, a butterfly garden, a kitchen garden, and a parking area. John designed the conceptual master plan, produced construction drawings, and provided construction administration for the project.

• Landscape Architecture License #508
• Member, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) since 1983
• Member, South Carolina Landscape Architects Advisory Board (5-year term: 2008 to 2013)
• Member, Urban Land Institute (ULI) since 2007

Rhonda Gailey, Project Director and Brand Control

Rhonda Gailey has been promoted to Director of O'Connor Signature Business Development & Brand Quality Control. Rhonda brings diversified equestrian experience and over 14 years of proven professional business and management expertise to O'Connor Signature and to Equestrian Services.

Rhonda’s professional business experience entailed obtaining national builder clients (over 46 communities) and producing high-volume sales for residential, built-new homes in master-planned communities throughout the Southeast. She oversaw large sales and marketing campaigns and managed budgets, initiated and provided training seminars for new home-sales representatives, opened multiple offices, managed an in-house office staff of 24, and oversaw and managed 180 real estate agents.

Currently, Rhonda is managing multiple elite sporting clubs, such as The Ford Plantation.

Sheryl Jordan, Equestrian Programs & Operations

Sheryl Jordan began her equestrian career over 40 years ago, riding the countryside of Virginia bareback upon her first pony and her horse of 17 years. The hours spent with her equine friends began a lifetime dedication of being a student of horses and nature, as well as a passion to share her extensive knowledge with others.

“Man masters nature not by force, but by understanding.” ~ Jacob Baronowski

Sheryl has made it her mission in life to facilitate the understanding between horses, humans, and nature, through her experience in management of stables, classical riding instruction, teaching of clinics, public speaking, and the creation of her unique program “Equine Connection”. Through Equine Connection, Sheryl has worked with corporate management teams, inner-city college students, women’s groups, domestic violence counselors, and high-risk individuals, teaching leadership, authenticity, communication, and healthy relationship skills with the horse as her teaching partner.

Her professional experience includes the management of breeding, boarding, hunt and event stables, as well as “whipping in” to the Warrenton Hunt and riding with the Blue Ridge Hunt in Virginia. She was the Director of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa Equestrian Center for over 10 years, where she was awarded the coveted “Manager of the Year” title for excellent customer service, achievement of financial goals, and execution of superb standards of the stable facility. Under her direction, their top lesson horse, Dancer, was named “School Horse of the Year” by the ARIA. Once Sheryl took over the reins of the facility, the stable was consistently voted #1 in the Community Choice Awards. She also produced and successfully implemented equestrian events, including horse shows, clinics, polo matches, rodeos, and corporate equine trade shows.

Sheryl is a Certified Instructor with the American Riding Instructors’ Association as a Level III in Stable Management, Recreational Riding, and Western, and a Level II in Dressage and Hunt Seat. She has also been certified with the Certified Horsemanship Association as a Level II Instructor in English, Western, and Overnight Pack Trip Guide. Sheryl has been a Test Administrator and PA State Representative for the ARIA, Director of the Fayette County, PA Equine Council, and she has developed and led two 4-H Clubs in PA and MD. She is also a published Author in Angel Horses: Divine Messengers of Hope and Rainbows & Bridges, and she has been featured on “Your Life” with Dr. Anna Marie of The Weather Channel demonstrating “Equine Connection". Prior to joining Equestrian Services, Sheryl owned and successfully managed her own business for five years, Kindred Spirits Horsemanship & Riding Instruction.

Sheryl is now thrilled to find synergy with Equestrian Services, and to join her skills and values to an organization that is on the forefront of bringing high standards of safety, integrity, structure, consistency, and high-quality customer service to the equine industry.