Sarah Armentrout
Co-Founder & Head of School | sarmentrout@carlisleacademymaine.com
As co-founder of Carlisle Academy, Sarah manages strategic oversight while also creating curriculum and coaching students. She has been in the field of equine-assisted therapies and equestrian sports as a coach and competitor for over 30 years and is a PATH, Intl. Advanced Riding Instructor, a PATH, Intl. Mentor, and a USEF Certified Silver Level Para-Dressage Coach. In the 1990’s Sarah worked at the National Center for Equine-Facilitated Therapy in Woodside, California under the tutelage of the late Barbara Heine, early visionary of the American Hippotherapy Association. She later moved into management at the Sagebrush Equine Training Center for the Handicapped in Hailey, ID with husband Nick, while also apprenticing as working student for Connected Riding Founder, Peggy Cummings. Prior to creating Carlisle Academy, Sarah was the Group Team Leader of Corporate Communications at Tom’s of Maine, managing brand identity, integrated communications, and corporate giving. Sarah currently serves on the statewide Board of Directors for the Maine Community Foundation and recently graduated with the 4th cohort of MCF’s Leadership Learning Exchange for Equity. She sits on the National Advisory Council of the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and is adjunct faculty for the University of New Hampshire’s Equine Studies Program. Between 2016-2019, Sarah acted as the National Coordinator for the Veterans Paralympic Equestrian Sport Initiative through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Adaptive Sport Grant funded to Carlisle Academy, which helped shape the curriculum and pilot for the USEF Para-Dressage Coach Certificate Program under USEF Head of Coach Development & Technical Advisor, Michel Assouline. Sarah graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a B.A in Religion and is always ready to integrate her academic interests with daily business operations and industry pursuits. She lives at Spring Creek Farm in Lyman, Maine with her husband and three children, home to their horses and many farm animals.
Nick Armentrout
Co-Founder & General Manager, Spring Creek Farm | nick@carlisleacademymaine.com
Nick has a professional background in small business and supply chain administration, sales, land and livestock management. Over the course of his career, Nick has managed four small businesses for others, and two of his own, throughout start-up phase to maturity. He has spent over 10 years sourcing and supplying raw materials for the manufacture of 100% U.S.-sourced and constructed knit-wool clothing fabrics, as well as goods certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard – “GOTS,” and Cradle to Cradle Certified ™ for the company Ramblers Way. He holds a BA in English from Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland, where he went to play lacrosse but studied Romantic Poets instead. He is University of Maine Master Gardener, and a Saltwater Institute Values-Centered Leadership graduate. Nick has spent most of his adult years engaged with animal agriculture and organic farming. Initially ranching in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, he then returned home to start Spring Creek Farm with Sarah in 1998. Nick manages Spring Creek Farm, a mixed-power, organic horse, sheep, hay and grain farm that also serves as the host facility for Carlisle Academy. He is most happy behind his 2 draft horses getting a job done.
Alissa Luckey
Office & Communications Manager | aluckey@carlisleacademymaine.com
A native Bostonian, Alissa received her bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University in Marketing and International Business and spent 10 years in the corporate digital marketing world, working at several start-ups in both Boston and New York. After relocating to Maine in 2019, Alissa decided to change directions and pursue a more meaningful career, where she could connect to nature and animals – a dream of hers from a young age. As the Office and Communications Manager at Carlisle Academy, Alissa brings both sides of her skills, knowledge, and passions to the table. Alissa can be found both in the office and the stables – managing activities from student accounts to marketing and customer relations.
Daisy Harrington
Director of Community Programs & Partnerships | daisy@carlisleacademymaine.com
We are excited to have Daisy Harrington join the Carlisle team again. Daisy is English but grew up in Kenya, and her love of equines, agriculture and conservation led her to Montana in 2016, a place she called home before relocating with her husband to Maine in 2020. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and an Associate’s Degree in Equine Management and has spent the last seven years working with horses in different capacities and the last five in the equine-assisted services industry. After an internship with Carlisle two years ago, Daisy became the Associate Director for BINA Farm in Lexington, Massachusetts for two years before returning to Maine permanently. A quick study and big thinker with passion for this industry, Daisy joins us in a new role as Director of Community Programs & Partnerships, where she will work with our partners to support existing and emerging community programs.
Joyce Brown, CTRI
Certified PATH, International Instructor
Joyce began at Carlisle Academy in 2007 as a horse handler and adaptive riding instructor, holding various administrative roles as well through early 2014. She continued to volunteer as an apprentice and rejoined Carlisle staff in 2020. Joyce is a PATH Int’l Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She teaches traditional riding, unmounted farm-based programs, and facilitates Carlisle’s equine assisted wellness programs.
A confirmed horse lover from her first Shetland pony ride at 3 years old, Joyce finally had her first “official” riding lesson in her mid-30s and has been riding and studying all things equine ever since. With all she learned through her relationship with her first horse Lady, she was inspired to develop Hands to Horses, an unmounted therapeutic horsemanship program for Sweetser which she taught for many years. Joyce studies the art of dressage and remains in awe of the gifts horses share with us in every single interaction.
Lucy Hunt
Riding Academy Instructor
Lucy has 20+ years of competitive eventing and dressage experience, including ribbons at USEA Preliminary level and USDF dressage competitions through Second Level. Lucy has also been an active member of the Wentworth Hunt, whipping-in for several seasons and earning her colors and buttons. A graduate C3 Pony Clubber, Lucy promotes safety, horsemanship and goal-setting for her students, even if the goal is just to have a good time.
Kate Goldwyn Musk
Riding Academy Instructor
Kate Goldwyn Musk teaches riders of all ages at Carlisle Academy. She has been a professional riding instructor, trainer and horsewoman for more than 20 years. She is a certified Centered Riding® Instructor and founded and developed her own farm, Strawberry Fields in New York, where she taught hunter seat, jumping, basic dressage, recreational riding to riders of all ages. Kate competed from childhood in local to national level horse shows. Coached by Gary Duffy, she competed in Equitation and Junior Working Hunters, from Wellington, FL to Saratoga, NY, including the Washington International Horse Show, Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the Devon Horse Show. It is Kate’s belief that while competition can offer fun and achievement for many riders, good horsemanship, sportsmanship and the love of the horse must always come first.
Jamie Viola, OTR/L, CDP
Fieldwork Educator
Jamie earned her Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Salem State University. She has been a practicing OT for 6 years and has worked with many different populations across multiple settings. She has extensive experience working with complex older adults with movement disorders and dementia, having earned specialty certifications as a LSVT BIG certified clinician and Certified Dementia Practitioner. Jamie has recently shifted her area of focus to include outpatient pediatric services with a nature-based approach to service delivery and the unique opportunity to incorporate equine movement as a treatment tool. Life experience as a mother to a neurodivergent 4-year-old has developed an ability to connect with both children and families who may be experiencing an atypical developmental journey. She is excited to partner with Play and Prosper, PLLC and Carlisle Academy to bring nature, equines, and occupational therapy together to optimize client outcomes. Jamie is an accomplished equestrian having trained to FEI level in dressage, an avid gardener, amateur bird watcher, and bibliophile; she enjoys spending free time with her husband and son exploring the beautiful natural elements of Maine whether it be forest, farm, mountains, or on the water.
Sherrie Morrow
Farm Caretaker
Sherrie is a multi-talented person with broad interests and a big heart. She is a retired police officer from Nashville, Tennessee now working at Spring Creek Farm caring for horses and grounds while running Carlisle’s community farm-based programs for youth and adults. Sherrie completed the Master Gardener Program through the UMaine Extension Program, is a Registered Beekeeper, and stands as the current President of the York County Extension Association. Other accolades include being a former member of the Nashville Mounted Police Unit, a graduate from the Culinary Training at the Art Institute with a focus in Pastry and Baking, and a current student in Architectural Drafting and Design with a focus in Landscape Architecture.
Angie Schoff
Horse Handler
Angie is a lifelong equestrian who started riding at age 10 and pursued her equestrian education right into college at Williams Woods University in MO, well known for their excellence in equine science and management. Angie is a caring and compassionate person both with humans and animals. When not doing horse-related work, she has spent the other part of her career involved with caring for the elderly, most notably for 20 years at Huntington Common in Kennebunk, Maine.
Claire Valentine
Outdoor Educator
Claire Valentine is a farmhand, outdoor educator, and floral designer who has worked on diversified farms across New England. She is excited to be joining the Spring Creek Farm and Carlisle Academy teams to help develop Carlisle’s nature-focused education program and Spring Creek’s new flower growing endeavor. She grew up in Maine, has a background and love for horses and animals, and graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Spring 2023. Food, flowers, and farming are her biggest passions.
Adjunct Faculty
Judith Giencke Kimball, Ph.D., OTR/L, FOATA
UNE Professor Emeritus, Carlisle Academy Faculty Advisor
Judith has worked as a clinician and university professor in occupational therapy for over 50 years. She was the Founding Director and is now Professor Emeritus of the Occupational Therapy curriculum at the University of New England in Portland, Maine. She has served as Occupational Student Education Coordinator at a VA Hospital, a consultant to many school-based occupational therapy programs, and has consistently maintained a part-time private practice. She worked extensively with Dr. A. Jean Ayes, the developer of Sensory Integration theory and practice, and Patricia Wilbarger, the originator of clinical treatments for sensory defensiveness. Dr. Kimball speaks widely at professional conferences, and her numerous publications include book chapters and research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her academic degrees include a BS in Occupational Therapy, an MS in Special Education, a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Psychology. Her latest publication is a book: DIAL IT DOWN A Wellness Approach for Addressing Post Traumatic Stress in Veterans, First Responders, Healthcare Workers and Others in This Uncertain World.