Annette Ammentorp, Founder

For 25 years Annette operated Zoar Ridge Stables in Sandy Hook CT. At the Stables she taught horseback riding to many children and adults of all ages, had an active a horsemanship program and provided summer camps and while caring for up to twenty-five horses. It was this active role within the community that inspired her to establish Embrace Hope – Sandy Hook Equine Assisted Therapy to address the trauma sustained by children as a result of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

Annette is the mother of two daughters that have graduated from Newtown High School and are in college. Annette moved from Newtown to Tennessee in 2017, but remains an active part of our organization.

Mary A. Poupon, APRN, BC, Executive Director

Mary A. Poupon is a psychiatric APRN/psychiatric nurse practitioner licensed to practice in Connecticut and New York. She completed her graduate education at Columbia University and is published in her field. She is currently a psychiatric nurse practitioner at an inpatient hospital treating children, adolescents and adults. She was the program director and clinician with the Ryan White Mental Health Program which provided innovative mental health treatment for difficult to engage children, adolescents and adults living with HIV/AIDS in the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx for over 18 years. In 2013 she became certified as an equine assisted psychotherapist and served as the Director of Mental Health at Embrace Hope in Sandy Hook, CT. She was appointed as the Executive Director of Embrace Hope in September 2017. Embrace Hope has been providing equine assisted psychotherapy to children, adolescents and families who were victims of trauma related to the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.She brings a broad set of skills to Embrace Hope with a special focus on children and adolescents. Her expertise includes psychiatric consultation and assessment, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, bereavement counseling and extensive leadership skills in behavioral health.

She is an EAGALA certified professional who combines her academic training, clinical experience and love of horses to deliver the gentle care Embrace Hope participants seek.

Mary is passionate and honored to serve as the newly appointed executive director of Embrace Hope and brings over 30 years behavioral health leadership expertise to the organization.

Sarah Matula, President

A photographer, lawyer and finance professional, Sarah moved with her husband, horses, and dogs to Newtown from England, and found a strong community pulling together to recover and heal. As a keen horsewoman, when she heard about the work Embrace Hope was doing, Sarah was excited to become involved and help with images and business experience.

Paula Cervoni, Secretary & Treasurer

Paula Cervoni is passionate about Embrace Hope’s uniquely effective Equine therapy which has proven to enhance and transform people’s lives for the better.  She is excited to join the board as Secretary and directly contribute to Embrace Hope’s profound positive impact on their patients, communities, and the world.

Paula is a dynamic strategic relationship management and professional services executive. Paula has over 25 years experience in business and technology consulting. Her work has been focused on building trusted long-term client relationships and managing client facing teams responsible for all aspects of software implementation including strategy, implementation, change management, training, and support. She has led cross industry digital transformation CRM (Customer Relationship Management) initiatives of all shapes and sizes across the globe with specialization in user adoption.  Paula is currently the Director of Change Management for Silverline, a Salesforce Platinum Partner, leading their change management practice including the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of Silverline’s framework and approach for successful user adoption and performance.
Paula holds industry certifications in Change Management including Prosci & ACMP – CCMP; in Project Management including PMI-PMP, PMI-ACP, & PSM-I; and in Salesforce (Certified Administrator). Also, she earned a BS degree in Computer Science-Mathematics from Binghamton University, and an MBA in Information Systems from Pace University.