About Us
MEET THE STAFF
Jenna Baillargeon
Jenna Baillargeon is the founder and program director of Reigning Hope Ranch. Jenna was an acute care nurse for 15 years before leaving the hospital setting to care for people in partnership with her horses. Jenna is a certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning and spends her days on the ranch caring for the horses and teaching varying lessons to her clients. She uses her personal experiences of abuse, trauma, and PTSD and her story of healing and recovery to bring hope and support to others who are struggling. In her (very limited) free time she can be found on the trails with Amir or exploring new places to hike!
Cassidy
Cording
Cassidy is an experienced clinician with a strong background as an inpatient and crisis therapist. She has worked extensively with both adult and pediatric populations. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern New Hampshire University. In addition to her clinical expertise, Cassidy brings over 40 years of experience in equine care, including training horses and providing riding instruction. She has now moved into private outpatient care to join her passions of mental health and the healing power of horses. She has a focused interest in helping care providers and first responders with job related traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
Marley Lees Smith
Marley moved to Orrington, Maine with her husband in the midst of the pandemic from central Maine. She graduated with a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in the Creative Arts from the University of Maine at Farmington. Marley loves spending as much time outdoors as possible! You can catch her gardening, adventuring through the woods with her two dogs, Daffodil and Goose, or downhill skiing. She also has a passion for doing yoga, traveling, painting and baking up sweet and savory treats. Since she can remember, Marley has found the presence and connection with animals, big and small, to be a vital and sacred aspect of engaging fully in the world. She looks forward to bringing her empathetic ear and creative mindset to the team at Reigning Hope Ranch.
Andy Kaufmann
Andy Kaufmann is the Director of our Military and First Responders Programs. He is a retired US Army officer with 23 years of service and he was also an EMT/Paramedic. He loves everything there is about animals, especially horses. He works horses in many ways, but probably the most impactful way is interacting with them on their level. He spends time with them and pays attention to their body language and the way they interact. On the ranch, he enjoys sharing that connection with other guests and showing them the beauty of horses and healing! He lives in Surry with his family, including 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 Mustangs, 1 pony, 2 Donkeys, 2 Goats and about 10 chickens. In his “spare” time he is a Registered Maine Guide, yoga/mindfulness instructor and the Deputy Regional Coordinator for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.