Meet Our Board

President

Teresa Rutledge took over the role of President in May 2022 after serving 

as LMU's Treasurer.  

Teresa raised her two boys, Matt and Mark Wilson, in the Northern Virginia area. During this time, she witnessed how many kids and adults benefited from Lift Me Up!, and is grateful to now be part of this special place.

Teresa retired in 2021 after a 41-year career as a banking regulator, half of that time spent as Director for International Banking Supervision 

at the Office of the 

Comptroller of the Currency.  

teresa.rutledge@liftmeup.org

Vice President

 Deiadre Rauch is an Executive Leadership Coach, Organizational Development Consultant, and Facilitator working in the Metro DC Area.  She and her husband Tom Tucker have lived in Great Falls the last 12 years, moving back to the area in 2011 after 8 years of living in Brussels.  She has lived and worked abroad for over 16 years, with assignments in London, Kuala Lumpur and Brussels. She also has a passion for fundraising and development at non-profits, and has set on several boards of educational and charitable organizations.  Deiadre and Tom have three adult sons, and their youngest, Lucas is autistic and a rider at Lift Me Up!. LMU has been such a great place for Lucas, increasing both his strength and his confidence. Throughout the three years Lucas has been riding at LMU, Deiadre has had the opportunity to see countless other children, young adults and adults find joy at the barn. She also often in awe at the dedication of the volunteers, and hopes to be involved at Lift Me Up! for many years to come. 

Deiadre@liftmeup.org

Secretary

Darlene joined the Board in November 2023. Her 1st career was as a physical therapist where she took every opportunity to work with children. A horse lover from a young age, she took lessons as an adult and grew to love the experience of both riding and bonding with these incredible creatures

She became intrigued by the business practices and strategies that make organizations successful and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. During her finance career, Darlene has implemented financial controls and accounting procedures, participated in several Sarbanes-Oxley compliance projects, and provided financial analysis and accounting guidance. She

specializes in financial leadership, financial reporting and analysis, strategic planning, and

controllership, in a variety of industries. As a Program Manager for the U.S. Department of

Transportation and as the Budget Director of Carnegie Mellon University, she gained perspective

on how to bring business experience to non-profit organizations while keeping the mission top of

mind. Wanting to give back to the communities in which she lived, she volunteered and became a board

member of several small arts organizations in both Pittsburgh and Cleveland.  

A resident of Reston since 2004, Darlene began volunteering at Lift Me Up in the summer of

2021. She is inspired by the dedication of LMU’s staff and volunteers as well as the joy and

successes of its clients. As a Board member, Darlene sees the perfect combination of her 2

careers and is looking forward to helping ensure its continued success!

darlene.mccaffrey@liftmeup.org

Treasurer

Don began volunteering at Lift Me Up! in 2019, assisting instructors with riders and getting to know the herd. He developed a deep appreciation for the benefits the program brings to participants, and now as a board member is seeking to further strengthen its financial position to broaden its reach and impact through the community.   

Don enjoys golf, traveling to new places, and spending as much time as possible with his two grown children, Matt and Katherine.  

Don lives in Great Falls, VA with his wife and is retired from a career in the finance and banking industry. He received an MBA in business from The George Washington University and a B.A in economics from the University of Maryland.

don.weyback@liftmeup.org

Member at Large  

On the board since 2018, Shelley's interest has been in community outreach to expand the presence of Lift Me Up! in Northern Virginia.

After having an accomplished career in information technology, Shelley pursued a passion of a lifetime and launched her own interior design firm in 2014.

Since moving to Great Falls, Shelley is active in many clubs and enjoys volunteering for Lift Me Up! with her husband, Ray and son, Mason.

shelldavenport3@gmail.com

Member at Large  

David Giroux joined the board in January 2023, after working with Lift Me Up! in 2019 to create the First Responder's Wellness Program.

David Giroux has been a police officer in Northern Virginia since 1995 and has been committed to improving mental health for first responders in the region for several years. In 2020, his department was lucky enough to partner with Lift Me Up! to provide a wellness program for their officers.  This pilot was well-received and has led to an expansion of wellness opportunities at Lift Me Up!  David is excited and honored to give back to Lift Me Up! as a Board Member and looks forward to developing additional wellness options for all community members at LMU.  

Member at Large

Rod Murchison joined the board in June 2024. He is thrilled to be part of Lift Me Up! given the organizations extensive history serving the community for so many years.

For over 30 years, Rod has held executive leadership positions at technology companies primarily focused in security, networking, and encryption.  Currently he also serves as the board chair for the Penn State College of Information Sciences & Technology, and thoroughly impressed with the caliber of students graduating in such a dynamic technology environment.

In his spare time he loves upland bird hunting, participating in charity events, and putting his handyman skills to work at home, in the barn, or out in the field.

Member at Large 

Bevin is an accomplished equestrian.  At a young age, she developed her love of horses and began riding.  She has been able to turn her passion into a lifelong career.

Bevin has an extensive background in the Hunter and Jumper world and her teaching record is just as long.  She has taught riders of all ages and abilities to compete in horse shows and for general riding.  She has been an instructor at George Mason University of both Introduction to Horsemanship and Intermediate Horsemanship, along with serving as Head Instructor of both the George Mason University Equestrian Club and Team.  Bevin's passion comes through in her ability to connect the rider to the horse as a partner and understanding the behavior of horses.  She has served previously on the board and volunteered at the National Center for Therapeutic Riding.

Bevin grew up in Great Falls, Va, and has fond memories of Lift Me Up!  She is thrilled to now be on the LMU board since March 2024. Bevin is currently the owner of C’EST Chevaux, an adult horse stable on 170 acres in Leesburg, Va that focuses on her three Cs of learning (Calm, Control, Confident).  She and her husband, Danny, have two boys.

Bevin1506@gmail.com

Member at Large

Silvie Stankova joined the board at the beginning of 2022. She is an avid philanthropist and brings years of experience volunteering for different nonprofits in the DMV area. 

Since moving to Great Falls in 2019, Silvie has taken interest in horseback riding, and regularly volunteers to help out some local horse owners in her neighborhood.

As a prior Operations Manager and Exec Assistant to the CEO and founder of a local Government Contracting company, Silvie has a keen awareness for what makes organizations run effectively. Her years of back office management, problem solving skills, and attention to detail are well suited to help support LIft Me Up and its ongoing goal to help support those in need.

Silvie has two children and can be seen regularly supporting community and philanthropic events here in Great Falls.

sgstankova@gmail.com