Who we are

Founded by Chris and Barbara Cox in September 2018, Lead Changes℠ goal is to empower youth to discover their fullest potential through leadership programs using the horse and ranch-life programs.

Our Vision

Particularly in urban areas, youth have less access to nature than ever before. The unique experience of learning horsemanship skills from worldwide leaders in the beauty of a forested, mountain-ringed ranch has proven life-changing for so many boys and girls.

Our Mission

Lead Changes℠ is committed to using the horse as a tool to equip youth with leadership skills, confidence and integrity, putting them on a better path for life.

At Lead Changes℠, our heart is set on a simple goal: reaching more young people and helping them thrive. Every moment we spend and every resource we have is dedicated entirely to empowering the next generation. This work is only possible through the generosity of people like you… individuals, local businesses, and partners who believe in our mission. We believe every youth deserves a seat at the table, which is why we offer scholarships to ensure that financial barriers never stand in the way of a young person’s potential. Every dollar given goes straight to the kids we serve.

This is your opportunity to open an incredible, unforgettable door of opportunity for a youth whose life may be filled with hardship.

Our Team

Our volunteer Board of Directors oversee the organization ensuring financial and programmatic excellence. They bring a wealth of experience, professionalism and knowledge that allows Lead Changes℠ to continual grow and have a greater impact on our youth.

Chris Cox

Executive Director

  • Born to a ranching family in Kissimmee, Florida, Chris’s earliest memories involved horses and his family’s life of ranching and cattle. At the age of two, his family purchased and moved to the Prince of Wales Island, a 100 square mile island off the coast of Australia. Their only transportations on the island were either the horses or the Massey Ferguson tractor.

    Chris was home schooled until the second grade. He and his brothers then traveled to public school on Thursday Island. To get to the other island, they would ride their horses to the beach in the mornings, leave them in the corral for the day, take the boat to the island, come back and ride the horses back home. As a kid, Chris competed in many different clubs and competitions. He was a member of the Pony Club and competed in camp drafting, or otherwise known as the working cow horse event. It was then, he realized, his father thought of horses in a different way than he did. At ten years old, Chris attended a clinic held by the man who had refined horsemanship in Australia, named Lee Reborse. Reborse had plenty of skills that Chris wanted to develop as a horseman; he was a great teacher and an even better communicator with horses. About the time he met Lee, Chris and his family moved from the island to the mainland. There, Chris worked on various ranches over the summers and during school breaks. He had even begun breaking and training many young horses. After he was bucked off a few times, he started to develop a fear. He decided then to replace that fear with knowledge, so he wouldn’t lose his passion for the horse.

    After high school graduation, he attended Longreach Pastoral College in Queensland. There he met Ken May, another Reborse student. Ken also positively impacted Chris. He went on to help Ken with colt starting and horsemanship clinics, throughout college and beyond. When Chris turned 18 years old, he had saved up enough money to buy a plane ticket back to the United States. The day after landing in Florida, close to where he was born, Chris was horseback helping to gather 5,000 head of cattle. After a short while in the U.S., he traveled to Tennessee to see some of his mother’s relatives. Their neighbors dared Chris to ride their three year old Tennessee walking horse for $300. The mare was known to buck the rider and the saddle off. Within the hour, Chris was riding her. Chris began to start and train horses professionally. In Madisonville, Texas, he began working out of a facility starting colts, training cutting horses, performing demonstrations and hosting clinics. He had also rented facilities in Geneva, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Florida was his big debut to being a well-known horseman. He had started a mustang at a clinic and word soon got out and to the Bureau of Land Management. They contacted Chris and wanted to watch him work. The BLM hired Chris to travel to adoption sites in different states to demonstrate how to start a mustang. He released his first instructional video in 1990, “Breaking into the Horse’s Mind". In 1995, he bought a ranch in Ocala, Florida. Despite his new ranch, he had always felt a deep connection with Texas, because of his father having worked for the King Ranch, an ancestor fighting in the Texas Revolution, wanting to be in the middle of serious horse country and not too far from the “Cutting Horse Capital of the World”, Weatherford, Texas. As soon as he heard that land was for sale in Texas right where he wanted it, he jumped on the opportunity. He was going to be able to build his facility from the ground up the way he wanted to in Mineral Wells, TX. With his Chris Cox Horsemanship television show on RFD TV, the nationwide Ride the Journey Tour stops and appearances at equine expos and events, Chris has touched the lives of many a horse enthusiast and shown them there is a straight-forward, practical way to gain a better relationship with their horses. Chris offers progressive six-day horsemanship clinics several times a year. Chris also offers nationwide three-day clinics to make it even easier for those throughout the country to get first-hand instruction directly from him. Today, Chris is a four-time undefeated world champion of Road to the Horse, reserve champion of the Perry Dilorreto Invitational team roping, colt starting champion of Equine Experience, recipient of the Monty Roberts "Equitarian of the Year" award, competitor and breeder in the National Cutting Horse Association, reined cow horse and team roping competitor. He lives on the Diamond Double C Ranch in Weatherford with his wife Barbara and their children Charley and Case. His program has proved to be immensely popular with people of all ages and skill levels. It requires no gimmicks or special equipment, but rather commitments to understanding the horse, devoting time, self-examination and honesty about one's own limitations.

Dr. Jim Heird

Chairman

  • Dr. Heird is the former Executive Professor and Coordinator of the Equine Initiative and holder of the Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair at Texas A&M University. Immediately prior to Texas A&M, he was Director of Teaching and Outreach for the Equine Sciences Program at Colorado State University. He also served as Director of the Colorado Agriculture and Rural Leadership program and as Chairman of the Management Committee of the Y Cross Ranch, a 50,000-acre ranch owned by Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S in Animal Husbandry and an M.S in Animal Genetics. His Doctorate is in Equine Behavior from Texas Tech University.

    At Colorado State University, he served in several leadership positions, including Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs, Interim Dean of Business, and for 2 1/2 Years, Interim Dean and Vice Provost for Agriculture and Outreach. He was faculty representative for athletics and served as Chair of the Western Athletic Conference Administrative Council.

    Dr. Heird has an international reputation in the field of equine sciences. He has lectured on numerous topics both nationally and internationally. He has been a successful judging team coach, teacher, researcher, extension specialist and administrator. His research in the areas of equine conformation and equine behavior is recognized throughout the Equine Industry. He has presented numerous lectures in the U.S and internationally on equine behavior, conformation, selection, judging, genetics and issues facing the horse industry.
    Dr. Heird has received many honors, including the United States Department of Agriculture Honor Award For Excellence, the Distinguished Service Award from Southern University and A&M College, the Colorado State University Distinguished Service to Diversity Award, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee, the Outstanding Leadership Award from the National Horse Judging Team Coaches Association and the Outstanding Advisor Award for Texas Tech University. In 2005, he was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Tennessee. In 2007, he was named an Honorary Vice President of the Quarter Horse Association of Uruguay. In 2009, he was named Horseman of the Year by the Colorado Horse Council. In 2014, he was named the first recipient of the Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair at Texas A&M. In 2016, he was named an honorary Vice- President and Life Member of the Argentina Quarter Horse Association. In 2017, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 2018 he was president of AQHA.  In 2020 he was inducted into the Texas Racing Hall of Fame.  In 2024, he was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.  Presently he serves as coordinator of Lincoln Memorial University Equine Veterinary Education Program.

    Dr. Heird has combined his academic career with leadership and successful competition in the horse industry. He has trained world champion youth riders and shown world champion horses. He served as Chair of the National Wild Horse and Burro
    Commission. He was an American Quarter Horse Judge from 1976 until 2017. In that capacity, he judged 13 world championship shows for AQHA and 15 national shows in multiple countries. He has judged the Road to the Horse Colt Starting Competition multiple times. He has lectured in numerous national and international judges’ seminars for many breeds. He is a past Chairman of AQHA’s Judges Committee, the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Sub-Committee, the AQHA Show Committee and Show Council and the International Committee. He also served as the first Chairperson of the AQHA Welfare Commission. 

Dr. Eleanor Green

Secretary

  • Eleanor M. Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP

    Senior Advisor and Consultant, Animal Policy Group


    Professor Emerita & Dean Emerita, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University

    Dr. Eleanor Green, has been actively involved with horses, the horse industry, and equine veterinary medicine for a lifetime. She has owned and shown horses, primarily Quarter Horses, since her youth.
    Dr. Green has delivered lectures across the nation and internationally on subjects related to her clinical and research interests, as well equine welfare issues. She has given keynote addresses on welfare of performance horses to Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation and to the city of Siena in Italy pertaining to its historic horse race, the Palio. She has also given equine welfare lectures at the national conventions of the American Quarter Horse Association and the National Cutting Horse Association. Her invited lectures include other topics, such as leadership, innovation, the future of and innovations in veterinary medicine, and diversity and inclusion in our world.
    Dr. Green has found many avenues for service, both in her profession and in her community. She has served as president of 4 national organizations and was the first woman president of 3 of them:

    • American Association of Equine Practitioners
    • American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
    • American Association of Veterinary Clinicians
    • Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
    • She has contributed actively to numerous veterinary and animal industry organizations, including Boards of Directors of:
         o Lead Changes
         o American Association of Equine Practitioners
         o American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
         o American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, the Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
         o North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium
         o American Quarter Horse Association
         o Florida Quarter Horse Association,
         o National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame,
         o NAVC Veterinary Innovation Council
         o Veterinary Virtual Care Association (founding board member and co-chair)
         o PetDesk
         o VetGuardian
    • She has been a member of the AQHA Animal Welfare Commission since its inception and currently serves as chair.

    Some of her awards include:
    • 2013 induction into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame
    • 2004 Award of Distinction from UF College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
    • 2011 Wilford S. Bailey Distinguished Alumni Award from Auburn University
    • 2012 Women’s Progress Award for Administration at Texas A&M University
    • 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award for Administration at Texas A&M,
    • 2019 Billy Hooper Distinguished Service Award by the Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
    • 2019 recognition as an ICON in veterinary medicine by the North American Veterinary Community

    She has also been successful in the show ring, earning numerous FQHA year-end high point awards, circuit championships, and AQHA reserve world championships in Working Hunter, Hunter Hack, and Pleasure Driving. She is currently showing in the AQHA ranch horse division.

Arthur Greenberg

Treasurer

  • Arthur A. Greenberg career was a licensed Certified Public Accountant who concentrated his practice in tax planning, structuring transactions, obtaining private letter rulings, etc. for partnerships and private and public real estate investment trusts. He was also an Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of both private and public companies in real estate, insurance, manufacturing and financial services.

    He has also serviced on the Board of Directors of six different companies that were in the cruise line industry, insurance industry, a vertically integrated fertilizer company and a Savings and Loan institution.

    Arthur has chaired committees on both The National Association of Real Estate investment Trusts and The Real Estate Round Table, both based in Washington D.C. He has testified on tax issues before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee for eight major real estate trade associations. In addition, he has been a guest speaker and/or panelist at several universities, law schools, American Bar Association, several real estate associations and has done some of these presentations with members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. Treasury.

    He is currently a private investor, married to Marlene for more than 60 years. They have two sons and their wives, along with five grandsons.

Kristen Monson

Member

  • After working in institutional asset management for over 31 years, Kristen Monson now focuses her time on giving back and living a more impactful personal live. In her philanthropy, her passions are with improving the lives of young people and animals through education and interaction.

    Kristen is a UCI Foundation Trustee, serving on the Investment Committee and the Nominations and Governance Committee. Additionally, she is on the Dean’s Advisory Board at The Paul Merage School of Business, having served as it’s Chair from 2015 to 2019. In 2006, UC Irvine honored Kristen as a recipient of the UCI Distinguished Alumni Award presented at the annual Lauds & Laurels Ceremony, and in 2016 she was the Merage School’s Distinguished Executive Commencement Speaker.

    In addition to her service to the UCI community Kristen:

    Is a Board Member for the Orange County Animal Allies

    (formerly known as the OCSPCA), where in addition to her board responsibilities she volunteers with their PAWS program, taking her Corgi to provide therapy to mental health patients and children of domestic abuse; their PANDA program, providing animal therapy to sexual assault victims with the OC District Attorney’s office; and the Orange County Airport AirPAWS program which provides therapy to our flying public at SNA.

    Is on the board and on the investment committee of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, which provides funding to support young scientists and their future breakthrough discoveries

    Is on the board and chair of the investment committee for Lead Changes, a Texas and Wyoming based charity, which uses horsemanship to build our youth into successful, confident leaders.

    Serves on the Investment Committee for the Orange County Community Foundation.

    In her prior life, Kristen was an Executive Vice President at Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), retiring in 2012 after helping to grow the firm from $11 billion to $2 trillion in assets under management. During her twenty-six year tenure, Kristen was a client portfolio manager, responsible for some of firm’s largest global corporate accounts, in addition to Taft Hartley, foundations & public plans. She founded and developed the PIMCO Institute, a client investment educational program, offered to PIMCO clients globally. As the firm grew its international presence, she led efforts to develop the PIMCO culture and investment standards in its London, Munich and Asian offices. She was also a member of the company’s investment strategy group, and responsible for reporting on U.S. productivity at the firm’s in-house economic forums.

    Kristen lives in Newport Beach with her husband Brad Horner. An avid horse rider, she provides wrangler support for Brad as he competes in rodeo team roping events throughout the southwest.

    Kristen received both her bachelor’s degree in economics in 1982 and her MBA in 1986 from the University of California, Irvine

Dr. Amy Wandel

Member

  • Amy Wandel MD FACS

    Dr. Amy Wandel has always been driven by a desire to help others. During her college years at UC Berkeley, she volunteered at the regional burn center which fueled her interest in reconstructive surgery. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in biology and Native American History. She went on to medical school at Chicago Medical School on a military scholarship, earning her M.D. and her Lieutenant bars in 1983. As a medical student she volunteered to work at the local free clinic in south Chicago. She went on to complete her general surgery training through the Navy- East Bay Surgical program.

    After receiving board certification in general surgery, she served in Subic Bay, Philippines. While at Subic Bay, Dr. Wandel participated in many medical missions through the military outreach program, travelling deep into the jungle to treat the local population that had no access to care. The many hand and facial deformities she saw on these trips furthered her desire to pursue a career in reconstructive surgery.

    She returned to the U.S. to enter Plastic Surgery residency at Brown University and after completing her training in plastic reconstructive and hand surgery and obtaining board certification, she served at the Naval Hospital Oakland. In 1994, Dr. Wandel was transferred to the Naval Hospital San Diego where she served as a plastic surgeon until her retirement in 2006. During her naval career, Dr. Wandel served on multiple hospital committees, deployed multiple times as a surgeon, served as department head of Plastic Surgery and Director of Surgery (temp). Dr. Wandel formed the first wound center at Naval Hospital Balboa with support of multiple departments. She also played a significant role in creating the limb salvage program for returning servicemen and women during the Iraqi war.

    After retiring from the Navy, Dr. Wandel was asked to start the reconstructive department for Mercy Medical Group in Sacramento. She led the department through several years of growth, expanding the department to three surgeons and three mid-level providers. She also developed the wound center for the group, taking on the complex non healing wounds. Dr. Wandel was elected to the Board of Directors Of Mercy Medical Group in 2010 and served as a board member until her retirement from practice.

    Throughout her surgical career, Dr. Wandel continued to volunteer for medical missions with Interplast and Operation Smile, using her vacation time to go to underserved areas to perform cleft lip and palate, burn and hand surgery. In 2008, Dr. Wandel co-founded the non-profit, Women for World Health, whose mission is to work with local doctors in underserved areas of the world, providing both reconstructive surgery and whenever possible, training for the local surgeon(s). Dr. Wandel continues to volunteer for surgical missions in her retirement.

    “I have travelled all over the world to provide needed surgical care to those who have no options. But right here in the United States we have young people who because of their circumstances, feel they have no options. We can help these young people find themselves and a direction in life that will lead them out of poverty, away from gang violence and into a life of purpose. I have experienced first-hand how the horse can literally change your life and I truly believe that the horse can help these young people in their development into responsible, self-aware, respectful young adults. Lead ChangesSM provides these young people with the opportunity to learn self-respect, respect for others, accountability and a work ethic. These are real life skills.”

Bill Langmade

Member

  • Bill Langmade has resided in Dallas, Texas for 30 years. Bill has been married to his wife Shannon for 47 years and has three grown children and four grandchildren.

    After graduating from University of Southern California and Pepperdine University with a BS in Business and MBA, he worked in the real estate development business in the Western United States for many years.

    Over 30 years ago he resettled to Dallas, Texas to found Purchasing Management International L.P. a procurement company for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. PMI has procured over $4 billion dollars in FF&E around the world specializing in luxury and boutique hotels,

    entertainment and performing arts centers, as well as being the leading 3rd party procurement agent in the casino/hotel industry.

    Mr. Langmade has been a member of the Executive Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and regularly participates at its annual Legislative Action Summit (LAS) in Washington D.C. Additionally, he is a Founding Member of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). Mr. Langmade is a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), as well as a member of the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH) and a board member the International Society of Hospitality Purchasers (ISHP)

    In addition, Mr. Langmade has been awarded membership in Hospitality Design Magazine’s prestigious Platinum Circle for his company’s achievements in the hospitality design purchasing industry.

    Bill is also a current board member of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

    Bill and Shannon have supported various charitable causes over the years including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand Dallas Texas, Trinity Bible Church in Dallas, NEWH Scholarships, The Cancer Center Santa Barbara, The Thorn Tree Project in Africa and others.

    Bill has also been in ranching and cattle business for over 21 years in Hamilton, Texas and Sulphur Springs, Texas where he raises hay and Wagyu/Angus cross bred cattle.

    He is also an avid hunter, fly fisherman and equestrian.

Pam Minick

Member

  • Pam Minick, a former Miss Rodeo America and world champion cowgirl, is considered one of the most recognized women in the equine world, earning her spots in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Pam has hosted more than 1000 television shows on ESPN, TNN, NBC, CBS, The Outdoor Network, RFD TV and The Cowboy Channel. She was named “Great Woman of Texas”, and is the only woman to receive the “Western Horseman of the Year Award”

    For almost 4 decades, Minick has dedicated herself to the Fort Worth and Equine communities, serving on the board of many non-profits.

    Pam recently retired after 30 years as the marketing director of Billy Bob’s Texas – where she and husband Billy are co-owners. They live on a small ranch in Argyle, Texas with horses, cattle, donkeys and dogs.

The Cox Family and Board of Directors of Lead Changes℠, are honored to recognize Nancy Thelen for her unwavering support to this organization, and to the youth who’s lives have been positively impacted through our programs.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Research has shown that horseback riding and horsemanship (horse care) provides numerous health and wellness benefits to individuals.

    • It develops positive character traits, including patience, discipline, understanding, and self-control.

    • It improves physical health, including cardiovascular health, muscular strength, and balance and coordination.

    • It stimulates positive psychological feelings, including increased confidence and self-esteem.

    • It develops horsemanship skills.  Caring for a horse teaches individual problem-solving skills and improves mental focus.

    • It allows a closeness to nature that provides numerous health and wellness benefits, including stronger critical thinking skills, higher cognition, and reduced stress levels.

  • In keeping with the Lead Changes culture of offering the best, trusted experience for its youth participants, Lead Changes is currently restructuring for the future. We look forward enthusiastically to sharing the new details and dates for this amazing opportunity for your youth later in 2026. When these details are ready for release, they will be available on this website and through social media.

    What this means for 2026 is that there will not be a Lead Changes Horsemanship and Leadership Camp this summer, but we are very excited about the plans we are developing for 2027.

  • Your support is greatly appreciated and can be given in several ways.

    Helping ensure youth have the opportunity to experience Lead Changes℠ through a donation is one way. You can also support by helping us spread the word about Lead Changes℠ and identifying possible youth who need to consider Lead Changes℠ as a participant.

    Thank you.