per president
Diane Lowery

Diane Lowery--President
Diane has had a love for all animals since she was a very small child. As a youngster, she lived on the outskirts of Port St. Joe Beach next to a swamp and encountered a lot of wild animals like bears, wild boar and Florida panthers. She also was well acquainted with turtles, alligators and snakes, which as a tomboy, she frequently handled and kept some as pets only on a temporary basis and would then turn them back into the wild. But her strongest love was dogs and of course, horses. She got into the good graces of any neighbors who had horses, so she could groom and handle them as much as they would let her. When she got older, she got a job and bought her first horse on a payment plan. After that, horses became her life. She started out competing in barrel racing, which later changed to Western Pleasure, but eventually she got away from showing and became an avid trail rider. Diane is co-founder of PER and has been president since July 2006. Her passion for horses carries on in the world of rescue and has been very rewarding for her.

Karen Tucci--Vice President

Linda Lambert--Secretary

board member
Michelle Phillips

Michelle Phillips--Treasurer

board member
Jay Birdsong

Jay Birdsong--Board Member
Jay was born and raised in Texas, living many of his childhood and young adult years on his grandparent's farm. Jay worked many aspects of the farm and raised various animals for show or farm use. He and his brother also ran a business including hay baling and a range of contractor services. Jay later attended Southwest Texas State University where he attained his degree in agriculture business and met his wife, Kristen. Jay and Kristen spent twenty years in the Navy, coming to Pensacola in 2008. This is when Jay became a "horse father" as his daughter became immersed in the horse world. The family involvement at PER began shortly thereafter with volunteerism and fostering. Jay became the newest board member in 2012.

board member
Vickie Bell

Vickie Bell--Board Member
Vickie has been around horses all her life and currently owns two. Her and her husband, Matt love times spent on the trails and camping out. They have both been members with PER since 2005, which has given them many memories and new eye opening experiences.