Pictured Left to right: Susan Watt, Robert Friese, Dayton O. Hyde, Randy Wright, Deb Black, Richard Blue

Board of Directors
President: Dayton O. Hyde
Secretary: Robert Friese
Treasurer: Richard Blue
Program Development:
Susan W. Watt
Debra E. Black
Randy Wright

Karla R. LaRive, Communications and Marketing Director

Robert Friese Mr. Friese is one of the founding partners of the firm Shartsis and Friese, LLP. He specializes in business litigation, including securities, real estate, unfair competition, officer and director liability, fraud, and breach of contract. His clients include major investment advisers, banks, brokerage firms, a great variety of companies, and many executives of these entities.

Working with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to co-founding his firm, Mr. Friese served as President of the Association of SEC Alumni. He has taught at the SEC’s in-house training session in Washington, D.C., and has served as claims administrator at the request of that agency. He also co-chairs the Firm’s Securities Litigation Group.

Mr. Friese received an A.B. degree from Stanford University in 1964 and a J.D. from Northwestern University in 1970. He has also studied at the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and the School of Law of Freie Universitaet in Berlin, Germany.

Mr. Friese was named as one of The Best Lawyers in America for 2011 by that prestigious publication in the areas of commercial litigation and securities law.

Richard Blue a Wenatchee Washington publisher of several lifestock journals for several western states, books, magazines, and newspapers. Dick is a top horseman, who ran 600 domestic horses on pack trips into the Washington Cascades and supplied horses for Girl Scout and youth camps all over the Northwest region. He has a wonderful ability to cut to the issue with Will Rogerish sensibility. Dick has Treasurer on IRAM’s Board of Directors since the beginning twenty-five years ago.

Three new board members have been announced to the Institute of Range and American Mustang’s Board of Directors. The Sanctuary welcomes Randall Wright, resource manager of Pierre; Deb E. Black, Publisher, Today’s Horse Magazine of Rapid City and, Susan Watt, Program Director of Development for the Institute of Range and the American Mustang. New board members join the three existing IRAM Board; Dayton O. Hyde (Founder/President), Robert Friese (Secretary) and Richard Blue (Treasurer).

Randall Wright, a Pierre South Dakota real estate broker now retired. He was sent to us by the late South Dakota Governor George Michelson to help us put together 11,000 acres of great horse range in the Black Hills. Randy has served as our advisor in Pierre the capitol of South Dakota on legislative matters since 1988 and has been on IRAM’s Board for three years.

An Alabama native, Susan Watt came to South Dakota in 1995 with a passion for the wild horses. With a background in Education and Business she has been the Program Development Director for IRAM’s visitor and educational programs for the past 18 years. Her goals for the Sanctuary include continuing to provide a place where wild horses can live a quality life of freedom. Plans to expand IRAM’s tourism program for 2013 include expanding year round visitation with tours focusing on the cultural exchange of wild horse, pioneer, and Native American history of the location in South Dakota. The Wild Horse Café will be officially operating this year with Wild Horse Café owners Kelly and David Martin relocating from Mitchell to Hot Springs to join IRAM’s Program by offering a delicious breakfast and lunch menu.  The on-going volunteer program allows for caring people to come and help provide care for the wild horses. As the non-profit program expands, they hope to offer sessions for people to come and spend a week with the mustangs. IRAM continues to support and develop the local economy by bringing in tourism dollars to the Southern Hills community.    

Deb E. Black is a native to Rapid City where she grew up “begging” her parents for a pony.  Her diversified horse experience has enabled her to have a better understanding of the total impact that horses have in our lives from being a business to just admiring them and their beautiful mystical spirit.  In addition to being the publisher and doing the advertising sales for Today’s Horse Magazine she rides her horses as often as possible either in the Black Hills or in the arena.  Deb is a former barrel racer but now competes in the versatility ranch horse competitions. She appreciates the opportunity to share her love of horses with her two grandchildren.  One of the reasons for being an IRAM board of director is to ensure this type of experience for future generations.

In addition to the new Board Member appointees; Hot Springs producer and publicist, Karla LaRive As Communications Director for the Black Hill Wild Horse Sanctuary, LaRive has helped stage many projects and events for IRAM including the 2005 Ford Motor Company's "Save the Mustangs.org", a website launch at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.  The campaign was produced in conjunction with Take Pride America, Bureau of Land Management, Sanctuary founder, Dayton O. Hyde and Actress / Animal Advocate, Stephanie Powers.

She has produced several video projects with Institute of Range and the American Mustang including three documentaries releases; "Free To Run, an Afternoon At The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary" and "Imagine A Place, the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary" and "We Are The Land, Uranium mining in the Black Hills." In addition, she has also produced the 2010 Native American award winning cd, Wind Spirit Drum "Ancient Winds." 

LaRive is a member of the Washington DC Chapter of the National Academy for Recording Arts and Science (Grammys) and an Advisory Member for the Native American Music Awards (Nammys).