AWHC mourns the loss of our esteemed board member, Joan DaVanzo, who passed away in late February 2024 after a long battle with cancer. Joan was a passionate advocate for wild horse conservation and our mission. Her infectious positivity, love for horses, and commitment were truly inspiring. Joan was a world traveler, dressage rider, and loving guardian to three horses of her own. Prior to serving on AWHC’s board, she was a board member for Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, always committed to giving back to these animals she loved so much. She left a profound mark on our organization.

As a psychologist and CEO of Dobson DaVanzo, a healthcare economics and policy consulting firm she co-founded with her husband, Al Dobson, Joan brought invaluable insights to AWHC. Her guidance, rooted in experience steering a small company through rapid growth, was instrumental in our evolution. Joan also played a key role in some of our most important initiatives, freely sharing her expertise in economics to strengthen our work. Her input strengthened our investigative report on the Adoption Incentive Program, which resulted in a front-page, New York Times story exposing the program as a pipeline to slaughter for truckloads of mustangs. She also was key to the development of the economic analysis that helped support Congress in the appropriation of dedicated funding for fertility control.

Joan’s absence is deeply felt, and her legacy lives on. In her memory, we are honored to establish a fund supporting AWHC’s ongoing mission to preserve the freedom of wild horses and burros on our western public lands. Her spirit continues to inspire us, and she will be dearly missed.