Paula Pierce '94
Paula Pierce '94
Title: Equestrian Center Director
Phone: 413-538-3442
Email: ppierce@mtholyoke.edu

Paula Fackelman Pierce '94 has been the director of the Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center since 2004. She manages all aspects of the facility's operations, working with students, staff and other members of the community to provide a challenging learning environment that fosters a true interest in what is best for each individual horse in its training.

Pierce started her career riding hunters and equitation and finished her junior years competing in the Medal, Maclay and United States Equestrian Team classes. Her equitation horse at the time had a background in dressage, so she began to focus on this discipline as a working student for Michael Poulin. Pierce continued her training with Meri Straz and eventually competed with the same horse at Prix St. Georges. She subsequently began working with Roel Theunissen, now of Atlanta Dressage. Roel remains her coach and she works regularly with Jacqueline Brooks and Henk Van Bergen. She is a United States Dressage Federation Certified Instructor and Silver Medalist.

After graduating from Mount Holyoke in 1994, Pierce went on to earn her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1998. She served as an assistant coach on C.J. Law's hunter seat team staff from 1996-98 while working toward her graduate degree. After a 10 year stay in corporate insurance, Pierce returned to Mount Holyoke to her dream job.

Pierce successfully competes her horse, Hunter Douglas Rhapsody at Prix St. Georges and Intermediare I.