Our Team
CJ Wilson, Founder/Lead Trainer
CJ started riding horses when she was four and grew up riding 3-day eventers. At 17, she was working as an assistant for a saddle seat trainer and eventually for his daughter until she was 26. After learning the intricacies of training, she moved to Northern California to manage a riding stable full of jumpers, dressage, and western horses. Eventually the racetrack called to her, she worked for three years as an assistant trainer in Northern California before returning to Los Angeles. CJ worked another three years as an assistant trainer at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar before switching focus to being a vet tech at the non-profit equine hospital at Santa Anita Racetrack for two years. She spent another 2 years at the track as a vet assistant.
As the trainer for WPH, CJ brings with her 43 years of experience with horses, 30 years of work experience, and 10 years of experience with thoroughbred racehorses at the track. It is her dedication and true love for these animals that she works each day to ensure their future is bright. She mixes a blend of natural horsemanship and classical training to create a safe space for each horse to grow at their own pace.
Jaime Garcia, Assistant Trainer/Healing with Horses
Jaime has been in love with horses since the age of four. From her early years in the show ring to a lifelong pursuit of understanding these animals on a deeper level, horses have always been her greatest teachers. Over time, she developed a special admiration for Thoroughbreds—their heart, resilience, and willingness to trust again after the track captured her completely.
Her passion for connection led her beyond traditional training into the world of equine somatic healing. Here, Jaime discovered the profound ways horses help humans regulate their nervous systems and reconnect to themselves. Today, she blends this knowledge with her hands-on experience to bring horses and people together in a way that promotes healing, trust, and presence.
At Win Place Home, Jaime plays a key role in retraining and rehoming Off-Track Thoroughbreds while facilitating transformative experiences for humans and horses alike. For her, it’s more than a job—it’s a calling to honor these animals and the powerful connection they offer to anyone willing to listen.
Stefanie Sam, Operations Manager
Stefanie is a seasoned tech professional by day, while dedicating all of her free time to her passion for equestrian pursuits. Commencing her volunteer service at Win Place Home in 2021 with no prior equine experience, Stefanie has since developed her expertise and now owns her own horse named Poi. Before her involvement with Win Place Home, Stefanie demonstrated her commitment to community service through volunteering with esteemed organizations such as Guide Dogs for the Blind and local food banks.
Board of Directors
LaToya Blakely, President
LaToya joined Win Place Home in 2022 after discovering the organization through an Instagram post. At the time, she was contemplating riding lessons and seeking new volunteer opportunities. The prospect of learning more about horses while contributing to a meaningful cause drew her to WPH, where she quickly fell in love with the horses, the people, and the mission.
With a rich history of volunteerism dating back to her days in middle school as a candy striper at a local hospital, LaToya's commitment to giving back has remained steadfast. Her diverse volunteer experiences include mentoring children, providing support to the unhoused by offering meals and services, and working with various animal shelters.
Professionally, LaToya brings over a decade of legal expertise to the table as an attorney. Additionally, she is involved in entrepreneurial pursuits and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to leverage her multifaceted skill set in advancing WPH's goals and mission.
While LaToya hasn't owned a horse yet, she has future plans of having a ranch and horses in the picturesque landscapes of Colorado.
Elisa Sepulveda, Board Treasurer
Elisa is a lifelong horse lover and passionate advocate for equine welfare. Her connection to Thoroughbreds is especially personal, having cared for a neglected senior Thoroughbred until the last day of her life with one goal: to make sure she felt loved and comforted until the end.
That experience deepened Elisa’s appreciation for the responsibility and privilege of caring for horses throughout every stage of their lives. More recently, becoming a horse owner herself has further strengthened that connection and commitment.
Professionally, Elisa brings extensive experience in project management, operations, business development, contracts, and organizational leadership, which she is honored to contribute in support of the charity’s mission and to make a difference in the future of horses.
Kyle Oberst, Board Secretary
Kyle is a Portland, Oregon native and engineer who has volunteered with Win Place Home for the past five years. He brings a deep appreciation for horses and a genuine love of animals to his work with the organization and its mission.
Outside of engineering and volunteering with Win Place Home, Kyle enjoys painting miniatures and playing board games. He lives with his wife and her two dogs, two cats, and horse, and shares her love and appreciation for animals. His long-standing commitment to Win Place Home reflects his passion for supporting horses and helping them find meaningful second careers.
Cynthia Alameda, Board Member
Cynthia Alameda is a seasoned regulatory leader who was recruited in 2020 to serve as Deputy Executive Director of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in political science, she has built a distinguished 25-year career in California state service, holding critical regulatory and leadership roles across multiple agencies.
Before joining the CHRB, Alameda served in pivotal positions within the Natural Resources Agency’s Wildlife Conservation Board, where she oversaw fiscal operations and managed wildlife-oriented recreation projects, and at the California Department of Education, where she provided administrative and fiscal oversight for the State Special Schools for the Blind and Deaf.
Competing in eventing and actively involved in the U.S. Pony Club throughout her youth — Alameda describes her return to the equestrian arena in an official capacity as a cherished opportunity and the most rewarding chapter of her public service career.
Katie McCool David, Board Member
Katie David has long been passionate about people, animals, and the natural world, and finds great fulfillment in the reciprocal nature of giving back.
Originally from Birmingham, AL, Katie earned a degree in Communications/Public Relations from Samford University. After beginning her career in advertising in New York City, she moved to California with her husband, Brad, in 2004. She later pursued her passion for gardening, earning a certificate in Horticulture from UCLA and launching a boutique landscaping business.
Katie is active in her Manhattan Beach community and enjoys gardening, travel, and time with her family. In 2025, her lifelong love of horses led her to Win Place Home, whose mission and belief in second chances immediately resonated with her. She supports Win Place Home through event planning, horticulture, volunteer coordination, and—most importantly—spending time with the horses at the ranch.