Meet Ian Breckenridge

Expanded Board Candidate Profile

Candidate Responses

Expanded Board candidate application responses.

What professional experience/s has/have most shaped who you are today?

Throughout my professional life, I have built four distinct careers in four industries, primarily in sales, management, and executive leadership. Each required different capabilities, yet I found the skills developed in one environment consistently transferred to others. My career has been shaped by fluid and unpredictable circumstances that taught me to adapt, lead through change, and make sound decisions with incomplete information. Sales taught me accountability, listening, and relationship building; management taught me to develop people, set expectations, and build accountability; executive leadership broadened my perspective on strategy, financial and operational considerations, and long-term organizational interests. These experiences have shaped me into a focused, adaptable person.

Please share any experience serving on nonprofit, association, corporate, community, or volunteer boards—or other leadership roles you feel have prepared you for Board service.

I have served on various committees for church, corporate, community and nonprofit organizations, all volunteered time spanning several decades.

What inspired you to consider serving on Eagala’s expanded Board of Directors?

At 73, I have applied a lifetime of experience and a passion for learning to my work as an equine-assisted practitioner. This is now 100% of what I do. I work as a contractor at multiple facilities, giving me a broad perspective on the field and those we serve. I believe the work we do with horses and people is extraordinary and has tremendous potential. While I use multiple modalities, my EAGALA credentials are the most important part of my professional identity. I have invested significant time and energy promoting EAGALA and believe deeply in its mission. I feel it is time to give back by sharing my experience, perspective, energy, and desire to help EAGALA grow and expand its impact.

Looking ahead five years, what do you believe is Eagala’s greatest opportunity?

Over the next five years, I envision EAGALA expanding its membership, professional reach, and sustainable revenue. I see a significant opportunity to integrate EAGALA more intentionally into structured mental health programs, creating pathways that attract more mental health professionals while expanding awareness and use of the EAGALA model. I have ideas for developing these opportunities and believe they could strengthen EAGALA’s clinical relevance, create greater professional value for members, and expand the organization’s impact. My goal would be to help EAGALA grow strategically while protecting the integrity and distinctiveness of its model.

What unique experiences, perspectives, or strengths would you bring to the Board?

I am somewhat unconventional in this field. I do not consider myself a “horse person” first; I am a licensed professional counselor who recognized the extraordinary potential of working with horses. I have worked with the same equine specialist for nearly 10 years and built my practice around that partnership. I have also worked for others and owned my own businesses, wearing many hats throughout my career. These experiences developed strong critical-thinking skills and a forward-looking approach to problem solving. I bring maturity, stability, and perspective during uncertain times, along with the wisdom that comes from experience.

Describe a time when you worked with people who held viewpoints that differed from your own. What did you learn from that experience?

I worked with an organization where I strongly disagreed with leadership decisions. The consequences were financially devastating and personally difficult. An earlier version of me might have simply walked away. Instead, I made a conscious decision to find ways to stay and contribute. At times, the experience was humbling and uncomfortable, but it revealed strengths and resilience I did not know I had. Most importantly, it taught me to move beyond my personal reactions and focus on what the situation required rather than what would make me comfortable. I learned that leadership sometimes means remaining committed, adapting, and doing what is necessary to serve the greater priority, even when circumstances are difficult.

What does stewardship mean to you?

To me, stewardship means accepting responsibility for the well-being and care of the people, organizations, resources, and responsibilities entrusted to me, including my own life. Stewardship does not necessarily mean ownership. It means recognizing that I have been given resources, authority, and opportunities and have a responsibility to use them wisely. That responsibility is not always about doing what I want, but doing what is needed and what is best for what is in my care. Good stewardship requires humility, accountability, sound judgment, and a commitment to leave what I have been entrusted with stronger than I found it.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you that isn’t reflected elsewhere in this application?

Not at this time.

Areas of Experience

The candidate selected the following areas of meaningful knowledge or experience: