Our Board

Bill has been married to Marcia 45 years.  He is the father of two girls, Cara and Kristin, and grandfather to eight grandchildren! Bill graduated from Baldwin Wallace College and brings over thirty years of teaching, coaching, and educational administration within Canton City Schools.  The Shearer name has been associated with horses for decades ranging from the ownership of standard bred race horses to cutting, pleasure, and reining horses. Bill leads many of the individual sessions and also leads the training of future session leaders.  He continues working in the community to provide events in which people can improve their quality of life by spending time with horses!  He is also working in the community by speaking with potential sponsors to provide the necessary funding to keep this non-profit ministry working efficiently.  He is creating a legacy of love to share with future generations!

Marcia is the mother of two girls and the grandmother of eight grandchildren. She graduated from The Ohio State University and brings over thirty years of teaching experience to Whispering Grace Horses. Her heart has always been with children and horses. The community is quite aware of her personal touch with kids not only with their learning but her willingness to put their comfort level for learning first! Marcia has served in many prayer groups with women and family.  She now lends a strong leadership quality mentoring session leaders at WGH along with prayer ministry. She works alongside her husband, Bill, to help speak to our surrounding community.  Marcia’s heart leads the way as she talks of how hope relates to understanding our mission at WGH, that being to intertwine a relationship of horses and humans, and how that relationship reflects the “Grace” we receive from Christ.

Stephen G. Deuble is a lifelong resident of Canton, Ohio. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1969, he began his business career in Canton. He currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board of DCC Corp., a private holding company, as well as Chairman of the Board of The Deuble Foundation. For over forty years he has been an active volunteer and board member with numerous community organizations including, Aultman Hospital, The YMCA, The Capital Campaigns Committee of Stark County, Junior Achievement, The Stark Education Partnership, Canton Country Day School, The First Tee of Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ. Steve is an avid golfer and member of  Congress Lake Country Club.

Doug Pugh brings to Whispering Grace Horses a desire to serve in our community.  He and his wife, Laurly have three sons and a daughter.  His knowledge of business experience and success coupled with a “savy” of understanding people becomes invaluable as he serves on the Board of Whispering Grace Horses.  His leadership skills and positive attitude gives us all inspiration.  His is an owner of Chick Fil A franchises in Ohio and creates a work environment of consideration, respect, understanding and patience.  All of these qualities blend uniquely with our mission statement for Whispering Grace Horses.  We consistently seek his advice as it relates to people skills and business operations.

Timothy Cranor has been the President, COO at Fresh Mark, Inc. for the past six years. He has over 50 years of experience in the food and commodity business. Prior to Tim coming to Fresh Mar, he spent almost eight years as a partner at Plaza Belmont Management Group, a private equity group that focused on buing food processing companies. Before Plaza Belmont, Tim was with Interstate Bakeries Corporation, where he was Sr. Vice President of Purchasing for two years and later spent seven years as Sr. Vice President with profit and loss responsibility for regional bakeries. Earlier in his career, Tim spent 12 years with Cereal Foods Processors, a privately held flour milling company, and ten years with the grain division of Farmland Industries. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Board of Trade, the American Institute of Baking, the Wheat Quality Council and the Kansas Grain and Feed Asssociation. He has been the President of Casa de Oro Foods and COO of MaMa Rosa's Pizza. In addition, he served on the board of directors of Casa de Oro and MaMa Rosa's. Tim graduated cum lade with a B.S. degree from Kansas State University. Currently Tim is on the Board of Trustees for the Kansas State University Foundation and the board of Renwood Mills in Newton, NC.

Jake Masters is a young man we feel fortunate to have aboard at Whispering Grace Horses and Freedom Farm.  Many in the horse world are quite familiar with Jake.  He comes from an outstanding family who has been settled within our area for decades.  He is married to his lovely wife, Samantha, and they compose a team deeply rooted in faith and both share our philosophy of how such beliefs affect our lives each and every day.  

His work ethic is second to none and his knowledge of horses has no bounds.  He is a great hand with a horse but that knowledge goes beyond handling horses.  That knowledge extends to the inner being of a horse as well as the health and medical actions necessary to keep them functioning at a very high level.  They both compose a business, Masters Equine, where they find horses suited to just about anyone's needs.  They hold one trait not always found within the world of horses, that being TRUST!

Jake will be making sure our herd will be up to date with all necessary inoculations and vaccines.  We have finally corralled his knowledge and his addition will help continue our road to being touted as one of the finest 501c3's in the state of Ohio.  Thanks to Jake and the Masters family for being who you are and stepping up to face the issues of this fast paced world we live in.