Penny Conway- Payson, AZ - Read more >>

Connie Sparkman-Koehl- Waco, TX - Read more >>

Janet Lemmons - Castro Valley, CA - Read more >>

Debbie Pender- Chino Valley, AZ - Read more >>

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Penny Conway-Payson, AZ
President and Founder

Penny Conway currently the Founder and President of the 17 year old Cowboys & Kids non-profit organization. Cowboys & Kids includes the REACh program and Pee-Wee Stampede. She was an elementary school teacher for 5 years in Payson, AZ prior to Cowboys & Kids. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education from Arizona State University & Central Arizona College. While she was an elementary school teacher she had training to work with at risk children and ran special group session for the students.

Penny is the 2001 Professional Women’s Rodeo Association World Champion Team Roper. At age 12 she became a member of the Professional Women’s Rodeo Association. Penny was on the National Collegiate Rodeo Team for 4 years at Arizona State University and Central Arizona College. Penny’s Dad, Milt Simon, participated in the first National Finals Rodeo in Dallas, Texas in 1959.

Penny is married to Bill Conway who is a member of a 135-year, pioneer cattle ranching family of Gila County, Arizona. Their son, Kyle, is the 6th generation on the ranch and a 7 time Arizona Junior Rodeo Association Champion, a High School National Rodeo Finalist. Daughter, Katy is married to Justin Taylor, they have 3 beautiful children.

Penny feels very fortunate in life to serve children in such a positive way through the Cowboys & Kids organization.

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Connie Sparkman-Koehl-Waco, TX

On staff with Cowboys & Kids for 7  years. Associate degree in Business, B.A. Early Childhood Education and Founder of Growing Garden Learning Center - a Christian based childcare pre-school.

Connie grew up going to rodeos with her dad, Pete Shore, and mother, Margie. Pete was a member of the Rodeo Cowboys Association and competed in the steer-wrestling event. Connie was a Member of the Youth Rodeo Association and Texas Youth Rodeo Association, Connie finaled in barrel racing, goat tying, break-a-way roping and ribbon roping. Connie helped start a Jr. FFA organization in Crosby, TX and became an assistant to the Agriculture Department. In 1998 she became an Honorary FFA member and remains active. Connie is married to Mark Koehl and lives in Waco, TX. Connie has 2 daughters, Stormy and Dusty, who both graduated from high school with many honors in Leadership for the FFA and showing registered cattle. In 2001, Stormy won Grand Champion Heifer at the prestigious Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, American Royal in Kansas City, MO. Dusty received the Grand Champion Heifer Award at San Antonio Livestock Show and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

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Janet Lemmons-Castro Valley, CA

Janet Lemmons has been on staff with Cowboys & Kids for 6 years. Janet lives in Hayward, CA. She is a manager and partner for the past 22 years in a well-known successful western store, Rowell Ranch Saddlery in Castro Valley, CA.

She is an active member and the Public Relations Director of the Rowell Ranch Rodeo committee. Janet's family has been in Castro Valley, CA all their lives. Her children are active in Christian youth groups and 4-H raising and showing livestock.

Ory, 16 is a member of the California High School Rodeo Assoc. and Nor Cal Jr. Rodeo Assoc. competing in Calf Roping, Team Roping, and Steer Wrestling. Ethan, 13 competes in the Nor Cal Jr. Rodeo Assoc. contesting in Goat tying, Breakaway Roping, and Team Roping events.

Her mentor and close friend, Cecil Jones, was the first secretary of the National Final Rodeo, an inductee of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and the PRCA Hall of Fame. Janet was honored in 2004 as Woman of the West by the local Rotary International Club and the local NBC affiliate news channel for her contribution to communities through the Cowboys & Kids organization.

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Debbie Pender-Chino Valley, AZ

Debbie Pender works with the Cowboys & Kids REACh Program in the scheduling department. Debbie’s responsibility is to keep the calendar for Cowboys & Kids on track by managing the national scheduling of school assemblies. She also helps out with the Pee-Wee Stampede. Debbie has been with Cowboys & Kids for three years and she loves working with all the ladies and touching the lives of so many children.

Debbie has lived in Arizona for over 30 years, and now lives in the small town of Chino Valley, near Prescott, AZ. She is a wife, a mother of three grown children and a Nana to two grandchildren. She run barrels, does a little dressage and is currently competing in team penning. Debbie is married and sheand her husband are in Cowboy Ministry and she is active in hosting “Cowgirl Teas”.

This past June Debbie held Prescott’s 1st Annual Lil’ Cowboy & Cowgirl Rodeo Pageant for children. It was a huge success, very entertaining and fun. Recently she also started a cookie company called Double D Cookies From Heaven. It’s an exciting endeavor and she is looking forward to seeing the business grow.

Debbie is a vital part of the REACh Program. Scheduling schools is a full-time job and we are all so appreciative of her tremendous work. Were it not for Debbie, we are positive we could not manage all the bookings. Thank you Debbie.