The Wyatt Foundations Staff and Directors

Joe and Denise Hardy, Founders

Joe and Denise are down-to-earth, country people who were both raised on farms in Utah and have a love of the great outdoors. They have six children and have resided in Idaho for the past several years. Their inspiration for The Wyatt Foundation and Spirit Ranch is their 8-year-old autistic boy, Wyatt. Wyatt has always had a love of animals and loves being outdoors. When Wyatt was introduced to horses, he was immediately drawn to them above any of the other animals. Joe and Denise immediately noticed the positive effect the horses had on him.

After researching animal therapy, they were not surprised to find that there have been several extensive studies proving the positive influences of horses on special needs children and adults. Since that time, they have had the dream to be able to bring this experience to all special needs children, and Spirit Ranch is the realization of that dream.

The Hardys have been business owners for the past 10 years. Their expertise lies in the real estate and marketing industry. As well as being the founders of The Wyatt Foundation and Spirit Ranch, the Hardys will be responsible for the day-to-day operations that pertain to the growth of the existing business and raising capital.

Joe and Denise are extremely excited about the development of Spirit Ranch and look forward to the opportunity of expanding these equestrian and animal therapy centers for the education and enjoyment of the special needs community.

Dianna Kay Spatig was born in Rupert, Idaho, and then raised by the beautiful Snake River in Burley, Idaho. Dianna grew up in a small town, but she had big dreams to fulfill.

During her junior year in high school, Dianna moved to Utah to be eligible to attend early college during her senior year. After much hard work and determination, Dianna graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, with a degree in Child and Family Studies and a minor in Psychology. She then pursued a Master's Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in School Counseling from Utah State University. Dianna graduated with her Master's Degree and had her first job as a School Counselor by the time she was 22 years old. She has been a School Counselor at Midland Elementary in Roy, Utah, for the past 7 years and loves working with the hundreds of students she gladly serves each year.

Dianna has experience writing and receiving grants for her school. She is also in charge of a student leadership group where many service projects are completed each year. In her spare time, Dianna enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling to new places. Brandon and Dianna have been married for 10 years. Together they have three sweet children: Celeste, Skyler, and Cameron.

Brandon Spatig was born in Ogden, Utah, and then raised in a small town called Slaterville. Slaterville is located west of the Business Depot of Ogden and is now called Marriott-Slaterville. Brandon and his family now live in the growing city of Clinton.

Brandon attended Weber State University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Special Education. This is his first year teaching 3rd grade at Quest Academy, a charter school in West Haven, Utah. He loves the students in his class and being able to make a difference in the lives of his students. In his spare time, Brandon enjoys spending time with his family, riding his motorcycle, traveling, and enjoying the serenity of the mountains.

Lara owned & operated a successful sewing business for over 18 years & specialized in custom leather designs. She also worked for the H.C. Brill Co. training cake decorators and over seeing the Albertson's western states bakeries. She made sure each of the bakeries were in compliance with the companies programs and that everything was being produced within the guidelines of the company. Most recently Lara worked as a Design & Service Manager for a large Granite & Marble Company. Her job included scheduling service on marble and granite installation and making sure customers were completely satisfied. Lara loves to cook and entertain. She also loves the outdoors. Lara is thrilled for the opportunity of working with the Wyatt Foundation. Wyatt is her nephew and holds a special place in her heart. She is amazed at the progress he has made and continues to make. Lara is very excited to work with other special needs people and their families while helping at the ranch.

Jay & Evelyn Dayley currently reside in Layton Utah. They have been married for 43 years and are the parents of 9 children and have 21 grandchildren. Jay has an extensive background in Nursing. He graduated from Weber State University in 1992 with an Associates Degree in Nursing. He has since taken numerous courses to expand his education in the nursing field. He has 17 years of experience in numerous nursing areas including: Emergency, I.C.U., Oncology, Med/Surgery, Rehab, Home health and Pediatric private duty nursing, where he became proficient in the care of severely disabled children who were ventilator dependant.
Prior to Jay getting his nursing degree, he and Evelyn owned and operated a buried communications business burying copper and fiber optic telephone cable thorough out the United States. Not only did Evelyn assist in the business, but she also kept herself extremely busy raising their 9 children. Both Jay and Evelyn have experience with special needs children due to the fact that they have a grandson who has cerebral palsy and are frequently responsible for his care.

Brad has over 20 years of experience in the commercial and industrial construction field. Brad has a wide range of expertise in the construction arena from starting at the ground level to managing his own concrete crew and onto the superintendent position. He has supervised projects ranging from $100,000 to $14,000,000. Brad has had hands on experience in all building codes including ANSI and ADA Standards. He has a working knowledge of all construction equipment and farm implements and is a valuable asset to assist in the development of Spirit Ranch.
Brad has been married to his wife Tara for 15 years. They have four children and currently reside in Clinton, Utah. Brad was raised on a farm and knows the meaning of hard work. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, camping and spending time with his family.