Home » About » Staff & Leadership

Staff & Leadership

Our Staff

Devin

Devin Abramo

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Concerts, sunshine, the beach, dogs, traveling, trying new food

Could Easily Live Without: BUGS

Hannah

Hannah Armstrong

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Video games, anything and everything cute

Could Easily Live Without: Frogs, corn

karen2

Karen Aseltine

Sanctuary Feline Wellness Specialist

Best Things in Life: bicycles, scented candles, gummy bears, warm summer nights

Could Easily Live Without: snow days, paper cuts, family members who complain about my cooking

Edie circle

Edie Bonneville

Helpline Manager

Best things in life: Family, big smiles, nature and all its miracles, books, a good belly laugh and the unconditional love of animals

Could easily live without: TV, bills, traffic jams and lima beans

Lucas2

Lucas Brozyna

Canine Team Manager - Behavior Cottages

Best things in life: spending time outdoors, bike rides, and disc golf

Could easily live without: bad drivers, cold weather, and poor grammar

Michelle edit

Michelle Christensen

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best things in life: Family, all animals and nature, Fall and Winter, chocolate

Could easily live without: Hot and humid weather, spiders, mosquitos, fireworks

Toni

Toni DeLorenzo

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Family, friends, dogs, old Jeeps, my motorcycle, being outside, being able to help others, ice cream, and baking delicious snacks

Could Easily Live Without: Narcissism, hot and humid weather

Erika

Erika Duplessis

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Family and friends, animals and plants, art and music, ocean and the woods, humor and optimism, and enjoying good food

Could Easily Live Without: War, corruption, toxic people, harmful expectations, and definitely commercials

Deb

Deb Fox

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: My family, dancing in the kitchen, hiking with Brooke and Zac, audiobooks, summer days, painting, drawing and all things crafty, new socks, grandkids, singing loud in the car, when new recipes turn out great, and soup season

Could Easily Live Without: Good veggies going bad, worrying about being late, being late, when you can't find matching shoe, sock, earring, glove,. etc., blue cheeses, wet socks, and turning clocks back an hour

Angela

Angela Frati

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Watching my pets sleep, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, long walks in the woods, and waterfalls

Could Easily Live Without: Mean people, ticks, litter, and highways

caroline3

Caroline Gaetano

Veterinary Program Manager

Best Things in Life: Fresh mountain air, hiking with dogs, my vacuum cleaner, and chocolate

Could Easily Live Without: Glitter, bananas, and snakes

sara1

Sara Geriak

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: My dog Sam, Autumn, books, music, and strawberries

Could Easily Live Without: Spiders and tuition expenses

177-0-2

Abby Haberern

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Long drives in the summer time with windows down, snuggling up with your dog, reading a good book, and road trips with friends

Could Easily Live Without: Bugs, especially moths, being cold, and traffic

Mark circle

Mark Heinrich

Chief Financial Officer

Best things in life: Family and friends at Lake Sunapee, NH, anything outside, any sporting event: anywhere – anytime!

Could easily live without: Commercials and taxes

171-0-2

Mario Hurtado

Sanctuary Facilities Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Good conversation, good food, good music, good wine and a good walk, all of the better if I'm with my family and friends

Could Easily Live Without: Humidity, mosquitos, petulance, entitlement, rudeness

paul1

Paul Johnson

Office Manager

Best Things in Life: Classical music, craft beer, and cartoons

Could Easily Live Without: Sports

marie1

Marie Joyner

Canine Behavior Manager

Best Things in Life: In the woods with the dogs, The Maine Cabin, and Hound Hugs

Could Easily Live Without: Social Media

Miles

Miles Lindell

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Animals, nature, video games, and music

Could Easily Live Without: Hot weather and traffic

susan2

Susan B. Linker

Chief Executive Officer

Best Things in Life: Soft cat fur, Summer, and Home

Could Easily Live Without: Country Music

170-0-2

Matt Mador

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Dogs, Musicals, Dessert, Music and Concerts, Campfires, Brisk fall weather

Could Easily Live Without: Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Humid weather

Krystal-1

Krystal Makowski

Canine Wellness Specialist & Assistant Team Manager – Volunteer Cottages

Best Things in Life: All things sparkly, Photography, Mac and Cheese, and shopping

Could Easily Live Without: Hitting my funny bone -the irony is too much

Beckham

Beckham Marder

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Friends, a simple cup of tea late at night or a fall morning, ice cream cake, art, music and of course animals!

Could Easily Live Without: My laundry, winter, and mosquitos

Tammy

Tammy Mercier

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Sleeping in, a day at the beach, a good live concert, animals to cuddle with

Could Easily Live Without: Negative people, inflation, bad weather, poor customer service

Beth

Beth Merow

Community Cat Program Coordinator

Best Things in Life: Pets, all things nature and wildlife, repurposing stuff into other neater stuff, nerding out on popular science books, and true crime podcasts

Could Easily Live Without: Poison ivy, sunburn, and mayonnaise

Stephanie

Stephanie Montemerlo

Executive Director of Programs

Best Things in Life:  Family, home, pasta, reading, traveling, and animals of course!

Could Easily Live Without: Cold weather, driving

Caitilin

Caitlin Moses

Adoption and Helpline Program Coordinator

Best Things in Life: The amazing flora and fauna of this earth, being by a body of water, and any form of cooked potato

Could Easily Live Without: A little less anxiety would be nice, confusing highways, meanness

Deanna & Moe1

Deanna Nickels, CPDT-KA

Canine College Program Manager

Best Things in Life: hot fudge sundaes, teaching dogs new tricks, sunshine, gardening, family, and friends

Could Easily Live Without: snakes, cold weather, and bad coffee

Jill

Jill Nugent, CPDT-KA

Canine Team Manager - Volunteer Cottages

Best Things in Life: Bicycle rides, dogs, fall, winter, and Christmas

Could Easily Live Without: Humidity

Alayna

Alayna O'Callaghan-Chausse

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: A good movie with a dog on your lap, coffee with chocolate

Could Easily Live Without: Sommercials, raisins in food that shouldn't have raisins

Alyssa

Alyssa Oppelt

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: wrapped up in warm blankets on a rainy day, sunsets & sunrises, puppy kisses and love

Could Easily Live Without: traffic jams, anxiety & stress, bills, & close minded people

Lindsey profile crop

Lindsey Pellino

Development & Operations Associate

Best Things in Life: Watching movies, mushroom foraging, vegan junk food, and heated blankets

Could Easily Live Without: Highways, single-use plastic, and people asking if I play basketball

jon1

Jon Phillips

Sanctuary Director

Best Things in Life: Watching TV on the couch with my wife and assorted furballs and all things musical

Could Easily Live Without: Reality TV

Loren

Loren Pontz

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Cats, chocolate, ice cream, and chocolate in ice cream

Could Easily Live Without: Bugs, cold weather, and stress

Katie P.

Katie Popiela

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Driving with the windows down on warm nights, iced lattes, watching dogs remember/find out what snow is

Could Easily Live Without: People who ONLY drive with their high beams on

176-0-2

Cathy Powers

Sanctuary Feline Volunteer Manager & Lead Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Well…cats of course, spending time with family and a beach day

Could Easily Live Without: Mean people, dieting, and driving in a snowstorm

Courtney

Courtney Schramm

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best things in life: Dogs, chocolate, vegan restaurants, tea, fuzzy socks, a fire in the fireplace, and Christmas music

Could easily live without: Filling up my car with gas

jen

Jennifer Strong

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Disney World, Halloween, The Drive-in Movies (yes they still exist!), Dogs (of course), Spending time with my husband and our fur kids, and Christmas movies!

Could Easily Live Without: Snakes and Spiders.

Carolyn

Carolyn Taylor

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life:Cats, Plants, Herbal tea, Reading on a blanket in the sun, and Playing cards with friends

Could Easily Live Without: Traffic, cold weather, and Violence

Kiana

Kiana Torres

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Anything Chocolate, Music, Animals, Heated Blankets, Traveling

Could Easily Live Without: Bills, Snow, Traffic, Pineapple Pizza

Heidi

Heidi Van Flatern

Feline Team Manager

Best Things in Life: A glass of wine, Michael's cooking and a cat in my lap

Could Easily Live Without: Cleaning the bathroom, driving in a snow storm, and mosquitoes

Kelsie edit

Kelsie Viel

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Spending time with my dogs, thunderstorms, sleeping in, traveling, movies, being at home, sunsets

Could Easily Live Without: Large crowds of people, pickles, spiders, heights

Montana

Montana Voisine, CPDT-KA

Canine Team Assistant Manager - Behavior Cottages

Best Things in Life: All animals, nature, spending time with my fur babies, and Green Tea!

Could Easily Live Without: The cold, anxiety and college tuition

Allisia

Allisia Vroom, CBCC

Sanctuary Canine Behavior Assistant

Best Things in Life: Disney, Harry Potter, crafting, and being outdoors

Could Easily Live Without: Tuna fish, running, and cooking

Janice

Janice Wehner

Community Outreach Coordinator

Best Things in Life: Love of my family and pets, dark chocolate, purple, horses, dragonflies, movies, musicals, concerts, dancing, and uncontrollable laughter

Could Easily Live Without: Ticks, winter, wet socks, and reckless drivers

Heather

Heather Wildman

Adoption Program & Media Manager

Best Things in Life: Mountain adventures, purple hair dye, Indian food, sunbathing with some furry friends, front row at a concert, and laughing until your stomach hurts

Could Easily Live Without: Stubbing your toe and the feeling of having something stuck in your teeth

Peyton

Peyton Winter, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA

Director of Canine Behavior Programs

Best Things in Life: Trees, Nice Views, Cool Rocks, Dogs, Stevie Nicks, and Iced Oat Milk Lattes

Could Easily Live Without: Traffic, Styrofoam, and Laundry

Leadership

It is our pleasure to welcome our Board of Directors. While this diverse group of individuals offers a myriad of skills and expertise, they share a common bond: a deep commitment to the mission of Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary. We look forward to many accomplishments through the dedication of our new leadership.

Officers

Maneesh Shanbhag, CFA- Board Chair & Treasurer
Jennifer Coffey, Esq. - Secretary

Directors

James Dolce - Willington, CT

Pat Foley - West Hartford, CT
Valerie Friedman - Washington Depot, CT
Frank Gaetano, CPA (Licensed in MA, CT, NY, and NJ) - Grafton, MA
Marie Joyner - Union, CT

Mitchell H. Linker - Bloomfield, CT
Susan B. Linker - Bloomfield, CT
Kerry Mansberg- Ashford, CT

Tony Menchaca - Westport, CT

Deirdre Silver- Redding, CT
George Trumbull - West Simsbury

Advisory

Janet Bailey - Farmington, CT
Anne Burns- Manchester, CT

Colleen Bridgeman - Willington, CT

Maria das Neves- Darien, CT

Risa Davidson, M.S- West Hartford, CT
Diana Garfield, Esq. – Acton, MA
Linda Hatten - Farmington, CT
Josh Hoffman- West Hartford, CT

Anne Llewellyn - Enfield, CT
Lauren Mascola, D.V.M. - West Hartford, CT
Joleen Nevers – Storrs, CT

Joel Reich- Glastonbury, CT

Barbara Ruben - Middletown, CT
Kathy Sullivan - Bloomfield, CT

Kim Zimmermann - Farmington, CT