Staff & Leadership

Our Staff

Karen Aseltine

Feline Medical and Behavior Manager

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 Bonneville

Helpline Program Assistant

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

Lucas Brozyna

Sanctuary Canine and Feline Caregiver

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

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

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

Caroline Gaetano

Director of Community Programs

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

Could Easily Live Without: Glitter, bananas, and snakes.

Sarah Geriak

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

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

Could Easily Live Without: Spiders and tuition expenses.

Mark Heinrich

Finance Director

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.

Paul Johnson

Office Manager

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

Could Easily Live Without: Sports

Marie Joyner

Canine Operations Director

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

Could Easily Live Without: Social Media

Katelyn Kauffman

Sanctuary Relief Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Wind in my hair with the sun in face and bare feet in the grass, the trust and love of all furry creatures especially my fur baby, selfless people, live music, peaceful mornings, traveling and learning other cultures

Could Easily Live Without: Bad attitudes, Stubbing your toe, alarm clocks, being hangry, filing my nails, smelly sponges

Briana Keating

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: fries, autumn, concerts, stephen king, ben & jerry's, and road trips.

Could Easily Live Without: bugs, football, needles, chocolate, country music, and traffic.

Tom King

Sanctuary Facilities Caretaker aka Mr. Fix It

Susan B. Linker

Chief Executive Officer

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

Could Easily Live Without: Country Music

Bree Lowrey

Canine Behavior Assistant

Best things in life: woods, trees, rocks, mountains, music, food, and dogs.

Could easily live without: technology and crowded places.

Krystal Makowski

Canine Medical and Behavior Manager

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.

Beth Merow

Canine Volunteer Manager

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.

Mary Moffitt

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Unconditional love!

Could Easily Live Without: Anxiety, stress, and tons of shepherd hair.

Stephanie Montemerlo

Director of Programs

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

Could Easily Live Without: Cold weather, driving

Deanna Nickels

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.

Laurie Noriega

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Family, all animals, swimming, Oregon Ducks, camping, sunshine, and roller coasters.

Could Easily Live Without: Spiders and insects that bite.

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 Pellino

Feline Volunteer Manager

Best Things in Life: bike rides, hot sauce, lipstick, and reading on a hammock.

Could Easily Live Without: mosquitos, cold weather, and my own clumsiness.

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

Courtney Pugh

Sanctuary Canine and Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: Cats, Disney movies, summer, music, fashion, the beach and travel

Could Easily Live Without: spiders, traffic, getting older, winter, and pessimists

Josie Redding

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: music, art, movies, animals, family and friends, the ocean

Could Easily Live Without: holes in socks, cold pizza, raw tomatoes

Victoria Shuster

Sanctuary Feline Caregiver

Best Things in Life: animals, car rides with the windows down, coffee and sunsets

Could Easily Live Without: traffic, seafood, sunburns and bills

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.

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 Voisine

Sanctuary Canine Caregiver

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

Alissia Vroom

Sanctuary Canine Behavior Assistant

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

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

Heather Wildman

Adoption Program & Social 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.

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

Maria das Neves - Board Chair
Risa Davidson, M.S. - Secretary
Maneesh Shanbhag, CFA - Treasurer

Directors

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
George Trumbull - West Simsbury
Kim Zimmermann - Farmington, CT
Adam Zweifler, Esq. - West Hartford, CT

Advisory

Janet Bailey - Farmington, CT
Colleen Bridgeman - Willington, CT
Jennifer Coffey - West Hartford, CT
Sharon Flannery-West Hartford, CT
Diana Garfield, Esq. – Acton, MA
Linda Hatten - Farmington, CT
Anne Llewellyn - Enfield, CT
Kerri Mansberg - Ashford, CT
Lauren Mascola, D.V.M. - West Hartford, CT
Joleen Nevers – Storrs, CT
Barbara Ruben - Middletown, CT
Chris Shivery - Avon, CT
Kathy Sullivan - Bloomfield, CT