Staff & Directors

Staff
Board of Directors

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STAFF

John Lipp, President/CEO

Working with PAWS since January 2004, John brings over 20 years experience in the nonprofit sector with a variety of social service, arts and animal welfare organizations. A previous resident of Arizona and a graduate of Arizona State University, John worked as the Volunteer Program Manager for the Scottsdale (AZ) Center for the Arts, Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Tempe, AZ and as the Director of Volunteer Resources for ARIS, the local AIDS service organization of Santa Clara County. From 1996-1999, he served as the Executive Director of the Volunteer Exchange of Santa Clara County. As a consultant specializing in volunteerism, nonprofit management, and executive transition issues, he has worked with a variety of organizations and has served as a trainer and keynote speaker on the local and national level. Clients ranged from Washington DC based Points of Light Foundation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In April 2002 he was honored to be an invited presenter at the 1st Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Volunteer Administration in Busan, Korea and in 2005 he was a visiting scholar for the US State Department in Argentina. John has also served as the Interim Executive Director for the Mothers' Milk Bank in San Jose, the Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, and Positive Resource Center in San Francisco. John currently serves as an instructor for CompassPoint Nonprofit Services in San Francisco. He has published on the topics of volunteer retention, recruitment and training, and is a co-author of "Volunteers for the City: A How-To Manual for Developing or Enhancing Municipal Volunteer Programs." He served as a Board Member and Past President of the Humane Society Silicon Valley.

John's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 308
Send an e-mail to John

Andrea Brooks, Director of Education and Client Advocacy

Andrea graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey 1999 with degrees in Psychology, International Studies and Cultural Anthropology. She has lived and worked in the Israel, Palestine, Tanzania and Nigeria. Most recently, Andrea was directing HIV/AIDS prevention education programs in East and West Africa. While extremely stimulated by overseas life and work, Andrea had a growing desire to apply her skills and knowledge to her local community and home base, San Francisco. She joined PAWS in 2003.

Andrea's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 304
Send an e-mail to Andrea

Susan Getty, CASS Program Assistant

Susan grew up on a non-working farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and had a variety of domesticated and wild ‘pets.’ It was during these years that she developed the respect and compassion for animals that has shaped her personal and professional paths, and ultimately led her to PAWS.  While earning her BA in Visual Arts from the University of San Francisco, Susan volunteered at the SF/SPCA walking dogs, and more recently, helped to qualify The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act for the November 2008 ballot.

A former Veterinarian’s Assistant at All Pets Hospital in the Mission District, Susan is thrilled to be on the PAWS staff and part of a community of likeminded individuals who recognize the immeasurable worth of companion animals!

Susan's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 311

Send an e-mail to Susan

Prado Gomez, CASS Case Manager

Prado Gomez, CASS Program Coordinator, is a native San Franciscan born and raised in the sunny Mission District. He has spent the last 15 years working in a variety of organizations, from youth theater to HIV prevention, serving the diverse San Francisco community. Most recently he spent five years as Director of Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida, a health and wellness program serving the queer Latina/o community. When he's not putting his brain and brawn to work providing pet food to the masses, Prado is a first-time college student, singer, husband and father. He lives in the East Bay with his partner Mariah and their two-legged and four-legged children. After the recent loss of two of his canine kids, Prado was thrilled to join the PAWS pack where dog love is plentiful.

Prado's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 307
Send an e-mail to Prado

Victoria Long, Finance & Administration Director

Victoria Long, Director of Finance and Administration Victoria grew up in Truckee, CA before leaving and attending Manhattanville College in Westchester County, NY. She received a B.A. degree in Political Science and joined the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies upon graduation. She worked with Chubb as a liability underwriter in their New York City, London and San Francisco offices.

Victoria's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 306
Send an e-mail to Victoria

Daniel Marlay, Director of Volunteer Services

Daniel was born and raised in Jonesboro, AR. He then went to San Antonio for college and graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX with a degree in Philosophy in 2001. While in college, he was involved with volunteering with animals, youth, ESL, and many other things. After graduation, he spent two years in Suriname with the Peace Corps, where he worked with local middle school teachers, helping with English lessons and project design and management. He joined PAWS in 2003 as the Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator.

Daniel's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 305
Send an e-mail to Daniel

Laura Nelson, Director of Client Services

Laura joined PAWS as the Client Services Coordinator in December, 2000 and became the Director of Client Services in 2004. She first became involved with PAWS as a volunteer dog walker and planning committee member for the 2000 Healing Power Summit. Previously, she was the Circulation Supervisor for Soccer America Magazine.

Laura moved to San Francisco in 1997 from Hoboken, NJ. She grew up in the Upstate New York town of Hillsdale. Before moving to New Jersey, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She also attended Nottingham Polytechnic in Nottingham, England as part of a Study Abroad Program in the Spring of 1992.

Laura's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 303
Send an e-mail to Laura


Joanne B. Kipnis, Development Director

Joanne brings to PAWS over 20 years of management and direct service experience in Health and Human Services and Animal Welfare. Before moving to San Francisco in 1995, Joanne, a native New Yorker, spent 15 years in Washington, DC working with non-profit mental health and senior healthcare organizations in a variety of capacities.  She also received a Master’s degree in social work from the Catholic University of America. 

After moving to San Francisco, Joanne served as Membership Director and VP of Resource Development for the National PACE Association - a national organization that advocates for senior healthcare programs. She also began volunteering at the SF/SPCA. Joanne had always loved animals but it wasn’t until a two-week old calico kitten (“Lucy”) came into her life that she experienced the true power of the human-animal bond. In 2003 Joanne left senior health, was appointed to the SF Commission of Animal Control and Welfare, and took a temporary position with PAWS.  Prior to returning to PAWS in June 2008, Joanne was the Assistant Director for In Defense of Animals and most recently a consultant to the SF/SPCA Feral Cat Assistance Program. She currently serves on the board of Muttville, an organization that rescues and finds home for senior dogs.  Joanne shares her home in San Francisco with her two very spoiled cats, Lucy and Ricki.

Joanne's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 314

Send an email to Joanne

Cheryl Shiflett, Development Coordinator

Cheryl's background includes marketing positions for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has an MBA from the University of Louisville and worked for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in Chicago for almost five years, prior to moving to San Francisco with her husband, Steve. While in Chicago, Cheryl also volunteered at a cat shelter, where she fell in love with their family's latest addition, Ashlee. Cheryl has been a PAWS volunteer for two years and has always been extremely passionate about animals and the human-animal bond. She is especially smitten with seniors - her 3 cats, Ashlee, Toby and Beeber are all enjoying their leisurely golden years at their home in Bernal Heights.

Cheryl's telephone number: 415/979-9550 ext 309
Send an e-mail to Cheryl

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathleen Luzzi, President

Kathleen is currently the US Brand Manager and Marketing Director for Blavod Extreme Spirits. She brings 20 years of experience in marketing and operations management to PAWS. She earned a BS in Physiology from UC Berkeley with a second major in business. Also a professional baker, Kathleen was asked to help fulfill a last birthday wish for a friend with AIDS - to make a cake in the exact replica of his dog Mona. "That request opened my eyes to how much Mona meant to my friend and shortly thereafter someone told me about PAWS". The opportunity to be a part of an organization that promotes the healing companionship of animals for those living with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses was a perfect match. Kathleen started volunteering for PAWS in 1994 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1997 serving as President from January 2005. Through that time Kathleen has Co-chaired Petchitecture in 2004 and 2005, contributed liquor sponsorships for Petchitecture and other fund raising events and has dedicated countless volunteer hours for clients and their companion animals. Kathleen walks the beach nearly everyday with her two dogs, Bo and Maggie who have three cats they leave at home - Grant, Figaro and Roberta.

Send an e-mail to Kathleen

Elizabeth Hirsch, Secretary

Liz joined the PAWS Board in spring 2003. She is the owner of CanDo ReDo, a San Francisco redecorating company, and also a practicing attorney and human resources consultant.

After leaving a position as senior counsel of a medical devices company in Santa Clara in June 2002, Liz decided that she wanted to support an organization that helped those not as fortunate as she and found herself licking envelopes, writing letters and raising money with the organizing committee of the annual Doggone Fun Run. Liz and her dog, Joe, the blind boxer-pit, got to ride in the Fun Run pace car. It was so rewarding that Liz volunteered for the Petchitecture Planning Committee and she also serves on the PAWS PR and Development Committee.

Liz grew up in the desert in Tucson, Arizona. She is a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and has an MPH from the Yale School of Medicine and a law degree from the University of Arizona.

John Sell, Treasurer

John is a long time volunteer with PAWS, starting with the food bank when it was housed in a Noe Valley church basement. He is also active in several other local and national charitable and activist organizations including the Stern Grove Festival Association and the Human Rights Campaign. John’s “day” job is a hardware architect for Microsoft. He was previously a senior fellow at Advanced Micro Devices and a distinguished engineer at Apple Computer. John shares a human-animal bond with Eric the cat. He grew up in Seattle and holds a M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Jamie Ennis

Jamie has been a friend to animals since he was a child, bringing home all the lost animals he and his siblings could find. Fortunately, his mother couldn't say no to a furry face either. Since then, he has served on the Board of Directors for the National AIDS Memorial and volunteered on the Petchitecture 12 committee as his first commitment in working for PAWS. He has worked in marketing for a media agency and a local television station, and now works in the marketing department at Banana Republic for Gap Inc., opening international stores around the globe. He lives in San Francisco with his life partner of 13 years, Gary Pike, along with their dog Lily and cat Tiger. Jamie had been interested in PAWS for a number of years but knew it was fate when he found a lost cat near his house, took it home, and found out it belonged to an unknown neighbor who just happened to be the President of the Board of Directors for PAWS, Kathleen Luzzi.

Christine Kent

Christine Kent was new to the PAWS board in 2002. She is a writer and public relations consultant, and also manages a rental property that she owns in France. She works from her home in Oakland; her cat Buster is her executive assistant, stress reliever and paperweight, all rolled into one furry package. Prior to becoming a consultant, Chris was the writing manager at Blanc & Otus Public Relations, a high-tech public relations firm in San Francisco. Her writing and editorial career includes a position as editor-in-chief of Ragan Communications, creator of publications on communications and public relations. Chris was also editorial director at Infocom Group, based in Emeryville, California, and has worked for numerous news and media organizations, including Crittenden Research, North Jersey Herald & News, Newsday, American Journalism Review and CNN.

Chris, a native New Yorker, has previously volunteered for the San Francisco SPCA. She helped pet cats, a job she does very well. She has a B.A. in communications from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Roseanne Strano

Roseanne Strano was most recently an Assistant Vice President, Location Manager for Wells Fargo Bank in North Beach. She has held the position of Commercial Lender and Business Banker before being promoted to her current assignment. Prior to Wells Fargo, Roseanne spent 7 years with the NYC Board of Education as a teacher. She has her undergraduate and Masters Degree from St. Johns University in NY. Roseanne is active in the GBLT community and is dedicated to the struggle for equality and fairness for all people. Roseanne has been the Co-Chair of the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco from 2004-2007. Through her work with GLAAD, she has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Roseanne is an animal rights advocate who strongly believes in the importance of the human-animal bound. She has been a volunteer with the SF SPCA, and has been the proud foster parent to many groups of kittens over the years. Roseanne lives in San Francisco with her partner and their two Yorkshire Terriers, Zoe and Rocco.

Amy Wender

Amy grew up in New York City and came out to the Bay Area to go to college. After graduating from Stanford University, she started a non-profit organization called the Wender Weis Foundation for Children (WWFC), which raises funds and awareness for low-income, disadvantaged, and abused children in the San Francisco Bay Area. While running WWFC, Amy earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In partnership with the Giants Community Fund and the Exploratorium, WWFC holds an annual fundraising event, now in its 11th year, called Halloween Heroes. 2007 marked the 11th anniversary of the event. On a personal note, Amy loves professional sports and admits to crossing rivalry lines for a good game. "Even though I am Stanford alum, I go to every home Cal football game!" A huge animal lover, Amy shares her life with kitty, Kandinsky, and her fiancé, John.

Bobby Wise

Bobby has a BA in Marketing from St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, and an MA in Hotel and Restaurant Management from New York University. Bobby is the owner of George- the well known pet boutique in San Francisco's Pacific Heights and Berkeley. George was founded by Bobby and his partner Lyndon Lambert, both of whom hailed from Texas originally and made a stop in New York City before coming to San Francisco. George, the company, was of course named after George the dog. George, the dog, was Bobby and Lyndon's beloved Fox Terrier. Bobby has been a PAWS supporter throughout the agency's history, he was the Co-Chair for Petchitecture 2002, 2003 and 2004 and was instrumental in the success of the event.

Christopher Wiley

Christopher Wiley is the development director for the San Francisco Food Bank. He has 20 years of nonprofit publishing and fundraising experience at organizations including the Foundation for National Progress (Mother Jones Magazine) and the National School Boards Association. Christopher holds a bachelor's degree in English from James Madison University.

Christopher lives in San Francisco with his partner Bill Moss, moving to the City from Washington, DC eight years ago. Chris and Bill share their home near Alamo Square with an assortment of aquarium fish and their unruly Boston terriers Lily and Violet who know how to keep them wrapped around their paws.

Troup Coronado

When AT&T offered Troup a job transfer from Washington, DC, he had only one question: How would his furry soul mate, Killian, feel about living in California?  Well, thanks to the friends he's made through PAWS, Killian is loving life in the Golden State!

Troup Coronado is currently serving as AT&T's Vice President, External Affairs in Los Angeles., and is also the company’s lead executive in managing relationships with national LGBT organizations.  He previously worked in government affairs for AT&T and has also held positions on Capitol Hill.  A San Antonio native, Troup received his B.A. in Government Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from Notre Dame Law School. 

Larry Meacham

Larry is originally from Connecticut, but moved to San Francisco in 1978.  In 1976 he graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Political Science.  San Francisco provided opportunities not existing in New England, and Larry never left.  For much of the time he has worked in the financial sector where he is currently a Vice President at a major bank in the City.

For many years volunteering meant assisting, in one fashion or the other, in political clubs and during elections.  However, Larry has always wanted to give more of his time to the community, and PAWS is that opportunity. Larry strongly believes PAWS has provided a much needed service which MUST go on.  The special bond between a person and their pet has been allowed to continue in many instances because of PAWS.  Larry, with his partner Richard, live in the Haight-Ashbury area with their two fur children, Franky (the “big” pug), and Lola (the adventuresome French bulldog).