Meet the Team​

Olivia Kristiansen
CEO
Olivia's passion for animals is personal—she shares her home with two rescue dogs (Arthur and Oveja) and two Pets Lifeline cats (Scout and Zoe).
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Olivia’s career spans nearly two decades in the tech industry, where she held key roles in strategy, operations, and organizational growth at companies including Yahoo, Uber, and Twitter. Her leadership helped scale operations and build resilient, high-performing teams. Before her work in tech, Olivia was a national television host and became a published author in 2012. She also served as a volunteer mentor for BUILTBYGIRLS, empowering young women to explore careers in technology.

Jody Purdom
Development Director
Jody joined Pets Lifeline in 2023 as the new Development Director. She brings experience as Sponsorship Director for the Sonoma International Film Festival and as Grants Administrator for the Mental Insight Foundation. Purdom has tremendous experience working in the nonprofit sector.
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Previously, Purdom also worked for Sonoma Media, the Sonoma Valley Sun, and Charles Pinot Publishing, among others. She lives in Sonoma with Remy, her 12-year-old rescue Standard Poodle.​​​​

Victoria Benson
Lead Registered Veterinary Technician
Victoria is a north bay native who started her veterinary career in 2010 as a veterinary assistant. She went to Santa Rosa Junior College to pursue licensure as a Registered Veterinary Technician. She received her RVT in 2014. Victoria’s career has taken her from general practice to emergency and ICU care.
She has always had a passion for client education and patient care. In her free time Victoria loves to visit Disneyland and spend time with her two dogs Trevor and Dozer; and her three cats Appa, Momo, and Lucy.

Ali Phillips
Operations Director | Programs Supervisor
Ali joined the Pets Lifeline team as Operations Coordinator in January 2022 with a passion for problem solving and a lifelong love of animals. She has lived in Sonoma since 1984 and raised her two daughters in the Valley.
In her spare time, Ali enjoys spending time with her amazing family, including her beloved pets, as well as traveling to warm and sandy destinations.
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Ryan Lee
Senior Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviorist
Ryan is an experienced canine trainer and behavior professional who uses compassionate, science-based methods to build strong relationships between dogs and their people.
He previously served as Shelter Behavior Lead at the Humane Society of Sonoma County and worked in Animal Care & Behavior Support at the San Francisco SPCA. Ryan also owns A Beautiful Life Dog Training, offering private, individualized training.
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At Pets Lifeline, Ryan leads canine training and behavior efforts, supporting shelter dogs, adopters, and individualized behavior plans with clarity, trust, and joy.

Amy Mertens
Shelter Manager
Amy is a native of Sonoma Valley and always wanted to work in Veterinary Medicine. She started volunteering at Pets Lifeline in 2011 and transitioned into working as a Kennel Assistant and Adoption Specialist. She studied veterinary science & became certified as a Veterinary Assistant. She worked at a local vet hospital for eight years and gained practical veterinary experience working as a Vet Tech Asst. Amy has 1 Pets Lifeline alumni at home along with 2 rescued cats and 2 rescued dogs.

Sara Rusmisel
Administrative Coordinator
Sara, the Administrative Coordinator, was born and raised in the East Bay and moved to Sonoma in 2004. She began volunteering at Pets Lifeline upon her arrival in Sonoma and joined the staff a decade later in 2014. Sara shares her home with four PLL kitties and fosters many cats and kittens every year. She highly recommends having a catio for cats to safely enjoy fresh air and sunshine.​​​​

Mary Serafini
Events & Marketing Coordinator
Mary Serafini is a Sonoma local and brings years of experience to Pets Lifeline, joining in May 2023. Her career includes film editing and post-production at Industrial, Light and Magic in San Rafael and San Francisco’s visual effects film facility, The Orphanage. She also worked with the Sonoma Jazz Festival, Sonoma International Film Festival and Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market. She and her husband owned Sonoma Valley Music from 2005 to 2014 and raised two sons in Sonoma, now young adults. Mary has a dog named Albus, a beautiful black lab/golden retriever, a sweetie cheweenie from Pets Lifeline named Huckleberry and two awesome brother cats from Pets Lifeline, Ron & Neville.​​​

Josh Kraft
Youth Education Coordinator
Joshua moved to Sonoma in 2004, and joined the team at Pet's Lifeline in September 2024. He has two kitties, Zoe & Cloe who are both 17 years old. Josh's wife, Maria brought Zoe home as a kitten from Pet's Lifeline in 2007. Joshua has also recently become the proud father of a veiled chameleon named Johnny Ringo, aka Bubba.
Joshua brings his positive outlook, enthusiasm and compassion for all living things to the wonderful team at Pet's Lifeline. He also is the guitarist in the Bay Area band Tainted Love, Metal Street Boyz, and Super Dupes. Before joining PLL, Joshua was working with special needs adults as a Community Coach at Becoming Independent for 15 years.

Alexia Evoy
Community Clinic Coordinator
Lexi is a passionate animal lover and dedicated full-time canine care technician at pets lifeline. With a deep love for animals at the heart of everything she does, Lexi brings compassion and patience to her daily work with dogs. She shares her life with two Boston terriers who keep her days full of energy and joy. Whether she’s tending to the needs of rescue dogs or bonding with her own pets, Lexi is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of animals every day.

Shoshana Brown
Cat Foster/TNR Coordinator
Pets Lifeline’s longest-serving employee, Shoshana Brown, began her journey with the shelter at just 15 years old. Nearly 30 years later, her dedication remains unwavering as she continues to make a profound impact on the lives of countless animals. Throughout her tenure, Shoshana has worn many hats and currently oversees the daily care of Pets Lifeline’s cats and dogs, managing feeding schedules, walks, medication, and much more.
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In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Shoshana plays a pivotal role as Foster Animal Coordinator, working closely with foster families to ensure they have all the necessary supplies and support. Her efforts help kittens thrive in foster care and prepare for their forever homes. Shoshana is also the Feral Cat Coordinator, collaborating with the community to reduce overpopulation by facilitating spaying and neutering efforts for Sonoma’s community cats.
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When not at the shelter, Shoshana keeps just as busy at home, managing the care of four children, one husband, and a household full of animals!

Judy Hall
Volunteer Coordinator
Judy joined Pets Lifeline in October 2023 as Volunteer Coordinator. Judy grew up in a large family with cats, dogs, bunnies and a pet crow, and is a lifelong animal lover. She moved to Sonoma in 199O. Judy adopted 4 cats from Pets Lifeline over the years, and is a long term donor.
She adopted 2 senior cats from Pets Lifeline after joining the company. Judy comes with several years of experience in recruiting for a broad range of positions and companies including nonprofits, and in business development and client services positions. She is excited to combine her experience with her passion for animal welfare. ​

Amy Clune
Shelter Admin Assistant
Amy Clune joined Pets Lifeline in October 2024 as a Customer Service Representative. A Sonoma Valley resident since 1992, she brings over 25 years of administrative and customer service experience.
Dedicated to helping pets find loving homes, Amy is the welcoming face at the front desk, assisting with inquiries and resources for the community. She often cares for Pino and Chessy, a cat and dog belonging to a close friend, and is considering a rabbit as her next pet. Amy is pictured with Looney, a former Pets Lifeline resident who was adopted.

Kevin Dill
Shelter Assistant
Kevin is a part-time Kennel Assistant. Kevin began as a dedicated volunteer at Pets Lifeline. When a part-time position opened up, he applied to work at Pets Lifeline.
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Kevin is an animal lover and after each shift, he will make a cup of coffee and visit with the cats and dogs before going home for the day. Kevin has two dogs at home.

Rudy Moreno
Animal Care Technician
Rudy is a full time shelter assistant for dogs. Since working with us, he has discovered that the dogs love and respect him. Rudy is thrilled to be with the animals everyday and says he feels at ease when he’s with them. At home he lives with his wife, 4 children, 2 cats and 1 dog. Two of his pets happen to be Pets Lifeline alumnus.

Georgia Sharber
Animal Care Technician
Georgia started working as an Animal Care Technician at Pets Lifeline in March 2025. Starting in 2016 from wildlife rehabilitation, animal rescues, and vet hospitals, Georgia has been in the field for 9 years now. She's always had a soft spot for animal welfare and loves being hands-on in making a difference in their lives.

Rikkel Wood
Animal Care Technician
They are 22 years old and have had a lifelong passion for animals. Their journey began as a pet sitter for families across Sonoma County, which eventually led to roles in pet-related fields including doggy daycare, boarding facilities, and animal rescue.
Currently, they are part of the team at Pets Lifeline, where they continue to build their experience in animal care. They share their home with two beloved cats, Tinkerbelle and Heartless, and are also pursuing their studies at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Lisa Rasmussen
Animal Care Technician
Born and raised in Napa, Lisa has loved animals for as long as she can remember. After earning a degree in Animal Science from UC Davis, she spent a decade working in the wine industry before finding her way back to her original passion: helping animals.
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She began working in rescue in 2024 and joined Pets Lifeline as an Animal Care Technician in September 2025. Lisa feels grateful to support animals on their journey to safety, care, and forever homes.
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In January 2026, she adopted Ryder from Pets Lifeline and is proudly embracing her role as a dedicated dog mom. She’s excited to continue growing her hands-on experience in rescue and being part of the life-changing impact it has on both animals and people.

Corie Carroll
Customer Service Representative
Corie has been an animal lover her whole life and jokingly calls herself an “animal nanny” to every pet she meets. As the daughter and granddaughter of veterinarians, she spent more than a decade working in animal clinics in Santa Cruz County, gaining experience across both client care and hands on animal support.
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Originally from Lake Tahoe, Corie prefers cool weather and shares her Napa Valley home with eight animals, four dogs and four cats, most of them rescues, including one saved during the Paradise Fire in 2018. With over 20 years of customer service experience, she loves connecting with people just as much as caring for animals.

Yuri Cervantes
Animal Care Technician Student
Yuri is currently studying to become a veterinary technician and has loved animals for as long as she can remember. Her two cats, Daphne and Princess, inspire her daily to keep learning about animal health, behavior, and proper care.
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She is passionate about improving the wellbeing of animals and is motivated by the opportunity to support both pets and the people who care for them through compassionate, responsible veterinary care.
Board of Directors​

Jane Hutchinson
Director, Hiring Committee Chair, Program Development Committee
The summer of 2018 was a landmark season for Jane—she retired, moved to Sonoma, and married her husband, Bill. Prior to that, Jane’s career as an independent school business officer spanned more than thirty years, including leadership roles at HanahauÊ»oli School in Honolulu, HI, The Park School in
Brookline, MA, and most recently as CFO at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA.
Throughout her professional journey, Jane also contributed at the national and regional levels. She served as president of Cal-ISBOA, a professional association of 250 California independent school
business officers, was the founding president of HAISBO (Hawaiʻi Association of Independent School Business Officers), and was a member of ABOIS (Association of Business Officers in Independent Schools). Jane also served on the board of directors of NBOA (National Business Officers Association) and was honored with the Ken White Distinguished Business Officer Award in 2018.
Since settling in Sonoma, Jane has brought her passion for service to local organizations, volunteering with both Impact 100 Sonoma and Pets Lifeline. She and Bill share eight grandchildren (including two sets of twins!), a new puppy named Hokulani, and three lively grandpups. Together, they look forward to traveling to see family and friends, discovering new adventures, and savoring life in Sonoma, the beautiful community they call home.

Laura Zimmerman
Director
For 20 years, Laura graced television screens in northern and central California as an anchor and reporter. Best known for nearly five years as a news anchor at KTVU in Oakland during the first several years of the station’s then-new Mornings On 2 newscast, she later joined KGO-TV in San Francisco to serve as co-anchor of the station’s Marketplace financial program with Rosie Allen.
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After leaving television, Laura and her family relocated to Sonoma from the East Bay in 2000 and went into non-profit work. In 2007, Laura became the Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. Now, Laura is sharing her enormous talent with Pets Lifeline.​​​​​​​

Marchelle Carleton
President Emeritus Director, Governance, Investments, Finance Resource Development Committee, Program Development Committee, Strategic Planning, Hiring Committee
Marchelle lives in Kenwood (since 1998) with her husband Curt, their Golden Retriever Crystal “the pistol”, and 2 rescued cats – Chipper and Harrison who was recently rescued from the Paradise fires. They have an adult son Greg, his wife Marianne, and 2 granddaughters - Katelyn (studying Biomedical Engineering at USC) and Sarah (a senior at Napa High School). Marchelle has always given back to her community having served on Boards and volunteered for many organizations. She previously served on the Board of Boys & Girls Club for 12 years and is a Past President and Sweetheart. Marchelle is a founding member of the Cha Chas who for 14 years have volunteered their time for the youth at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center.
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Marchelle’s professional experience includes starting Carleton Group Healthcare Interiors with her husband Curt. For over 30 years they’ve worked with large customers such as Kaiser, Sutter Health, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and the UC System medical facilities. She is fluent in all aspects of business from owning their company. Prior to that she was a partner in an event company producing large events, PR and marketing.​

Robert Lerner
Director, Treasurer
Robert is currently self-employed as a Consulting Chief Financial Officer to several technology-focused software and technology companies. He previously served in executive financial roles at venture-backed companies including AlienVault and Aerohive, and for public companies including Fortinet, Siebel Systems, Excite@Home (previously @Home Network), Sybase, Raytheon, Memorex and Cypress Semiconductor.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marshall University and his MBA from Georgia State University. Robert is active in Financial Executives International (FEI) and is a member of Sonoma Valley Rotary. He is currently on the board of Sweetwater Spectrum and is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Finance and Facilities Committees.
Robert and his wife Pam have lived in Sonoma for three years with their Standard Poodle, Murphy. They have one married son who lives in San Francisco with his wife Pam and Robert enjoy hiking, cycling and travel.​​​​
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Toni Casamento
Director, Governance & Resource Development Committee
Toni was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts, moving to Southern California is the mid 80’s and finally to Northern California in 2000. She practiced law for over 20 years in both Massachusetts and California, concentrating on civil litigation and real estate.
She has been and continues to be involved in a number of non-profit, charitable organizations including the Anti-Vivisection Society, the Cha-Chas (providing support to The Valley of the Moon Children’s Home for abused, abandoned and neglected children), 4Paws where she and her pup Winston volunteer at the local Library for Read to the Dog Days, and finally to Pet’s Lifeline where she joined the Board of Directors in 2017.
Toni lives in Kenwood with her beloved husband Chuck and her labradoodle Winston. She enjoys photography, travel and cooking.

Frank Espina
Director, Strategic Planning, Investments
Frank Espina’s professional experience spans over four decades as the founder of his own CPA firm as an audit and tax partner. He retired in 2018. His financial accounting and tax consulting experience lends well to the role of Board Member.
Over the years, Frank has served on several volunteer boards as President and Chairman of the Board of Family Service Agency, San Mateo Chamber of Commerce and Suicide Prevention and Crisis Center. Also, for 20 years he was on the Board and CFO of Pets in Need. Currently, he is on the Board and CFO of the Wine Country Marines. He has both a BA and MBA from San Francisco State University and spent time in the United States Marine Corp.
He is married to his wife Andi for the last 18 years. He has two dogs, Hambone and Coco Chanel. He currently serves on the finance committee for Pets Lifeline.

Cyndi Frank
Director, Program Development Committee
Cyndi lives in Sonoma with her husband Lars and their beloved cat Mia, a.k.a. Creamy. She is a lifelong animal lover and is proud to serve on the Pets Lifeline Board of Directors so that she can express that love through helping to do good for our local cats and dogs. Cyndi’s other passion is travel and hopes to eventually visit every continent so that she can learn more about the languages and traditions of all cultures on our planet.
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Cyndi has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years for many different organizations: The Sierra Club Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank, Jewish Community Center, Sports4Kids, National Gaucher Foundation, Friends of San Francisco Animal Care & Control, and currently the Gaucher Community Alliance where she is the Co-Founder/Co-President and The Cultural Conservancy, where she serves as their Chief Development Officer.

Bob Holloway
Director, Resource Development Committee, Program Development Committee, Hiring Committee
I’ve lived in Sonoma for 18 years with my husband Tom. Recently I retired from a 30 year career with the National Park Service assigned to Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
I worked with volunteers, led guided tours for guests of all ages and managed the historic preservation of facilities. As a volunteer I’ve served on the Public Advisory Team for the Developmental Center. I am a founding member of Gaydar. Tom and I are the dedicated owners of a 10-year-old rescue terrier mix Dusty Springfield.

Sue Maloney
Co-Chair
Sue lives in Sonoma with her husband Pete and Norwich terrier, Franklin.
After attending several Pets Lifeline events and volunteering for PLL events, she enthusiastically joined the Board in 2023. Sue now chairs the RDC committee supporting marketing, fundraising and events. From 2008-2018, she served two terms as a board member for Safe & Sound, an organization dedicated to preventing and reducing the impact of child abuse, neglect and trauma in San Francisco where she supported marketing, Web site and messaging for the non-profit.
Sue currently works as an Executive Creative Director at Ketchum, a global marketing and communications agency.

Dr. Tiffany Newman, DVM
Director, Animal Wellness & Emergency Prep Chair
Tiffany grew up in Sonoma Valley, attending El Verano Elementary, Altimira Junior High and Sonoma Valley High School. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, spent 2 years teaching English in Japan, and completed her degree in veterinary medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island where she met her husband, Gordon.
They moved back to Sonoma in 2016, where they currently live on a hobby farm with their 3 elementary school daughters, 6 alpacas, 2 goats, 2 bunnies, 2 dogs, cat, guinea pig, numerous chickens and racing pigeons.
Tiffany currently practices small animal veterinary medicine at Sonoma Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Howard Rosner. Sonoma Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Howard Rosner.

Gary Umholtz
Director, Facilities Chair, Resource Development Committee
I’ve lived in Sonoma for 24 years, moving up from Newport Beach in 1999, I’ve been in the Mortgage business here in town for over 18 years. I love Sonoma and like to give back to my community as best as I can. I’ve been a Mentor with the Mentoring Alliance for 16 years and a Rotarian for 10 years. My favorite charities typically revolve around children and animals.
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​I am an avid snow skier, mountain biker and all-round outdoor man. I live with my longtime girlfriend Linda Zaiss along with our two dogs Bear and Teddy.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ken Wayne
Director, Animal Wellness & Emergency Prep and Resource Development Committee
Ken Wayne has been a Pets Lifeline board member since 2024. He's on the Animal Wellness and Resource Development committees.
He is also the founder and CEO of Flying Tails, a non-profit dedicated to flying at-risk animals to safety and has partnered with Pets Lifeline and other animal organizations, including California Fish and Wildlife, to rescue animals and take them to safety. Flying Tails has been steadily adding volunteer pilots and aircraft to its fleet to respond quicker and to more places across California and beyond.
Ken is a former news anchor at KRON 4 and KTVU Fox 2 and spent four decades covering major stories in the Bay Area and across the country. He is a Bay Area native who's lived in San Francisco and the North Bay and now resides in Sonoma. His wife Carole is a retired flight attendant who often travels with Ken on his animal rescues. They have a senior rescue cat named Bigs and rescue mutt named Stevie Licks.​​​
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Kathleen Ball
Director
Kathleen’s journey began in Cambridge, MA, where she shared her childhood home with Max and Fritz, two spirited Miniature Schnauzers. Her love for animals only grew after marrying her husband Dave (a former Pet’s Lifeline board member) and welcoming Chloe, a Golden Retriever who convinced them senior rescues were the way to go.
Since then, their home has been filled with beloved dogs—most recently Oliver and Annie, both from Taiwan. Kathleen’s career spans high tech leadership and real estate, where she currently works with Sotheby’s International Realty, bringing strategic thinking, operational expertise, and strong relationship-building skills to her nonprofit work. She has served on several nonprofit boards—past and present—supporting health, education, and animal welfare.
Now a Sonoma resident for over 12 years, Kathleen is proud to give back to a cause close to her heart.
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Betsy Bland
Co-chair
Betsy moved to Sonoma in 2021. Her love of animals as well as her love of the community led her to Pets Lifeline where she has been a volunteer since early 2024. She is thrilled to be even more involved in this important mission through service on the Board.
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For over 30 years, Betsy worked in Enterprise Software in Silicon Valley. At Workday, she helped lead and build their Financial Management line of business. More recently, she was a Managing Director for Workday Ventures deploying innovation capital on behalf of Workday as well as the Chief Operating Officer of Wellthy, a concierge navigation service offered as an employer benefit to employees who are also family caregivers. Her experience spans small to large organizations as well as the strategy, product, operations, marketing, and customer service functions.
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Betsy holds a BA in Human Biology and an MBA from Stanford University.

Brad Meyer
Director
With a strong background in executive leadership and franchise operations, Brad Meyer is the former CEO and owner of one of the largest Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty car rental franchises in North America. After selling the company in 2014, he has continued to consult for other franchise owners, bringing decades of experience and strategic insight to the industry.
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Brad moved to Glen Ellen in 2014 and now resides in Kenwood. An active member of the community, he served on the Pets Lifeline Board of Directors from 2016 to 2022, returning in 2025.
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Outside of work, Brad enjoys life with his two beloved dogs—Vinny, a Maltese, and Gracie, a Coton de Tulear. Family is a central part of his life, with two daughters happily married and four wonderful grandchildren.
Our Partners & Friends
Over the 30 years of Pets Lifeline's history, local people and businesses have continued to make major contributions to the Shelter. Their dedication, generosity, and hard work provide us with not only skills
and services we would find difficult to afford, but they also provide inspiration to continue our work.
Below are our partners and friends to whom we owe a special thanks.
DONORS, SUPPORTER & FRIENDS







​LOCAL VETERINARIANS


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