Meet Us
We have a rock solid group of dedicated, passionate professionals helping to guide us.
These volunteer board members bring expertise in the fields of finance, nonprofit leadership, law, technology, strategic planning, and more.
A long-time Sausalito resident, Cheryl is a marketing communications specialist by trade. Her last corporate gig was director of communications for Credit Suisse First Boston. She is now the happy owner of Sausalito Books by the Bay – an independent, community-supported bookstore on the waterfront in Sausalito.
In addition to serving on the Marin Humane board, she chairs the Sausalito-Cascais Sister City program and its youth sailing exchange program between the Sausalito Yacht Club and Clube Naval in Cascais, Portugal. Cheryl is also a founding director and curator for the Sausalito Film Festival. An active member of the Sausalito Woman’s Club, she was the 2011 recipient of the Spirit of Marin award.
A published writer, former radio talk show host, and journalist, Cheryl is a native of the Bay Area and graduate of UC Berkeley. She is the proud pet parent of Bailey – a Pembroke Welsh Corgi – the product of a re-homing/foster situation who is still working on his Family Dog 1 training!
Tom Ladt has a long career history in management, strategy, and operations. He has served as CEO and Board Member of PetSuites of America, Ventas REIT, and Golden Brands. Tom was a Senior Administrative Assistant and Deputy Commerce Commissioner for Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. He is currently on the board of Vigilent and has served on the board of Atria Senior Living, Chairmen’s RoundTable, Compliance.ai, HEALTHCAREfirst, and the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center among others.
Tom earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arizona and resides in Tiburon with his family, which includes Luna, a three-year-old Pomeranian.
Sandy, a longtime donor to Marin Humane, is a financial advisor to hedge funds and other clients. She has more than 35 years’ experience in the financial sector, having served as Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Seneca Capital Management, as Director of Finance for the San Francisco Newspaper Agency, and as a Senior Audit Manager with Ernst and Young. She earned her BS in Accounting from UC Berkeley.
Sandy served on the boards of the Narada Michael Walden Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marin. She lives in Novato with her husband Ray and her Yorkshire Terrier, Mia.
Jackie Broad began her career in finance and planning for major retail and apparel companies, including Target, The Gap’s Old Navy division, and Levi Strauss and Company. She later focused her efforts on supporting quality K-12 public education and has extensive nonprofit leadership and development experience. Jackie was an executive board member with Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, for more than 10 years in various roles, including Board Chair. She later joined the Kiddo! staff, managing their Business Partners Program, promotions, and business campaigns. Jackie has also served on the Tam High Foundation Board as their Grants Chair. She is currently a member of Colgate University’s Alumni Council.
Jackie enjoys working directly with students as well and became a highly trained Reading and Math Learning Specialist in the Mill Valley School District. She now teaches students privately at an Educational Therapy office, The Adapted Learning Center. She has an undergraduate degree from Colgate University and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
In 2016, Jackie and her family adopted a fluffy, shy kitten with big, green eyes named Quattro from Marin Humane. Quattro has brought much love and joy to their lives. Jackie is very proud to be a part of a wonderful organization that is devoted to making the lives of animals — and humans — happy.
Jenny currently serves as Senior Advisor and Director of Community Initiatives for Congressman Jared Huffman, for whom she has worked for almost 20 years, primarily as his District Director, both when he was a California Assemblymember and since then as a Member of Congress.
Previously, Jenny served two terms on the San Rafael City Schools Board of Trustees, including three years as board president. During that time, she chaired numerous committees, including the Marin County Joint Legislative Advisory Committee and the Marin County School Board Association. She was a founding member of Marin County School Volunteers and served as a board member and president of HeadsUp–San Rafael Public Education Foundation. She was also a founding member and president of MarinKids and the Marin Strong Start Coalition. In addition, she served 11 years on the Agricultural Institute of Marin Board of Directors, including multiple terms as chair.
Jenny has led and supported numerous successful campaigns and ballot measures, earning recognition as Marin County Trustee of the Year and the San Rafael City Schools Lifetime Achievement in Support of Excellence in Education award.
A lifelong animal lover, Jenny grew up riding horses and rescuing animals. She and her husband recently adopted their fifth rescue dog, Poppy, a beloved member of their family.
Lisa is a CPA with a local audit practice, specializing in nonprofit organizations. She has served as a panelist on topics such as internal controls, fraud prevention, and audit planning, and is a member of the California Society of CPAs and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to becoming a board member, Lisa served on the Audit Committee. She served on the Marin Humane Board of Directors from 2011 through 2019 then rejoined the Board in 2022. Lisa currently serves on the Audit and Finance Committees. Past roles include Board Vice Chair, Board Treasurer, Chair of the Audit Committee, and Chair of the Finance Committee.
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting Emphasis, from San Francisco State University.
Lisa and her husband reside in San Rafael with their three cats, Savannah, Leonardo, and Azalea, Melody the rabbit (all Marin Humane alumni), and Rufus the snake. When she is not spending time with her menagerie, she can be found in the dance studio taking hip hop, samba, and other dance classes, or hiking the hills of Marin.
Maribeth Doran fuels Brand Partnerships with iHeartMedia Markets Group in the Bay Area. The company’s consumer-facing name is iHeartRadio. Her background is primarily in media and marketing but also includes several years in the wine business.
Maribeth previously served on the boards for STAR (Society of Television, Advertising and Radio) and the NCBA (Northern California Broadcasters Association). She earned a BS degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin and lives in Novato with her husband. They are pet parents to Molly Tamale, a feisty Calico, and Dashiell Hammett, a goofy Tuxedo, both adopted.
In her free time, Maribeth takes advantage of Marin County’s proximity to Wine Country and enjoys attending wine events. She is a self-avowed music aficionado (all genres), which includes discovering new music and attending live music concerts and festivals.
Amy Farrow is an award-winning Chief Information Officer with 20+ years of experience. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Infoblox, where she led the Information Technology and Security teams. Prior to that, she was Lyft’s first CIO. Amy is both a mentor and advisor and enjoys giving back through various organizations such as Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and ALS TDI. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science & Information Systems from The Pennsylvania State University.
Amy lives in Corte Madera with her husband and two children and has two cats adopted from Marin Humane, Popcorn and Oreo.
Marcella has enjoyed the veterinary profession since graduating from U.C. Davis in 1992. She completed a one-year internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York and a three-year residency in Internal Medicine at U.C. Davis before completing a rigorous credentialing and examination process to become a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She has practiced as a veterinary specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center of Marin since 2005.
Marcella has been an active Marin County volunteer serving in San Rafael school leadership positions and serving multiple years as a vestry member on church boards including co-organizing the start of the Marin Food Bank location in Corte Madera.
Marcella grew up in the Bay Area and is proud to have raised and launched her two children into the world. She now shares her home with one huge Golden Retriever and is planning on adding to her four-footed family soon.
Deborah is a land use and environmental planner with over 25 years of experience. She helps nonprofits, schools, developers, and architects negotiate the environmental and development review process. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology from UC Irvine and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University.
Deborah has extensive fundraising and advocacy experience having served on the boards of Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, and the Tam High Foundation. She has been involved with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Castro Theater Conservancy Working Group, and Election Protection.
Deborah lives in Mill Valley with her husband Scott and their Marin Humane alum Lars and you’ll often find her hiking with them on Mount Tam. Deborah is grateful to serve on the Marin Humane Board because they protect and bring happiness to animals and people.
As the founder of Zagging Goats brand communications consultancy, Sahana serves as a fractional CMO for startups. With 18 years of experience as a creative strategist, Sahana helps companies access relevant insights to connect creatively with audiences. Holding executive roles at top consultancies like Omnicom, Edelman, and Hotwire Global Communications, Sahana drove business innovation for her agencies while solving unique communications problems for clients including Facebook, Samsung, Visa, AT&T, TJ Maxx, Kaiser Permanente, and Bayer. Sahana graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Arizona State University.
Sahana is dedicated to supporting women, children, and animals in her community. Before her board role, Sahana served on Marin Humane’s strategic planning committee. She also volunteered with the Marin Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the Bay Area chapter of ColorComm, the America India Foundation, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Arizona.
On weekends, Sahana enjoys yoga, dog parks, reading, social content creation, and scrolling through silly dog videos for fun. Sahana resides in San Rafael with her husband and their 9-year-old adopted Shepherd mix, Jaanu.
Michael Levine is the CEO of Tastes on the Fly, Inc., a boutique airport restaurant developer and operator with 26 locations in four major airports. He founded Events West, a premier culinary and music event production company. He also owned Faire Foods, a catering company for fairs and festivals statewide.
Michael served on the board of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and has been an active supporter of Marin Humane for many years, including adopting several pets. He earned his BA degree in Humanities and Philosophy from UC Berkeley and lives in Greenbrae, while caring for six adopted kitties who live with his former wife in San Anselmo.
Stacy O’Connell brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy and marketing to the Marin Humane Board. Known for her direct approach and strategic insight, Stacy helps leaders move past conventional thinking, sharpen their strategies, and strengthen their connections with key audiences. Most recently, she founded The Meno Strategist, dedicated to helping women navigate menopause, cut through the noise, and demand the care they deserve.
Outside the office, Stacy also serves on the board of the Porsche Club of America Redwood Region, where she is autocross chair and communications chair. She enjoys both competitive driving and the community around it.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, Stacy has been involved with Marin Humane for more than two decades as a volunteer and supporter. Stacy is committed to applying her strategic expertise to support the organization’s mission and long-term goals. Since 2001, Stacy and her husband have adopted many cats from Marin Humane, particularly those waiting longest for their forever homes. They currently share their home with three cats: Charlie (pushing 20 years old), Cameron (pushing 20 pounds), and Shadow, the sweetest three-legged cat you’ll ever meet.
Bruce Wagman is a lawyer with Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila in San Francisco, with an exclusive focus on animal law matters, including litigation, legislative drafting and counseling, education, and private consultation.
Bruce has dedicated his career to defending and improving animal lives. He’s the only lawyer in a leading United States firm focusing solely on animal law. Bruce is the author of Animal Law: Cases and Materials, the main casebook for law school courses, and the lead author of A Worldview of Animal Law, a global survey of animal law. He focuses on using his legal experience and creativity to foster a kinder world for all species.
Bruce has experience in virtually every aspect of the law pertaining to animals. He takes on issues including the use of animals in entertainment, biomedical research, animal agriculture/food production, animal cruelty, and wildlife control. He also focuses on improving the lives of shelter animals, and represents over 100 shelters and rescues across the state.
He has extensive experience representing individual pet owners in cases involving dog bites, animal custody disputes, and injuries to, and caused by, animals. Bruce’s forte is his passion for each of his cases and his proven ability to turn that passion into winning arguments. He takes an “eyes on the prize” approach to every case he takes on.
Bruce also is a tireless lecturer and presenter on topics covering all aspects of animal law, and has been teaching animal law at three Bay Area law schools (Berkeley Law, UC Law San Francisco, and Stanford Law School) since 1996. He earned his BS from Cornell University, his BSN from Columbia University School of Nursing, and his JD from University of California Hastings College of Law.
