Meet a few of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter Staff

Caren Shiozaki • Interim CEO

Caren is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s worked in corporate executive roles that have taken her to Hong Kong, Phoenix and Dallas before landing in Santa Fe in 2008. She’s supported animal welfare organizations in all of those places, and others, along the way. From childhood, Caren has always had rescue dogs; her current fur baby is SFAS alum, Willoughby. Caren has served on a number of boards, both for and not for profit. She is a long time volunteer, donor and Board Chair Emeritus of SFAS. The Board is pleased that she was able to step in quickly to help them bridge the gap to finding a permanent CEO.

Linda Moore • Director of Finances | Born and raised in Sweden, Linda came to New Mexico in 2001. Sweden to New Mexico – how did that happen? Well, before moving to New Mexico she worked on a luxury cruise ship as stewardess and got a snapshot of the world in addition to making new friends. New relationships brought her to Jackson Hole, WY for a summer job on a dude ranch before coming to New Mexico. After a few years of working for a public accounting firm she decided to attend the University of New Mexico where she earned her degree of Bachelor Degree of Business Administration. After finishing college Linda earned her Certified Public Accountant license and returned to public accounting as an auditor for a couple of years. Before joining the Shelter, Linda also worked as controller for a local community bank in Santa Fe. Linda is happy to now be part of the Shelter team and such a great mission.  When she is not working she enjoys spending time with her fiancée, Dave who in addition to being a massage therapist is also is a great cook. Another friendly companion is the Santa Fe Animal Shelter Alumni Paco, the Maine Coon cat who acts like a dog. She also enjoys spending time in the garden, hiking, and skiing and to capturing those times on her camera. Phone: 505-983-4309 x1220 Email: lmoore@sfhumanesociety.org

Monica Gonzalez • Animal Resource Center Director | Shortly after completing a degree in Criminal Justice, Monica realized she preferred to work with animals. She now manages the Admissions department and licensing programs. Monica and her team work endlessly to reunite lost pets with their owners. She says experiencing that moment when a family is reunited with their lost pet keeps her coming to work every day. Monica enjoys a good boxing match, football and cooking. Phone: 505-983-4309 x1200 Email: mgonzalez@sfhumanesociety.org

Dylan Moore • Director of Shelter Operations | Born in Missouri, Dylan has lived throughout the East Coast. With a degree in psychology, he spent 14 years doing social work. As Director of Shelter Operations, Dylan provides oversight to the departments involved in the internal care and flow of the shelter animals, including Admissions, Behavior & Training, Animal Care, Adoptions, Volunteers, and New Hope. His favorite time of year is hockey season, and when he’s not at the shelter, he’s hanging with his adorable young son. Dylan has been with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter for over ten years. Phone: 505-983-4309 x1240 Email: dmoore@sfhumanesociety.org

Kim Kelly •  Human Resources Director |
After graduating from Texas A&M University, Kim lived in Seattle, WA, for 15 years before returning to the warm, sunny southwest. Over her successful career in Human Resources, Kim has worked in manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality and at domestic violence organizations. She enjoys helping and serving people and has a passion for the welfare of animals. Kim especially has a soft spot for Doberman Pinschers. In her freetime, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her Doberkid, Legend, and continues to pursue her passion of service to others by volunteering at several nonprofit organizations. Email: kkelly@sfhumanesociety.org

Michelle Aceves, CVPM • Director of Veterinary Operations | Michelle was born and raised in New Mexico and she has always had a passion for the human-animal bond. She majored in Animal Science at NMSU, originally a pre-vet student. She then pursued business and human resources. She received her CVPM certification through the Veterinary Hospital Manager Association. Michelle brings with her over 16 years of experience in the Veterinary Industry. As Hospital Director, Michelle provides oversight to the shelter’s clinic and hospital departments. She has a menagerie of animals at home including dogs, cats, horses, an African grey parrot, and two pot bellied pigs. When not at work she enjoys riding her horses and spending time with her husband and daughters. Email: maceves@sfhumanesociety.org.

Dr. Michelle Salob • Shelter Veterinarian  | Michelle, a longtime vegan and animal advocate, is originally from New York but has lived throughout the U.S. After a rewarding career in human medicine serving primarily homeless youth and adults, Michelle decided to pursue a veterinary degree. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University where she focused on shelter medicine and behavior. Michelle also completed a yearlong internship in shelter medicine and surgery at the University of Florida. In her free time, Michelle is a seeing eye human for her dog Stanley Mortimer, who enjoys exploring the sounds, smells, and textures of the incredible New Mexico landscape. Email: msalob@sfhumanesociety.org

Dr. Kellie Levin • Thaw Animal Hospital Veterinarian | Dr. Levin received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University where she majored in Animal Science. She went on to receive her DVM from Ross University. Immediately after graduating from Ross, she spent almost a year in London, England studying for her Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and working in a small animal practice. Prior to working at Thaw Animal Hospital, Dr. Levin worked in the towns of Greenwich, Bridgeport and Norwalk, CT. In addition to treating cats and dogs, her interests include treating pocket pets, especially ferrets and rats. She even performed surgery on her own goldfish! When not working, Dr. Levin spends time with her rescue dogs Frances, a German Shorthaired Pointer and Weezie, a Pit Bull. Email: klevin@sfhumanesociety.org.

Dr. Jillian Dougherty •  Thaw Animal Hospital Veterinarian | Dr. Dougherty joined our team in May 2021 after almost 13 years in private practice and several years in Emergency Medicine, with both a small animal and equine emphasis. Jillian is from Lafayette, LA but spent many years in Texas, Mississippi, and Montana before finding her forever home in Glorieta, NM. She received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M in Animal Science, a Master of Science in Equine Nutrition, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University. Her outside interests include gardening, cooking, karate, painting, trail running, hiking, horseback riding, and skiing. Jillian and her husband Tab share their home with their Malamute (Adele), cats (Zen and The Dude), and horses (Doc and Sherpa).

Dr. Dylan Conradson •  Thaw Animal Hospital Veterinarian | Dr. Conradson is native New Mexican who returned home after his recent graduation from the DVM program at Washington State University. While studying at the University of New Mexico he did extensive research on native species of small mammals including kangaroo rats, grasshopper mice, and wood rats. He’s also studied passerine songbirds at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research and Elk Hoof Disease while in Washington State. He sees birds and small mammals in addition to dogs and cats. Dr. Conradson keeps two parrots, Rasbirdy the African Grey and Clover the Red Lored Amazon. You can catch him playing folk music at local open mics or find him skiing the backcountry during winter.

Jamie Merideth • Creative Manger | Hailing from the fresh coast of Lake Superior in Minnesota, Jamie graduated from the University of Minnesota – Duluth with a passion for Journalism. After successfully working for years as a news photographer in Duluth and finally in Albuquerque, she’d decided she’d had enough of the headlines. Going from news to nonprofit allowed her to create high quality videos to help raise funds for the homeless animals of Santa Fe. During her time with the shelter she became an award-winning videographer with ‘Lester’s Story’ and ‘The Dog Bachelor’ which gained national attention. Now, as a Creative Manager, she continues to raise funds and save lives while leading the shelter’s top-notch, in-house marketing team. Phone: 505-983-4309 x1203 Email: jmerideth@sfhumanesociety.org

Cynthia Chavarria • Adoptions Department Manager | Before taking her position at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, Cynthia had never imagined she’d love coming to work every day. With the shelter since 2016, Cynthia has completed hundreds of adoptions – impacting the lives of many homeless animals and making many families complete. She continues to make a difference in the lives of animals and in the lives of our employees, as the Adoptions Manager. She says her commitment to animals is lifelong and that she truly values the shelter’s mission to support animals, save lives and spread compassion. Cynthia says she could not have asked for a better, more fulfilling job. Phone: 505-983-4309 x1240 Email: cchavarria@sfhumanesociety.org

Sara Fitzpatrick • Community Engagement Manager | Sara recently joined the New Hope department after relocating to Santa Fe from Fort Myers, Florida. She has a background in public relations, business administration, and human services, and has worked with numerous nonprofit agencies, including a federal grant project to provide crisis counseling to Hurricane Irma survivors. An award-winning newspaper and magazine writer, Sara has reported on issues such as the environment, criminal justice, and the arts and humanities. She is also a poet whose debut collection was published by the Boston press Nixes Mate in March of 2020. Sara is excited to apply her various talents to achieving the best outcomes for the shelter, the animals we serve, and our community. Phone: 505-983-4309 X1270  Email: newhope@sfhumanesociety.org

Tom Alexander •  Humane Education Coordinator | Hailing from Texas, Tom graduated from Texas A&M and spent his business career in Philadelphia, PA. In 2000, he retired to gorgeous Santa Fe. As the Humane Education Coordinator for the shelter, Tom works hard to educate young people in our community. He knows that if spay/neuter efforts are going to grow, and if animal abuse and neglect is going to be reduced, it has to begin in the hearts and minds of New Mexico’s young people. Phone: 505-988-8980 Email: talexander@sfhumanesociety.org

Sue Burnham •  Pet Outreach Coordinator | A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Sue has been volunteering with our Pet Outreach program since 2002. Sue now leads the program, working to establish and promote therapy dog programs through out the Santa Fe community. Helping kids to read, spending time with the elderly, and visiting folks in the hospital are just a few things that make Sue’s job a rewarding one. She loves making Santa Fe a better place for folks who need an extra smile in their day. Phone: 505-820-9955 Email: petoutreach@sfhumanesociety.org