Leadership

Jackie Roach brings a wealth of business experience to her role as CEO of Santa Fe Animal Shelter, having recently led the Home Furnishings business unit for Hayneedle.com, from the startup phase through meteoric growth and the eventual sale to Walmart.

Her passion for animal welfare began as a volunteer with the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha, NE, and led her to founding Taysia Blue Rescue, a foster-based, all-volunteer organization focused on rescuing Huskies and Malamutes. The rescue has an extensive volunteer network in Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Jackie directed the launch of the innovative Pet Resource Center with Best Friends Animal Society in Bentonville, Arkansas, leading efforts from the ground up. She collaborated closely with welfare leaders from across the United States and in the surrounding community as well as local rescue groups, veterinarians, city leaders, and foundations to bring the project’s vision to life.

A native of Nebraska, Jackie is passionate about Nebraska football. She enjoys live theater, good wine, and good coffee, and is an avid Disney fanatic and traveler. Jackie and her husband, Mike, are excited to call Santa Fe home; they share their home with three rescued Huskies and a Malamute named Walter, named after Walter Payton, because he exudes sweetness. Jackie is very honored to be part of such a generous community who loves their pets.

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.

Email: mgonzalez@sfhumanesociety.org

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.

Email: dmoore@sfhumanesociety.org

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 free time, 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

Krista spent most of her life in our neighboring state of Colorado, yet her love for New Mexico has steadily grown since her first family trip here as a young girl. As an adult, she would look forward to her annual escapes to Taos and Santa Fe from Denver, and eventually found it more and more difficult to leave this Land of Enchantment. So, she officially made the move to Santa Fe with her cats, Walter and Petunia, in May of 2023 and could not feel more at home here. She is grateful to have the opportunity to support her new community as Director of Philanthropy for Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Krista has had the privilege of raising funds and awareness for many wonderful nonprofits over the last 25+ years, including an animal shelter in Golden, Colorado. She places high priority on making a positive impact through her work and has a passion for establishing new partnerships and discovering innovative and creative ways to collaborate across agencies and fields. Krista is also passionate about mental health. She was a certified instructor in Mental Health First Aid and trained hundreds of community members in this national program from 2017 to 2023. She earned a BFA in Theatre at the University of Colorado in Boulder and remains a proud supporter of arts and culture in our community. Krista also enjoys traveling near and far and spending much of her time in nature—walking, hiking, and meditating.

Email: klewis@sfhumanesociety.org

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. Salob, a graduate of Tufts Veterinary School, has devoted her veterinary career to the practice of shelter medicine. She loves being an advocate for the animals who need it most and serving the community of Santa Fe.

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

T.Murt Byrne DVM has been practicing veterinary medicine in New Mexico for 37 years. He is a proud Lobo, graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1984 with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He then moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to begin his postgraduate Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. Graduating in 1988, he returned to New Mexico. After practicing for a year in Albuquerque, he accepted a position here in Santa Fe.

In 1994, he opened the Eldorado Animal Clinic, in what was then, the community of Eldorado. Beginning as a small clinic, over the years EAC grew to a 5 doctor, 7,000sq ft facility. In August of 2021, Dr. Murt retired. He found that he was not very good at retirement. Late 2022, he was happy to return to work a few days a week at the Clare Eddy Thaw Animal Hospital. He reports he has never been happier practicing, "It's really all I've ever been good at. I love the staff, clients, and patients at Thaw".

In his spare time, Dr. Murt is remodeling a property in Las Vegas, NM. He enjoys traveling, and watching sports, especially the Lobos.

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).

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.

Email: talexander@sfhumanesociety.org