Meet our Staff!
Leadership Team
Elise Ramsey
Sarah Schertel
Executive Director
Senior Director of Operations
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Elise currently serves as the Executive Director at Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, where she embodies the organization's mission of compassion and care for all animals and the people who love them. Elise holds a BA in University Studies from Western Michigan University. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Elise held the position of Director of Operations, overseeing aspects of the Shelter, Boarding, Grooming, and Doggy Daycare. Before joining the team at LTBHS, Elise honed her expertise in the Field Services arena as a Cruelty Investigator and the Manager of Field Services at Michigan Humane in Detroit. Elise enjoys sharing her life in Northern Michigan with her beloved Belgian Malinois, Hela, whom she adopted from LTBHS.
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Sarah serves as the Senior Director of Operations and is responsible for overseeing all shelter operations in addition to boarding, grooming, daycare, training and veterinary services. She is a Certified Pet Groomer, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Certified Canine Behavior Consultant, Fear Free Certified Trainer, and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Sarah has years of experience working with animals including in doggie daycare, boarding and grooming facilities. She has nearly a decade of experience in both municipal and non-profit shelters investigating animal cruelty in Michigan as well. A transplant to Northern Michigan from downstate, Sarah is so happy to be working at LTBHS where the animals and the people who love them are always at the forefront of the mission. At home, Sarah has four dogs of her own, Vaughn and Echo, black Labradors, Reo a Chihuahua mix, and Ayla a German Shepherd.
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Jessica is responsible for all aspects of development, fundraising and donor administration for the organization. She comes to our organization with over 12 years of animal welfare and leadership experience in both the municipal and non-profit sector, including time in Texas and southeastern Michigan. Jessica is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Fear Free Shelter certified, and has a soft spot for the underdogs. Jessica has two rescue dogs, Mason and Mia.
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Director of Finance
Matt is responsible for overseeing all aspects of financials for the organization.
Clinic Director
Jen Juilleret
Sonya Gerathy
Director of Administration
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Jen is responsible for all daily operations of the veterinary practice and is a Certified Veterinary Business Leader. Prior to her current position, Jen had 27 years of experience as a veterinary technician and has been with the organization for almost 11 years. Jen lives in Alanson with her husband Scott and rescue dog Finni, and enjoys hiking, traveling, and rock hunting in her free time.
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Sonya has been working at LTBHS since she and her family moved to Petoskey in 2015. In her current role as Director of Administration, Sonya handles all administrative tasks for staff, such as onboarding new employees, processing payroll and overseeing facility maintenance. In her free time, Sonya likes to spend time with her family and her 2 dogs Maple and Teagan, both adopted from LTBHS.
Director of Finance
Jessica Mendezona
Director of Development
Matt Kubler
Admin and Development Team
Kinsey VanKuiken
Donor Relations Manager
Carol Giles
Events Coordinator
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Kinsey is responsible for donor administration and communication, and assisting with other aspects of development (fundraising, events, social media) for the organization. In her free time, Kinsey enjoys outdoor adventuring, painting and rock hounding. She has a certification in Expert Dog Snuggling and has 3 dogs: Brady, Mookie, and Koda (an LTBHS alum).
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Carol is responsible for planning and executing all signature events for the organization, as well as other aspects of development (donor administration and communication). Prior to her time at LTBHS, Carol has 30 plus years of experience in the corporate world. Carol enjoys horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. Carol has a horse named Beau and two LTBHS alunmi dogs of her own, named Pickles and Lola.
Accountant Specialist
Kyra Ashcraft
Dave Newman
Facilities Coordinator
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Kyra is responsible for all accounting aspects of the organization.
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Dave is responsible for managing the facilities and grounds of the property and various other duties. Dave has two dogs of his own, Reesies and Tuffy.
Kimberly Powell
Brand Ambassador
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Kimberly made her way up north to Northern Michigan from Texas with her cat Whiskers, 2 dogs Oakley and Cooper, 3 horses Baron, Misty and Montana, and 2 donkeys Blossom and Pedro! She is responsible for overseeing design, social media, and marketing for the organization, and works closely with community businesses and supporters to communicate our mission. In her free time, Kimberly enjoys training horses.
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Shelter Team
Dr. Diane Gildersleeve
Sarah Burdick
Shelter & Community Medicine Veterinarian
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Dr. G has been involved in shelter medicine in some way ever since she was in vet school in Virginia. She holds her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, her JD from the University of Connecticut, and her BA from Michigan State University. She is passionate about being able to care for animals who need an advocate; that is what fuels her work at LTBHS. Born in the Midwest, she’s also lived in Connecticut and Florida and she spent 17 years in New Hampshire. She is a Spartan. She lives with Gil Hodges Gildersleeve, a rescue dog and life-long Mets from Washington DC, and Felix T. Cat, from the Swanzey, New Hampshire. In her free time, Dr. G enjoys birding, walking/hiking with Gil, sewing, and photography.
Shelter Manager
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Sarah oversees all aspects of the shelter including adoptions, intakes, daily care, and Foster and Volunteer programs. Sarah earned her Bachelors Degree from the University of Michigan in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science. She comes to LTBHS with over 10 years of experience in Animal Welfare, and knowledge of animal behavior. In her free time, Sarah enjoys painting, watching scary movies, and spending time with her plethora of rescue animals: a husky named Everest, a Cane Corso named Lil Toot Toot, two cats named Inspector Purrdick and Cotton Hill, and a guinea pig named Wheesky.
Shelter & Community Medicine Veterinary Assistant
Morgan Fox
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Morgan plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of all animals in the shelter. As a Fear Free Certified Professional and Maddie’s Fund Certified, she is responsible for health exams, administering vaccinations, laboratory testing and x-rays, and assisting in surgeries for both shelter and owned community animals. Morgan came to LTBHS as an animal care attendant in April 2021 after graduating from Ferris State with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine, but soon transitioned to be the shelter and community veterinary technician in November 2021. Morgan is passionate about making a positive impact on animals’ lives, both in the shelter and in the surrounding community. She has three of her own animals at home, her dog, Sophie, and two cats, Rajah and Winnie, with all three being adopted from shelters.
Shannon Graves
Shelter Coordinator
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Shannon is the Shelter Coordinator at LTBHS. She oversees all aspects of front desk administration, adoption and intake processing, and customer service. She enjoys fishing and spending time with her dog, a black Lab named Lucy.
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Emilee serves as the Training and Behavior Specialist at LTBHS, where she plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of the shelter animals. She is responsible for training and educating staff and volunteers on animal behavior, developing and implementing behavior modification plans, and maintaining detailed records of each animal’s progress. Emilee joined LTBHS in September 2023 and has since completed the Fear Free Shelter Program. Currently, she is finishing her bachelor’s degree in Animal Care and Behavior, which she will complete in the summer of 2025.
With a strong passion for improving the lives of shelter animals, Emilee provides basic obedience training, socialization, and behavioral assessments, ensuring that each pet is prepared for adoption. Outside of work, she shares her home with her dog, Scrap, a German Shepherd mix, and two feline friends, Luna and Opossum. You might spot her exploring the trails with all three of them by her side!
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Kristen originally started with LTBHS as a foster, and is mom to alumni Barkley (along with her other dogs Moose, Elsa, and King). Kristen oversees our community engagement, foster, and volunteering programs. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, biking, camping, and baking.
Animal Care Attendant
Lily Tyson
Elizabeth Hart
Lead Animal Care Attendant
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Lily assists with providing daily care for all of the animals in the shelter, including walking, cleaning, medicating and socializing them prior to adoption. She recently moved from Colorado, where she spent four years working as a professional trick rider, performing in rodeos three times a week. In her free time, she loves hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and spending quality time with friends and family. Lily has two horses, Gecko and Anala, and three dogs, Kenai, Lasso and Dally.
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Responsible for the daily care of shelter animals, supervising kennel staff, training, and walking dogs. Elizabeth has been with LTBHS for more than 10 years. When not at LTBHS, Elizabeth spends time with her dog, Jolie.
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Coming soon!
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Dennis plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of all animals in the shelter. He is responsible for assiting with health exams, administering vaccinations, laboratory testing and x-rays, and assisting in surgeries for both shelter and owned community animals. Dennis has an LTBHS alumni of his own named Brooklyn.
Community Engagement Coordinator
Emilee Hrbcek
Training & Behavior Specialist
Kristen Johnson
Shelter & Community Medicine Veterinary Assistant
Ruth Tyson
Animal Care Attendant
Dennis Feihel
Amanda Bowman
Animal Care Attendant
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Amanda began as a volunteer walking dogs with LTBHS and shortly after applied for a position. She has 3 animals of her own at home- Percy, Pengy, and Fritz. The four of them enjoy hiking, traveling, music, and working on outdoor projects together.
Boarding, Grooming & Daycare Team
Client Services Supervisor
Haley Hayner
Ben Sampson
Lead Animal Care Attendant
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Haley came to LTBHS in September 2022 starting as an animal care attendant working in boarding, grooming, and daycare. Haley is now our customer services supervisor making sure all the fur babies at boarding, daycare, and grooming get the best care possible in a safe and clean environment. Haley has received her certificate from the Fear Free Shelter course and is an experienced pet sitter. The best part about her job is meeting and playing with all the new dogs and cats that come to our facilities. She has three cats at home Laura, Herk, and Mouse.
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Ben is responsible for the daily care of boarding & daycare animals, in addition to greeting visitors/clients and keeping the facility clean. Ben has two dogs, Bloo and Skye & one cat, Parmesan.
Lead Animal Care Attendant
Samantha Paquet
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Samantha has been responsible for the daily care of shelter animals, in addition to greeting visitors/clients and keeping the facility clean since late December of 2022. Samantha enjoys working towards making the pets that she cares for at LTBHS as comfortable and happy as possible while in our care. She is Fear Free Shelters Certified and has interests in going into professional pet grooming. At home, Samantha has two dogs, Roxy and Blue and two cats, Harry and Jar-Jar.
Danika Kibby
Groomer
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Danika is responsible for providing grooming services for the public as well as the dogs and cats at LTBHS. Danika has always had a strong passion for animals, and has many of her own at home- 3 chihuahuas (Rio, Mary, Ripley), a cat (Leo), and a few other small pets. Not only is she a mom to her fur babies, Danika has two kids she's crazy about, Reese and Adelaide.
Elizabeth Donovan
Animal Care Attendant
Alex Collins
Animal Care Attendant
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Elizabeth is responsible for the daily care of boarding and daycare animals, as well as welcoming visitors and clients, and maintaining the facility's cleanliness.
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Alex is responsible for the daily care of boarding and daycare animals, as well as welcoming visitors and clients, and maintaining the facility's cleanliness. She began working at LTBHS in November 2022 and enjoys it because she gets to learn more about various dog behaviors and personalities while watching daycare dogs make new friends. She has four dogs at home, Jackson, Luna, Tarot, and Karma.
Merissa DeLaGarza
Animal Care Attendant
Melina McLennan
Groomer
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Merissa is responsible for the daily care of boarding and daycare animals, as well as welcoming visitors and clients, and maintaining the facility's cleanliness.
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Melina is responsible for grooming LTBHS animals and also provides professional grooming to the public. Melina has two dogs at home Loch & Maeve.
Veterinary Clinic Team
Dr. Katie Zubricky
Dr. Deborah Andreen
Lead Clinic Veterinarian
Associate Veterinarian
Associate Veterinarian
Associate Veterinarian
Robyn Kloss
Lead Clinic Administrator
Makayla Burks
Veterinary Assistant
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Robyn is responsible for managing the clinic’s front office which includes greeting and checking in/out clients, in addition to managing appointments and various other duties. Robyn has one rescue dog of her own, Otis, and two cats, Mabel and Wally. Her hobbies include traveling, spending time with family, and an aspiration to learn how to golf.
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Makayla is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including surgery, x-ray, laboratory and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care. Makayla has one dog of her own, Lincoln.
Robert Zink
Veterinary Assistant
Samantha Bohon
Front Desk Administrator
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Rob is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including surgery, x-ray, laboratory and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care. Rob is a cat lover himself and has several cats of his own at home.
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Samantha is responsible for managing the clinic’s front office which includes greeting and checking in/out clients, in addition to managing appointments and various other duties. She recently moved to the area from Pittsburg, PA, and enjoys hiking and camping. She has two pets of her own, a dog, Kenzie, and cat, Isabella.
Allyson Waldron
Veterinary Assistant
Kailey Roberts
Veterinary Assistant
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Allyson is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including dentals, surgery, x-ray, laboratory, and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care. Allyson is also an experienced pet sitter! The best part about her job is meeting and treating all the different patients, creating the best experience possible for the pets and owners. In her down time she enjoys spending time with her two cats, Peaches and Soy Sauce.
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Kailey is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including surgery, x-ray, laboratory and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care.
She holds a bachelors degree in public health with a minor in biology from the University of Alabama, and a masters degree in public health focused in epidemiology from Emory University. Kailey hopes to leverage her public health background to improve patient care and client understanding of pet health. She is currently applying to Veterinary school and hopes to go into Community Medicine. She has 2 dogs: Ace, a 3-legged mixed breed rescue, and Beau, a Brittany, as well as 15 ducks. Her hobbies include watching football, gardening, and simply spending time outdoors.
Nancy Parker
Front Desk Administrator
Gillian Smith
Veterinary Assistant
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Nancy is responsible for managing the clinic’s front office which includes greeting and checking in/out clients, in addition to managing appointments and various other duties. Nancy has one pet of her own, a Great Pyrenees, Dozer.
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Gillian is originally from Connecticut and moved to Michigan for college, graduating from LSSU with a bachelor’s in Wildlife Management. She is currently enrolled in Ashworth College’s Veterinary Technician program to become a licensed Veterinary Technician. Gillian is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including surgery, x-ray, laboratory and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care. Gillian has one dog of her own, a purebred Golden Retriever named Cedar. Her hobbies include spending time with friends, being outdoors and crafting.
Ashley Horvath
Veterinary Assistant
Peggy Ingleson
Front Desk Administrator
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Ashley is responsible for assisting with all aspects of the clinic including surgery, x-ray, laboratory and ultrasound procedures in addition to general patient care. In her spare time, she spend time with her own pets, Cersei, a five-year-old Staffordshire mix, and Miss Kitty, a six-year-old cat. She is also a mom to three non-furry children, and enjoys outdoor activities and spending time on the lake.
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Peggy is responsible for scheduling, checking in/checking out patients, and other Front Desk tasks. She enjoys cat/dog sitting for family and friends. Her choice to join the LTBHS family is her love of pets and working with the community. In her free time, Peggy is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and granddogs. She also pet sits from time to time.
Renee Duval
Front Desk Administrator
Marissa Wissner
Front Desk Administrator
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Renee is responsible for managing the clinic’s front office which includes greeting and checking in/out clients, in addition to managing appointments and various other duties. Renee’s hobbies include spending time with her husband and sons and being outdoors in the summer. She has two dogs, Star and Luna, and two cats, Cleo and Carlos.
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Marissa is responsible for scheduling, checking in and checking out patients, taking phone calls, and other Front Desk tasks. She is also an Entrepreneur with her crafting business with her mom and other side jobs including cleaning and bartending. She enjoys creating and crafting, but knitting most of all. She decided to join the LTBHS family for her love of cats, supporting a good cause, and because she used to play secretary as a child. She adores her two cats, Libby and Nina. Especially, coming home to them after a long day.
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Dr. Andreen has over 30 years’ experience in veterinary medicine. She resides in Harbor Springs with her husband, three children, cats Guinness, Clementine and Cookie, and dog, Briar. Her hobbies include fishing on the Great Lakes, skiing and spending time at their cabin in the Upper Peninsula.
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Dr. Zubricky is originally from Colorado and is a graduate of Colorado State University. In addition to her DVM degree, she also has a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences.
She is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and is an Elite Fear Free Certified Veterinarian. She has special interests in soft tissue surgery, oral health treatments, integrative medicine and the Human-Animal Bond.
Dr. Zubricky lives in Harbor Springs with her fiancé, Mike, their two dogs and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her pets, fishing, reading and crafting.
Dr. Katheryn Applegate
Dr. Kelly Dumas
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Dr. Applegate is an Honor Roll Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association with 47 years of membership.
Her hobbies include traveling to visit her children and grandchildren and entertaining her dogs Jade, a 14 year old Labrador Retriever and Tux, an 8 year old lab/golden retriever mix (both adopted from Paws With a Cause during her time fostering service dog puppies!). In her free time, she enjoys swimming, bike riding and skiing.
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Dr. Dumas graduated veterinary school at Michigan State University. Before starting vet school she worked as an adoption counselor at Michigan Humane Society and has been so happy to return to non-profit work with LTBHS. She is Fear-Free Certified and loves seeing so many adopted shelter animals come to the clinic for regular vet care having found their forever homes. Watching an often traumatized animal shed their fear, trust humans again and live their best lives is inspirational work. She lives in Petoskey with her husband, two kids, shih- poo “Seaweed” and cat “Luna”. Her favorite past-time is playing tennis which probably better qualifies as an addiction.
AJ Clements
Dr. Laura Chamberlain
Lead Licensed Veterinary Technician
Associate Veterinarian
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AJ graduated from Sanford Brown College in 2013 with an associate degree in veterinary science. He worked briefly in Grand Rapids after college before moving home to Petoskey. Most of his early career was spent leading a surgical team where they performed many different procedures from spays and neuters to major orthopedic surgeries. After 10 years of surgical experience, he joined LTBVC to lead and mentor other technicians and provide improved healthcare for all patients and clients alike.
AJ lives in Harbor Springs with his wife and 2 kids (Hailey, Calvin & Harper). He has one dog (Bones) and one cat (Buttercup). He is also an avid musician and loves the outdoors.
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Dr. Chamberlain recently moved to northern Michigan with her family after practicing for several years in mid Michigan. She received her Bachelor's degree in Animal Science at MSU within Lyman Briggs College and her DVM degree from Ontario Veterinary College.
She has special interests in feline medicine and behavior. She enjoys skiing, sailing, distance running and spending time with her husband and two young children. She has two cats named Watson and Echo.