A volunteer board provides guidance to the management staff of the Animal Defense League. A special advisory board of community and civic leaders provides support to the Board of Directors.
ADL Board of Directors and Advisory Board
Officers: President: Anna-Laura Howell; Vice President: Margaret Mayberry; Secretary: James D. Odell; Treasurer: Bo Wiesner.
Board Members: Jim Brigham, Debra Corwin, Melissa Cliver, Alan Hepp, June Lantz Walbert and Bodo Knockenhauer.
ADL Staff
The Animal Defense League is proud of its professional staff and committed volunteers who carry out the daily programs and services that strengthen the bond between animals and people. Please feel free to contact them through the information provided below.
ADL Management Team
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Executive Director: Janice Darling Janice joined the Animal Defense League in March 2010. She has over 20 years of nonprofit management and fund raising experience in the San Antonio community. Janice has always loved animals, nature, and the great outdoors and is delighted to be helping homeless cats and dogs of San Antonio find loving forever homes. She and her husband Gary share their home with six fur children, Sally and Robin, both dogs, and the cats, Kurtie, Misa, Zoey, and Junior.
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Business and Finance Director: Cone Wells Cone joined the management team at ADL as Director of Business Operations in December 2009. He brings a wealth of business, finance, and management experience to ADL, which he uses to fulfill his passion for helping homeless dogs and cats in San Antonio find their forever homes. The management team that has been assembled at ADL over the last two years is busy improving and expanding operations, and Cone sees a very bright future for ADL and the animals it serves. Cone and his wife, Margie are long-time residents of San Antonio.
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Director of Operations: Don Specht Don Specht is the go-to guru who takes care of the ADL facility including building and grounds improvements and maintenance. He started in 1986 as a volunteer mobile adoption counselor, and then formally joined the staff in 1998 after retiring from the Air Force. During the past years, his role expanded to include special projects including overseeing the construction of several new buildings, razing of the two kennels built in the 1960s and other facility improvements. Don has four dogs all adopted from ADL.
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Development Director: Peggy Cervera
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Communications Director: Hugo Vital Hugo came to ADL as Executive Assistant in October 2009 and now serves as Communications Manager. In this capacity, he provides support to the Office of the Executive Director and also coordinates the majority of ADL’s media related activities. Hugo brings over 10 years of non-profit experience and he is the proud father of four daughters who keep his life busy outside of the League.
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Bookkeeper: Karen Rosfeld Karen joined the League in July 2010. She has many years of bookkeeping experience with 8 years experience in nonprofit. With her love for animals, working for ADL is an ideal job. She enjoys being outdoors, with coastal fishing being her favorite pastime. She and her husband, Gary, have two grown children and share a home with their three furry friends; Julian & Amelia (cats) and a Siberian Husky mix named Indica. Karen says that animals make everyday special.
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Shelter Staff
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Director of Animal Services: Jacy Elrod Jacy comes to her job as ADL’s Kennel Manager with a wealth of practical experience that includes more than 15 years in the animal care field. Jacy started as a Kennel Attendant and Veterinary Technician in Laredo vet clinics at age 17, before moving to San Antonio and she originally started at the Animal Defense League in 1998. Jacy oversaw our clinic operations for more than 5 years before making her way to the City of San Antonio’s animal care facility to help revamp the sheltering program there. But she left her heart here so she’s back overseeing kennel operations. Stop by and say hi…if you can catch her!
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Shelter Manager: Lissa Tuttle Lissa has been working at the Animal Defense League since March of 2011. She moved to San Antonio from Colorado 12 years ago where she worked as the Executive Director at the Colorado Humane Society for 7 years and was a volunteer for 5 years prior to that. Lissa most enjoys spending time with families that come out to find a pet and helping them to make an educated decision on the type of dog or cat that they would like to take home. Her love for the animals can be seen every day in the amount of work that she accomplishes in only eight hours.
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Animal Care Specialists
Our animals get TLC from the best animal care specialists in town. These individuals love working with the residents of ADL. If you want to learn more about our furry friends, look for one of these folks in the ADL “Staff” shirts:
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| Linda
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Mark
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John
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| Renee
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Brad
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Brenda
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| Michael
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Hannah
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Sabine
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| Salena
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Wyley
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Katie
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Adoption Center/Retail Center/Front Office Staff
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Adoption Supervisor: Christina Ivan
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Adoption Center Counselors
The Animal Defense League considers itself lucky to have a great team in the Adoption Center. These folks answer questions and help our customers on a daily basis. They also conduct one-on-one adoption interviews to determine the perfect match for our animals.
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| Sarah
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Laura
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Jasmine
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| Natasha
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Hospital & Clinic
The Animal Defense League’s mission is to help animals — medically treating all those who can be healed. We also spay or neuter all resident animals, micro-chip, and provide vaccinations to them, as well as to older animals adopted out through programs such as the Older Pet Program. These medical services are provided through our onsite veterinary hospital. It is staffed by these talented professionals:
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Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: Randy Moerbe Dr. Moerbe has extensive experience with surgical procedures, making him an asset not only to our animals, but to the public every week for the Low Cost Spay/Neuter program at ADL. He is surrounded by animals both at work and at home.
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Hospital & Clinic Staff
The entire staff of ADL’s veterinary hospital is trained to help care for the animals who are most in need.
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| Heike
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Erinn
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Christina
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| Samantha
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Amanda
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Genevieve
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Maintenance
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Supervisor of Maintenance & Community Service: Stephen Speaker Stephen is in charge of maintaining the 12-plus acre campus of ADL. He makes sure it is in good shape for our animals, staff and visitors alike. Stephen is the father of two beautiful daughters and two dogs.
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Maintenance Crew
Volunteers
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Volunteer Manager: Joely Joely joined the Animal Defense League in February 2012. She was raised on a ranch in Tennessee and now calls San Antonio home. Joely spent the last few years in television news, but animals have always been near and dear to her heart so making the switch was an easy choice. She and her husband, Rikel, love the great outdoors and taking road trips. They share their home with two adorable dachshunds and one feisty rescue dog that always makes them smile.
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Web
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Web Coordinator: Eugenia Fernandez Eugenia grew up taking care of animals. When she found herself working as a graphic designer in the printing industry, she felt unfulfilled and soon found her way to the ADL in 2000. She has worked in the kennels, the hospital office, as an adoption counselor and now photographs all ADL residents and displays them online. Eugenia is a wife and mother of three daughters, one son, two dogs and three cats.
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