Everything we do at Pets In Need comes back to a single conviction: the bond between people and animals is worth protecting.
Most of the time, you see that bond up close—cuddling and play in a kennel or in the dog yard, grooming and confidence-building in a cat salon, or with rehabilitative care in the quiet comfort of a foster home. But some of the people who protect that bond most fiercely, spend less time in kennels and condos. Instead, they spend a lot of time in a boardroom, making the strategic decisions that ripple outward to impact thousands of animals, all at once.
If you ask the members of our Board of Directors how they got here to Pets In Need, you won’t get a single, uniform answer. You will hear a dozen different stories. Follow those stories forward, and you will find something even better than how they arrived: what they have become for the animals since.
Four Paths, One Mission
Angela Young
Board Member since 2018
Angela’s journey began with simple curiosity. After meeting a current board member, she was intrigued but hesitant. She worried that a shelter environment might feel heavy or heartbreaking. A single tour changed everything.
“What I found was the opposite. PIN is a place of hope, possibility, and real joy. I quickly realized it is far more than a shelter. It is a true community resource.”
— Angela
That joy quickly became personal. Angela adopted Anna Belle, transforming a casual volunteer interest into a daily routine.
“From the first day I brought Anna Belle home, she’s been climbing onto the back of the couch to rest her head on my shoulder while I unwind from the day. It’s a feeling that can improve even the worst day.”
— Angela
Today, Angela’s personal bond drives her professional legacy. As a professional fundraiser, she chose to include a gift to Pets In Need in her will—ensuring that long after her board service ends, future adopters will get to experience that same head-on-your-shoulder joy.
Barry Cheskin
Board Chair, Board Member since 2023
Barry arrived through pure initiative. Rather than waiting to be asked, he reached out to us directly to learn what sheltering board service entailed. That instinct—to lean in and take action—is exactly what he brings to his role as Board Chair, steering the high-level decisions that ensure our organization is impeccably governed for the sake of every animal we serve. Additionally, Barry and his wife Lisa wanted to personally experience the business of sheltering and how Pets In Need is able to save so many animals while maintaining a 96% save rate. They got trained and started working with the cats. And then with the dogs. And they haven’t looked back.
Rob Kalman
Board Member since 2014
Rob’s path started with friendship. A friend on the board invited him to a local wine and cheese gathering in our Redwood City shelter. He kept showing up, asking consequential questions, and deeply investing in conversations with staff and volunteers. What began as a casual social invitation quickly evolved into a profound, standing commitment to animal welfare. Rob went on to lead the Pets In Need Board for many years, and help shepherd the organization in its partnership with the City of Palo Alto.
Brian Korek with Coffee Companions Owner Kevin Johnston
Board Member since 2022
Brian’s connection is rooted in family legacy. After watching his mother’s deep involvement with the organization, he stepped up to carry that dedication forward. But Brian didn’t just inherit the drive to lead—he committed to the boots-on-the-ground work.
Today, Brian and his wife, Teresa, are fixtures at the shelter. While Brian works closely with our operations team, Teresa spends hands-on time as a cat caregiver and socializer, helping nervous felines learn to trust again. From voting on high-level strategy to earning the trust of one cat at a time, their shared commitment honors a multi-generational family legacy.
From Volunteer to Vision
Most people don’t begin their journey with Pets In Need thinking about governance. They come to help a specific animal, volunteer a few hours a week, foster a litter of kittens, or support a local cause.
Over time, however, that connection deepens. Volunteers begin asking larger questions:
- How can we expand our reach to serve more animals?
- How do we better support vulnerable families in our community?
- What does the long-term future of animal welfare look like in the Bay Area?
This is where true leadership begins. Board service doesn’t replace the hands-on work that first inspires someone to get involved; it simply provides a larger platform to shape what comes next.
Where Vision Becomes Action
Behind every animal saved and every program launched are the foundational decisions made by our Board of Directors. Their leadership leaves a tangible blueprint across our communities:
In 2007, the board voted to construct a state-of-the-art facility from the ground up. That LEED-certified Redwood City facility opened in 2010 and remains the anchor of our operations today.
In 2019, the board helped forge a critical partnership with the City of Palo Alto to operate their shelter. They established a hybrid intake model—open intake in Palo Alto and rescue intake in Redwood City—that dramatically maximizes our capacity to save lives.
When our medical team needed a mobile spay and neuter van to deliver community care, board members mobilized personal gifts to fund it. Most recently, they architected the strategic plan that allows us to serve nearly 9,800 animals a year.
None of this infrastructure is visible to the average adopter, yet it is exactly what makes every single adoption possible.
Why Governance Matters
A nonprofit shelter is, at its core, a promise to the animals who pass through it. It is a guarantee that they will be safe, cared for, and championed by a stable, skilled organization that will still be here tomorrow.
Good Governance Is How the Promise Is Kept
It gives donors confidence that their investments are managed with integrity. It keeps our operations fiscally responsible when intake numbers spike. Ultimately, it allows us to take on harder medical cases, fund longer rehabilitations, and give extra time to the animals who need it most.
The board holds this entire ecosystem in trust. They look two, five, and ten years into the future to ensure we remain worthy of the animals we serve.
Thank You
To our current and past Board of Directors: Thank you.
Your leadership shapes every program we run and safeguards every animal in our care. The impact of your decisions is felt far beyond the boardroom, creating a stronger community that connects hearts and completes homes.
Thank you for saying yes.
