Staff and Board
Staff
Administrative Staff
Kathy McVay
Business Manager
kathy@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 110
Kathy enjoys using her bookkeeping skills to support the animals she loves! You’ll often find Paws4ever shelter dogs lounging next to Kathy’s desk in the Admin office. She spends her free time with her grandchildren and her two cattle dogs, Bandit and Lucy. Her dogs keep her entertained with their fun games – as soon as she throws a ball for Bandit, Lucy takes it and drops it further away for Bandit to retrieve! Kathy is famous for her beautiful flower garden and her holiday cookie baking tradition.
Myia Pettitt
Volunteer Manager
Myia loves being able to help animals in need by recruiting and supporting Paws4ever’s amazing volunteers. She has been an animal shelter volunteer herself for more than 10 years, and worked as an animal shelter manager before joining Paws4ever’s team as the Volunteer Manager. Myia lives on a farm with her husband, four kids, a cow, a horse, chickens, ducks, guineas, goats, pigs, cats, and dogs! She has a special love of baby animals – she’s fostered kittens for 15 years and she’ll always pull off the side of the road to sit and watch a baby calf. She also enjoys working in her garden and collecting succulents!
Emily Albert
Development and Communications Associate
Emily loves receiving photos and stories of adopted animals in their new homes, and sharing those updates with the community of supporters who made their journeys possible! When she isn’t at work writing true stories about the animals at Paws4ever, she writes and reads a lot of fiction (mostly sci-fi, fantasy, and mysteries). She also enjoys cooking, playing board games, and spending time with her family. Emily’s home is run by her three affectionate and goofy cats – Samwise, Merlin, and Ollivander.
Adoption Center – 919.241.8438 ext. 103
Sara Shellman
Adoption Center Manager
sara@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 115
Sara has more than 20 years of experience working with animals professionally. She enjoys getting to be a part of a unique rescue that is genuine and compassionate about animal welfare and supporting pet owners. She enjoys guiding animal care staff in general animal husbandry and talking with adopters about pet nutrition. When asked what she enjoys in her free time, Sara says “hiking, hiking, and more hiking!” Sara has a dog named Biggs and four cats – Gary Dartanian, Shower, Rosemary, and Linnaeus!
Angelly Alvarado
Adoption Coordinator
angelly@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 103
Angelly says the most rewarding part of her job is knowing that she’s on a team that always looks out for what’s best for each individual animal and works hard to find them the right home. Her experience includes working with animals and providing customer care, which she combines to help adopters and pets have a great adoption experience. When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time hiking, trying new foods, collecting crystals, and watching her favorite shows and movies. She has a tuxedo cat named Zaylo, who is the ruler of her home!
Kamryn Wall
Animal Care Tech
Kamryn loves spending time getting to know each animal and seeing their unique personalities blossom. She is currently studying Animal Care and Management Technology at Alamance Community College. When Kamryn isn’t working, she loves being outdoors, especially camping and riding four-wheelers with her family. She has a 15 year old Lab/Husky mix named Daisy who loves tagging along for outdoor activities too!
Maria Reynolds
Animal Care Tech
Brianna Spruill
Animal Care Tech
Dog Training Program – 919.241.8438 ext. 102
Susan Spinks
Dog Training Program Manager
susan@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 102
Susan is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT and she strongly believes that all clients and dogs should leave each class feeling great about their performance, potential, and future. She started training after adopting Chloe, a very “vibrant” dog, and hasn’t stopped since! She enjoys reading and watching TV and movies in her free time. Fun fact for movie buffs: Susan was an extra in the 80’s movie The Big Brawl!
Read more about Susan’s Dog Training experience.
Melanie Berk
Home Care Coordinator, Senior Dog Training Instructor
melanie@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 117
Melanie is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT and has an extensive background in animal care, shelter pet behavior, adoption counseling, and coordinating foster programs. She has a Pitbull mix named Seamus, a Beagle named Shiloh, and a horse named Nick! Melanie enjoys hiking and spending time with her family.
Read more about Melanie’s Dog Training experience.
ReSale Store – 919.245.0445
Terri Shue
ReSale Store Manager
terri@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 107
Terri has a background in animal care, and she started out at Paws4ever as an Animal Care Tech. She loves knowing that she works for an organization that has such a deep passion for animals’ well-being. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family and her dogs. She has two beagles, Jake and Piper. Jake loves coming with her to the ReSale Store, and he has his own set of fans. When customers come in, the first thing they say is “Hey Jake!”
Board of Directors
David Schmidt (President)
Kendall H. Page (Vice President)
Leigh Matthews (Treasurer)
Local Business Owner
Senior Financial Services Officer, State Employees Credit Union
Jill Grant (Secretary)
Perry Dowd
Rob Johnson
Carla Julian
Sally Schatz
Director of Development, Duke Health
Jaye J. Kreller
Jeff Hockett
Real Estate Sales Assistant to Chris Culbreth, Tony Hall & Associates
Katie Stember
Associate Director, Life Science Economic Development, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Katie Stember Photography