Staff and Board
Staff
Administrative Staff
Whitney Zoghby
Executive Director
whitney@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 101
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.
Savanna LaPrad
Development Manager
Savanna loves working with others who are passionate about animal welfare and seeing the positive impact Paws4ever has on both the animals and the community! Before joining Paws4ever’s development team, Savanna worked in veterinary support, adoptions, humane education, animal control, and pet-sitting. She is currently working towards a MA in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management. When she isn’t at work, she likes to go for walks, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, play Minecraft, and spend time with her boyfriend and their five cats, Jack, Houdini, Myrtle, Zara, and Ziggy!
Sarah Ellen Kelly
Volunteer Manager
SarahEllen@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 105
Sarah Ellen’s favorite part of her job is getting to help animals as well as meeting and training fellow animal lovers. Before joining the Paws4ever team, Sarah Ellen worked for over a decade in project management for a small clinical trials company. She was also a Paws4ever volunteer! In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking bubble baths, pedal kayaking, and taking pottery classes, even if she’s still mastering the art. Sarah Ellen shares her home with two furry companions: Maggie, a vocal and affectionate 15-year-old cat, and Jasper, a 10-year-old neurotic Weimaraner.
Jasmine Wilson
Communications Manager
Jasmine@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 109
Jasmine’s favorite thing about Paws4ever is how their services and pets contribute to people’s mental health, daily quality of life, and unite people of all backgrounds in our community. Before joining Paws4ever, she worked for nonprofits in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, specializing in communications and marketing. She grew up in the country of Burlington where her family had chickens, turkeys, goats, Koi fish, dogs, and cats. Her current pet is a black and white cow-print Chihuahua named Noggin. He wears a red dragon wing harness and fits in her purse! Jasmine is a cruelty-free makeup and skincare enthusiast, she loves going to concerts, and reading suspenseful books. She is very passionate about building community, serving as an advocate for resource access and continued support, and some of her most prized memories are seeing the smiles of families she has helped in her career.
Adoption Center – 919.241.8438 ext. 103
Sara Spinak
Adoption Center Manager
sara@paws4ever.org
919.241.8438 ext. 115
Sara has more than 25 years of experience working with animals. She has worked with many types of animals in zoos, veterinary clinics, exotic care, and wildlife rehab since 1996, and has focused specifically on animal sheltering since 2008. The most rewarding parts of her job are supporting pet owners, supporting our animal care staff, and learning and applying the latest best practices in the field. She also has an obsession with kittens. When Sara isn’t at work, she enjoys long walks, hiking, attending motorcycle races, and hanging out with her pets. She has an 11 year old bully breed dog named Biggs (who wins the award for the coolest dog ever), and three cats, Girlfriend, Buddy, and Rosemary.
Ashley Harvell
Shelter Supervisor
Ashley started her journey at Paws4ever in 2018 after graduating the Animal Care Program at ACC. She has always been fascinated with veterinary medicine and so in 2022 she ventured off to gain experience as a veterinary assistant. Paws4ever has always held a very special place in her heart and she discovered after her time away that her true passion is rescue work. Ashley finds her work rewarding because of the quality time spent getting to know each animal and providing them with love, training, and enrichment until their big adoption day comes along! In her down time you will find Ashley reading a spooky thriller book, taking a yoga class, out in nature, painting, or baking. She has the most perfect pittie girl at home named Kira, who she just adopted in July 2024.
Sammy Burns
Animal Care Tech
Jordan Ragan
Animal Care Tech
Olivia Thompson
Animal Care Tech
David Cardozo
Animal Care Tech
David joined the Paws4ever team in February 2025, bringing with him valuable experience as a Veterinarian Assistant since 2023. What he loves most about working at Paws4ever is the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of animals in need, while also playing an active role in supporting the local community. As a passionate pet owner, David shares his home with three beloved Chihuahuas: Bubbles – the oldest and queen of the pack; Hercules – the middle child that loves attention (and the smallest!); and Zeus – the youngest but largest (even though he is easily startled). When he’s not at work, David enjoys spending quality time with his family and meeting friends for games of pool. He also has a deep appreciation for tattoos and would be more than happy to show you the permanent artwork that he wears on his sleeve – literally!
Dog Training Program – 919.241.8438 ext. 102
Brian Gibbs, CPDT-KA
Dog Training Instructor
Brian loves to be a part of that moment when dogs and their owners start to understand one another and communicate through fun, positive training. Brian started working with animals as a volunteer in 2018 after the loss of his own beloved dog, Sonny. When Brian isn’t training dogs or working in his other job at Duke University Medical Center in the Radiation Safety Office, he enjoys hiking at parks around the Triangle, collecting comic books, and doing puzzles.
Heather Daniel, CPDT-KA
Dog Training Instructor
Heather loves to see partnerships between dogs and people strengthen. She especially enjoys witnessing the joy and pride of that moment when a dog starts to understand what their human is asking them to do. When Heather isn’t at work, she enjoys doing crafts like macramé and plasma cutting, watching horror movies, hosting theme parties with her husband, and traveling. She stays connected to her Scottish roots and attends the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games every year. Heather has a dog named Hornsby, 2 hens, and a rooster!
Read more about Heather’s Dog Training experience.
Maida Barbour, CPDT-KA, CCBC-KA
Dog Training Instructor
Maida joined the Paws4ever team in September 2024, bringing 17 years of dog training experience primarily from the Austin, Texas area. She specializes in Assistance Dog Training and Behavioral Consulting. Maida finds joy in helping dogs and their owners lead happier lives together. At home, she shares her life with a lovable pack of pets that includes Luann the pit bull, Roo the silver Labrador, and Archie, an African Grey Parrot! When she’s not training dogs, you can find her cooking up delicious meals or enjoying her favorite tunes, especially at live music events.
Read more about Maida’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
Sally Schatz (President)
Director of Development, Duke Health (Retired)
Katie Stember (Vice President)
Director for Experiential Learning, UNC Chapel Hill Graduate School
Katie Stember Photography
Irene Faust (Secretary)
Retired Physician
Eleanor Armstrong (Treasurer)
Agency Director of Armstrong Homecare
