Our Board of Directors
Our all-volunteer Board of Directors works to ensure that Animal Fix Clinic remains a resource for our community through thoughtful, long-term stewardship. They bring expertise from a variety of professions and industries, particularly animal welfare.
Members & Officers
Emily Colwell (she/her), President began her career over 25 years ago as the dog bather at her local animal shelter. Since then she has worked in animal welfare across the US, primarily in shelter management, community engagement, disaster response, and training and curricular development. Emily first became involved with the organization then known as Fix Our Ferals as a volunteer tracking orphaned kittens entering the Berkeley animal shelter in 2005. She lives in the farther-East Bay with her family, including two chihuahuas who love everyone.
Shade Paul (any pronouns), Vice-President Shade comes from a long line of animal lovers. She studied public administration and spent twelve years working in nonprofit veterinary practice management in San Francisco. During that time she developed a deep respect for the leaders of the Animal Fix Clinic and the work that the team does to help Bay Area animals and their guardians. Shade is the proud guardian of a small scruffy dog named Omar.
Andrea Kuhl (she/her), Interim Treasurer is the Director of Finance at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that rescues and rehomes dogs aged 7 and older. She was introduced to Animal Fix Clinic by a former AFC board member and Muttville colleague, and has enjoyed providing financial oversight and guidance to such an important and impactful organization. In her free time, she loves to explore the beauty of Northern California with her favorite hiking buddies: Skeeter, a 13-year old Schipperke, and Willy, a 10-year old Bichon mix.
Carina DeVera (she/her) is an animal advocate, outdoor enthusiast, and writer. She has been a dedicated champion for animals since she was a child, when — to the chagrin of her parents — she began to rescue underweight hedgehogs and abandoned baby birds from local parks. In the years since, she has lived this passion both personally and professionally by working, volunteering, and serving on the boards of Bay Area animal welfare organizations. She currently resides in San Francisco with her husband, a small herd of rescued guinea pigs, and one particularly feisty parrotlet.
Becca Freed (she/her) is Bay Area born and raised and co-parent to three dogs, all “foster failures.” When she is not writing or editing health information, she contributes her content-development expertise to Animal Fix Clinic and volunteers with other local animal-welfare nonprofits. Becca has been a volunteer hawk counter in the Marin Headlands and can identify many Northern California birds by ear. Her first acquaintance with Animal Fix Clinic was receiving help trapping and fixing a family of feral cats in her Berkeley backyard.
Shanti Peterson (she/her) is the Development Manager at Meals on Wheels Diablo Region in Walnut Creek. Her lifelong passion has always been animal welfare and speaking out on their behalf. For the past ten years her focus has been on rescuing, rehabilitating, and advocating for the bully breeds. She lives in Bay Point with her husband, three-year-old son, one adorable sweetheart of a pittie, and two rascally cats.
