Meet Our Staff
Executive Director: Cary Lieberman, CAWA
Cary has been Greenhill’s Executive Director since October 2007. Prior to that, he served 3 years as a member of the Board of Directors and spent a year as the shelter’s Development Director. In addition to his time at Greenhill, Cary has volunteered with S.P.O.T., the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, and served on the Lane County Animal Services Advisory Committee. He brings extensive experience in animal welfare, marketing, public relations and non-profit development. Cary previously worked in the development office at the University of Oregon. In 2009, Cary received his designation as a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, and in 2014, he completed certification in No-Kill Animal Shelter Management. Cary is currently the vice-president of the Lane County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD).
Director of Operations: Sasha Elliott, CAWA
Sasha has worked for Greenhill since 2013 in a variety of roles including the Community Engagement Manager, the Communications and Events Manager, an Animal Care Technician, and a Donor Relations Associate. She studied Political Science at the University of Cincinnati and graduated with honors from Lane Community College with a degree in Hospitality Management. She is certified in Animal Shelter Management from the University of the Pacific and is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator. She enjoys fostering Greenhill’s tortoises and exotic birds, and hiking, SUPing, and exploring the PNW in her free time.
Director of Shelter Medicine: Dr. Gail Schroder, DVM
Before joining the Greenhill staff in 2008, Gail was on the Board of Directors at Greenhill for almost 3 years, and a volunteer veterinarian assisting Greenhill for almost 6 years. She has also acted as the liaison between the Lane County Veterinary Medical Board and Greenhill. Gail has been a private practice veterinarian in the Eugene area since graduating from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. Her special area of interest is with animals that have behavior problems. In her free time, Gail enjoys biking, bird-watching, and movies. She and her husband share their home with their three cats.
Director of Surgery: Dr. Rachel Powell
Dr. Rachel Powell graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 and has spent much of her career in mixed-animal and equine practices. In 2018, she transitioned to shelter medicine and completed the Maddie’s Fund UW/UCD Shelter Medicine Fellowship in 2018-19. Dr. Powell finds all aspects of shelter medicine to be professionally and personally rewarding but she has a special interest in TNR/SNR programs to help manage community cat populations and reduce the number of cats and kittens in shelters! After a brief return to private practice, Dr. Powell joined Greenhill in 2022. She is excited to be back doing work that makes a real difference in her community and in the lives of the people and animals she works with. In her spare time, Rachel can be found outdoors hiking, cycling, competing in dressage with her horse, or exploring the beautiful Oregon countryside with her dogs and her husband, Doug.
Veterinary Assistant: Rachel Brungardt (She/Her/Hers)
“Rachel first started as a volunteer in the Cattery before being hired as an Animal Care Technician in the Cattery in June 2018. She then worked as the Feline Receiving Coordinator for 2 years and is now excited to grow her career at Greenhill as the Veterinary Assistant with the Surgery Team. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of Oregon, and she now is working toward becoming a Certified Veterinarian Technician. Her favorite thing about working at Greenhill is being with tons of kittens while gaining knowledge about animal behavior and shelter medicine. She only has one cat at the moment, Finn, who she adopted from Greenhill in September 2019 and one dog, Jax, who she adopted from Greenhill in November 2022. When she’s not at work, she’s reading, shopping, trying new foods or sleeping. Her work is in memory of her childhood dog Cooper 2009-2019 and childhood cat Sparky 2005-2020.”
Donor Engagement Manager: Monica Girard
Monica moved to Eugene in 2009 because of the natural beauty of the area and joined Greenhill in 2021. She loves all animals, especially her two cats, Hazel and Lulu (a Greenhill Grad). She loves talking to donors and hearing stories about their pets or learning more about their connections to Greenhill. Her other interests include antiquing (buying and selling), roller skating, hiking, kayaking, entertaining, and gardening.
Donor Relations Assistant: Savannah Ovaldia (She/They)
Before joining Greenhill this year, Savannah has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 4 years holding various roles including Development and Database Specialist, Clinic Manager, and Records Custodian in Child Advocacy Centers in Lane and Clackamas County. Savannah is deeply passionate about mission-driven work and excited about the opportunity to jump back into development and connect with community members, volunteers, and anyone supporting the work Greenhill is accomplishing. Additionally, Savannah’s love for animals, inspired by her cat Hagrid, has shown her a new perspective on life and she couldn’t imagine life without him by her side. In her free time, Savannah is either playing video games, trying out a new food truck, or relaxing at home with Hagrid who is always nearby ready to jump into Savannah’s arms as soon as she sits down.
IT & Special Projects Manager: Emily Love
Emily Love has been with Greenhill Humane Society since 2012 in a variety of roles including Customer Service Manager and Business Manager. She is now working as the IT & Special Projects Manager. In her current role, she helps the shelter keep their technology running smoothly and manages several different special projects. Emily has a degree in Business Administration, and is a Certified Professional Bookkeeper. She loves to do anything outside including bike riding, hiking and camping. She lives happily with her husband Adam, son Ethan, 2 fuzzy pups, and 1 tabby cat.
Communications Manager: Sam (She/Her/Hers)
Before joining the Greenhill team in 2018, Sam worked for a public relations agency in Seattle and also assisted a dog trainer. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Oregon in 2015. Excited to work with animals, Sam is eager to raise awareness of Greenhill’s efforts. When not working, Sam enjoys baking, hiking, cheering for the Ducks and spending time with her dog, Doug, who was adopted from Greenhill.
Community Engagement and Events Assistant/Adoption Specialist: Cass Moore
Cass moved from Ohio to Eugene in 2021 ahead of receiving her degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Managment. She then worked as an event coordinator for the City of Eugene, helping to plan events such as Halloween Downtown. While volunteering at Greenhill, she sought a way to combine her passion for event planning and her love of animals. In her spare time, she enjoys napping with her cat Petunia, hiking, traveling, and reading.
Foster Care Manager: Kristi Chizacky
Kristi’s love for animals brought her to Greenhill as a volunteer before joining the staff in 2010. Kristi grew up in New Jersey, and spent a few years in North Carolina, before moving to Eugene. She received a B.S. in Communications from Syracuse University and began her non-profit career as an events manager for the American Cancer Society. Kristi and her husband, Jay, share their home with one dog, a hamster, and a snake. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with Jay, walking their dog, riding horses and traveling.
Volunteer Manager: Amy Harris
Amy brings a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism along with her own volunteer experience to her position with Greenhill which began in 2013. She’s “Inspired daily by all of the incredible people who come out to donate their time, energy and love.” Her hobbies include reading, digging in the dirt and learning new things. She especially delights in the fact that getting to know volunteers and fosters is a part of her job. At home, Amy’s adoptees are a Beagle named Murrey and a Labrador/ Pitbull Terrier named Griffin.
Volunteer Coordinator Assistant: Kristelle
Kristelle started at Greenhill as a dog photo team volunteer in 2017. She came to Eugene from San Diego to study at the University of Oregon and graduated from UO in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During her time spent finishing up her degree at UO, she came to love the PNW and decided to stay. In her free time, she likes to explore and take photos of PNW with her dog Luna, read, play video games, and binge-watch tv shows.
Canine Enrichment Specialist: Lia
Lia started working at Greenhill in September 2021. She spent two years at a teaching zoo in California before moving to Eugene to work with shelter dogs. She also has a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University. She currently has two cats that she adopted, and enjoys hanging out with them in her free time. She also enjoys playing volleyball and watching reality TV.
Canine Enrichment Specialist: Sarah
Sarah started working at Greenhill as an Animal Care Technician in the summer of 2022 and now works as both a care technician and Canine Enrichment Specialist. Sarah strongly believes that all animals are indispensable members of our community and brings this love of animals to work everyday. She comes to Greenhill after over 20 years of working for local government with a focus on community development and social equity. Sarah has a bachelor’s of science with honors in Geography and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Sarah has had an assortment of animals she has called family, taking into her family several stray cats and three Greenhill Graduates: Alexander (The Professor), Clyde and Calypso. Throughout her life her family has included hamsters, cats, some bunnies, dogs, a bearded lizard, fish, a frog, and a snake. She has previously volunteered time for a few years at a local horse rescue. Sarah likes to spend her time with her cats, reading, gardening, and listening to music.
Feline Receiving Coordinator: Ginny Johnson
Ginny has been with Greenhill since 2005. She oversees the cattery staff, as well as the housing and care of all the felines that enter the shelter. “Being surrounded by animals is the best part of my job,” says Ginny, “and working with people who care about them as much as I do.” Ginny and her husband Kevin have four cats named Prudence, Putzi, Schuyler and George, and a pug named Nala. She loves baseball and is a huge Yankees fan.
