behind the scenes

Micki has worked in sales, marketing, and business development roles throughout her career. She began volunteering with WCGHS in 2013, after going to the shelter to meet an adoptable dog. For two years, she held many volunteer roles and gained tremendous insight into the organization. In 2015, she joined the board of directors, eventually becoming president. In 2020, WCGHS faced numerous challenges due to the pandemic. It was during this time that Micki was given the opportunity to transition into the executive director role. Her passion and enthusiasm for pets, people, and community directly enhance her impactful contributions to WCGHS. She loves helping animals and connecting with people. Micki shares her home and love for animals with her husband and two daughters. The family has four beloved adopted pets.

Peggy joined WCGHS in 2016 to curate our signature event, A Tail to Remember Dinner & Auction. She brought with her seven years of nonprofit event experience, as well as, seven years of corporate event planning.  She moved from Atlanta, GA to Ridgefield, WA in 2008 with her husband, Frank, and her son, Joseph. Her family shares their home with their dog, Biscotti, a WCGHS alumni. Peggy enjoys spending time with her family, playing games, visiting her family in Louisiana and wine tasting at the PNW’s many wineries.

peggyd@wcghs.org

Katie brings more than 10 years of operations and business management experience to her role as Operations Manager at WCGHS. In 2025, she made the rewarding transition into animal welfare, first working in the Admissions Department at another Humane Society before joining the WCGHS team. Katie is passionate about combining her professional experience with her love for animals and enjoys being part of a mission that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of pets and their people. Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her family, paddleboarding, hiking, and reading. At home, she shares her life with four beloved pets: one dog and three cats.

Jennifer was raised in a family of animal lovers who always seemed to be rescuing stray cats and dogs to rehome or add to their own menagerie of pets. She joined WCGHS in 2017, working in the cat shelter, and left in 2019 to focus on TNR (trap, neuter, return) for feral and community cats in Washougal and Camas. She returned to WCGHS in 2023 with a renewed passion for animal welfare, and a special interest in the expansion of WCGHS’s surgical program and community outreach. When she isn’t working you’ll most likely find her chilling with her nine cats, rockhounding, kayaking, or mushroom hunting.

Laura is passionate about pets, people, and building community.  After first volunteering with WCGHS in 2010, she jumped at the opportunity to join the team in 2020 and brings over 20 years of professional non-profit development and volunteer experience. If you can’t find Laura at work, she will probably be at the mountain with her family skiing, hiking or camping. Boston sports and enjoying live music are her other loves! Currently, Laura, her son, daughter, and husband share their home with one big lug of an American Bulldog mutt, Calypso, a WCGHS alumni.  

Amanda brings a strong background in behavioral science to WCGHS, holding a Psychology degree from the University of Washington and a Master’s Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. After beginning her career providing early intervention therapy to children with developmental disorders, she shifted her focus to animal welfare and spent the last two years supporting challenging canine behavior at a high-capacity shelter. Amanda is passionate about community safety and empowering pet owners through education and skilled handling. In between time spent at home and work, you can find her somewhere outside paddleboarding, hiking, or camping. Her home life is kept lively by her own adopted herding mix and a somewhat feral rescue cat distributed to her many years ago.

With a lifelong passion for animals, Rayne is excited to bring her experience and love for helping others to her work. She comes from a veterinary background and has also worked in case management, giving her a unique combination of animal care, compassion, and people-focused experience. Outside of work, Rayne enjoys spending time with her three cats and her honorary cat, Penny, her Pomeranian mix. Surrounded by her furry companions, you can usually find her playing video games, crocheting, or watching a good movie. Her passion for animals and her caring nature make her a wonderful addition to the team.

Jaiden became an official member of the WCGHS team in July of 2022. Her family has been fostering animals for WCGHS since January 2021. She developed a passion for animals at an early age, and has looked forward to a career working with animals. Her background in the equestrian and dog worlds have given her the skills to make an impact on animal welfare. Jaiden desires to go to school to be a vet tech. She spends her free time riding her horses and helping out on the family farm. Her lifelong passion and commitment to animals makes her a key member of our staff. 

Kathleen joined WCGHS in April 2024 and just returned from a stint overseas where she earned a master’s degree, worked as a tour guide in Rome, spent time on a farm in rural Ireland, and somehow never got tired of eating pizza. Kathleen has a background in program management, event planning, marketing, and customer relationship management. She has worked for the federal government, an 8-person non-profit, and as an independent contractor. While she doesn’t currently have any pets of her own, Kathleen is a cat and a dog person and misses her Irish cows everyday. When not researching sustainable agriculture, she can be found reading a high fantasy novel, hiking around the Gorge, or watching/struggling through her favorite soccer team, Arsenal FC.

Khloe has a deep passion for helping animals and making a difference in their lives. After volunteering for a year, she was thrilled to join the team as a Veterinary Assistant and continue her work caring for animals in need. She finds it incredibly rewarding to be part of a team that works every day to support the health, safety, and wellbeing of animals in the community. Outside of work, she enjoys getting lost in a good book and spending time relaxing with her wonderful pets, who bring a lot of joy and inspiration to her life.

Yelena has been an animal lover since childhood and has always felt called to help them. This led her to start volunteering in the WCGHS dog shelter in 2016. During her time at WCGHS, she was actively involved in developing enrichment programs and expanded her involvement to include fostering and volunteering in the surgery clinic, where she gained additional experience in dog handling and behavior. She has applied these skills while working at a veterinary clinic, boarding facility, and in-home pet care.