President and Co-founder - Monica Rua currently shares her home with four rescue dogs from POMDR and AFRP (Animal Friends Rescue Project), and is usually fostering one or two POMDR foster dogs also.

Monica has devoted over 20 years of her life to animal rescue. She first worked with dog and cat rescue groups in the Bay Area. In 1998 she co-founded AFRP in Pacific Grove, where she served on the board for 11 years, with 8 of those years as Board President. Monica oversaw and actively participated in all aspects of the organization’s operations, including educating the public, fundraising, volunteer database management, animal tracking, and fostering many dogs and cats. She was also instrumental in helping foster families with dog behavior issues. Monica has been on the POMDR board since 2009 when she co-founded this organization with Carie Broecker.

Before launching into animal rescue, Monica was the Education Director of Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose. Prior to that, she worked as a software engineer for NASA Johnson Space Center, Lockheed, and Sun Microsystems.

Monica holds a Master of Science in Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a minor in Philosophy.

Vice President - Elle Brookman currently shares her life with four wonderful canines. Elle adopted her first two rescue dogs as youngsters during her 5-year tenure as a volunteer with AFRP in Pacific Grove. She transitioned easily to POMDR as a board member when the organization was formed in November of 2009, and it wasn’t long before rescue dogs Mayla and Mikey joined her little pack!

Prior to joining the animal rescue effort, Elle’s volunteer service included assisting in an elderly care facility for 6 years, and assisting foster youth as a CASA (court-appointed special advocate) for 7 years.

Before moving to the Monterey Peninsula and starting a staging/redesign business to assist local realtors, Elle spent her career in executive search for high tech companies, and in sales/business development for a major contract furniture company, both in the Silicon Valley. She was also a Western States Sales Manager for Steelcase, a leading furniture manufacturer.

Elle received her undergraduate degree at Katharine Gibbs College in New Jersey, and she completed her education at Syracuse University, where she majored in Sociology and Interior Design.

Treasurer - Kathy Henney shares her home with six Dachshunds, three of whom are rescues. In fact, she is what we lovingly refer to as a “foster failure,” because out of the seven POMDR dogs that Kathy has fostered, she has adopted three!

Kathy has a special interest in helping seniors and senior pets. Following her move to the Monterey Peninsula in 1996, she began her work for animals as a regular volunteer assistant to the off-site adoption coordinator at the SPCA for Monterey County. She was also a member of the St. Bernards, a group in Carmel that looks out for seniors in need of assistance. Kathy combined her desire to be of service to these two groups when she joined Peace of Mind Dog Rescue as a volunteer in April of 2010. Kathy joined the POMDR board in 2011 and became the Treasurer in 2012.

Kathy’s volunteer experience also includes serving four years with the City of Carmel on the Historic Resources Board and fourteen years with Pacific Repertory Theater. In her professional life, Kathy worked as a Registered Nurse, and she retired after a 40-year career in the operating room.

Kathy earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Secretary - Tracey Pepper has always adopted pets from shelters and rescue organizations. She currently shares her home with three POMDR canine companions: Taiko, Sprocket and Luna.

Tracey became involved in POMDR in December of 2013 after she adopted her first POMDR dog, Nugget. Her volunteer contributions include staffing and leading adoption events, transporting dogs, conducting home checks, training foster families, and facilitating dog adoptions. Tracey graciously took on the role of Interim Dog Program Manager in 2015, and naturally transitioned to Board Member in April of 2016.

Now retired, Tracey enjoyed a 35-year career in Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, and Organizational Effectiveness for several Fortune 500 companies including MBNA America, Bank of America, and US Airways. Tracey began her career at the US Geological Survey, working in the groundwater division.

Tracey holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration/Management from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography/Geology from Towson University in Maryland.

Board Member - Cathy Heape shares her home with rescued dogs Buddy, a Chiweenie adopted from San Jose Animal Care Center, and Bella, a Golden Retriever adopted through Rescued Love From Taiwan. Thankfully Buddy and Bella are both gracious hosts to the many foster dogs that are also regularly in residence.

Before joining the POMDR Board in 2019, Cathy volunteered first with children and seniors, and then full time in animal rescue, particularly in the area of marketing and communications. In November 2014, she cofounded Silicon Valley Pet Project. A couple years later she began volunteering with and fostering pups for Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue, and then in 2017 also joined the volunteer team at POMDR, helping with office duties, transport, special events, home checks and walking brigades.

Cathy had a 20-year career working in in-house advertising and then as a freelance production artist for several companies including JCPenney. She then left the corporate world and started her own business as a Personal Concierge and Organizer. She retired in 2011 and moved to England for two years with her husband for his work. They bought their home in Carmel in 2016 and continue to split their time between San Jose and Carmel, where she also volunteers delivering Meals on Wheels.

Cathy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Art from North Texas State University.

Executive Director and Co-founder - Carie Broecker shares her life with five lucky senior dogs, and is usually fostering multiple POMDR dogs, too.

Carie co-founded POMDR with Monica Rua in 2009. Upon its inception, she worked full time running POMDR as Board President, and in 2010 Carie won the American Red Cross Animal Rescue Hero Award for her role in starting POMDR. In 2012 she was hired as Executive Director, POMDR’s first paid staff person.

Prior to co-founding POMDR, Carie was one of the first volunteers for AFRP in Pacific Grove. She joined the AFRP board in 1999, and served for 12 years as Treasurer and unsalaried Executive Director. 

Carie and her husband Scott are the publishers of Coastal Canine magazine. Carie’s other career achievements include working as a bookkeeper and accountant for several businesses. She also worked as the Client Services Director for the Monterey County AIDS Project, where her work earned her the 1994 Monterey County Outstanding Woman of the Year award.

Carie graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, minoring in Business Economics with a concentration in Accounting.

Operations Manager - Allison McKee currently shares her life with an amazing, loving, big-hearted, hilarious Border Collie mix named Jackson, whom she rescued from Manteca Animal Control in 2010 after knowing him for a mere 60 seconds! She then added POMDR dog Maya to her family, after helping capture the frightened escape artist and then falling in love with her. The two lucky pups now enjoy adventures like hiking in Yosemite with Allison and her family.

Allison attributes her love for animals to the fact that she was brought up in a family with a long history of adopting rescue dogs and cats. The family “zoo” also included horses, rats, hamsters and birds. As a kid, Allison volunteered with the SPCA, and, later, with Hope, Horses and Kids, an equine learning program that focuses on helping children, particularly those with special needs, build confidence through working with horses. This experience helped Allison realize that her true passion lay in working with animals and people, rather than in corporate management. Soon after, in May 2015, she joined the staff of POMDR. Allison did indeed find her niche, as after just two years she was promoted to Operations/Volunteer Manager overseeing all aspects of POMDR programs!

Allison’s career includes a decade in retail management with Starbucks Coffee Company, and experience working as an Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Los Padres Forest Association. She is also passionate about international politics, travel and meeting new people (and their dogs).

Allison is conversationally bilingual in Spanish, and she holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from San Francisco State University.

Adoptions Coordinator - Bryan Van Loh adopted Kenji from POMDR in August 2017. He first became involved with POMDR in July of 2015 as a Helping Paw Brigade dog-walker and a fundraising volunteer. Bryan joined the staff of POMDR in May of 2017.

Bryan’s volunteer experience includes working with The Marine Mammal Center, where he is still active in all aspects of the operation from sea lion, elephant and harbor seal rescue to re-release into the wild.

Before joining the POMDR staff, Bryan worked in guest services at the Santa Lucia Preserve. In addition, he taught high school English in Okinoshima, Japan, and acted as an ambassador for American/foreign culture in a special education school.

Bryan graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, minoring in Japanese.

Helping Paw Coordinator - Jessica Esparza shares her home with a her handsome, big, German Shepherd-Labrador Retriever mix, Moon, whom she adopted from the SPCA in March 2019.

Before Jessica was a POMDR staff member, she was a volunteer with us doing adoption events, transportation and fostering. She spent her college years volunteering at various medical clinics, and volunteered with the City of Seaside senior programs after graduating from college. She also spends time knitting baby hats and booties which she donates to hospitals in her home town of Santa Monica.

Jessica previously interned and worked as a medical assistant. She was also employed with the City of Seaside where she was the coordinator for the Oldemeyer Center’s Older Adults Program. It was while working with the city and volunteering at POMDR that she realized her passion lay with community outreach, working with older adults and animals.

In May 2017 she graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. She has plans to attain more schooling in animal behavior and to further her skills in American Sign Language.

Volunteer Coordinator - Angela Zepp shares her home with her big mixed-breed dog Zissou, who has been with her since he was 8 weeks old. She also lives with her significant other’s dog, Cousteau. Zissou and Cousteau are best buds, both named independently and coincidentally after oceanographers.

Before joining the POMDR staff in November 2018, Angela volunteered with Meals on Wheels. Having a passion for dogs, she became aware that some of her clients there had dogs who they were physically unable to walk. She learned there was an organization which provided that service, which is how she found out about POMDR! She is now thrilled to be helping both senior people and senior dogs.

Angela is a marine biologist by trade. She has been lucky enough to work in that capacity in Alaska, Hawaii, Catalina Island, and most recently, the Bahamas. While there, she also worked for a local nonprofit to restore native plants, and enjoyed seeing the positive effects of her labors.

Angela received her Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and Marine Biology with a minor in Scientific Diving from Humboldt State University. While studying there, she co-founded the Animal Behavior Club. She recently earned her Master’s degree in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Labs.