MEET THE TEAM
STAFF
BECKY HOCKEY
Shelter Director
CHRIS BECK
Shelter Assistant
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KARL GERDS
Shelter Assistant
LAHNK
Office Manager
VANESSA NORRIS
Shelter Assistant
JULIA SMEAD
Shelter Assistant
BOARD of directors
Board President
Lisa has always had a passion for all animals, especially cats. After learning about Gifford Cat Shelter back in 1999, she immediately fell in love with their work and began volunteering on Saturday mornings. Lisa’s first few years at Gifford were spent taking care of the shelter’s most basic needs – scooping, cleaning, and socializing cats. However, it wasn’t long before her business expertise and entrepreneurial spirit were recognized; In 2005, Lisa was invited to join to the Board of Directors and later elected Board President.
Lisa, who grew up on Cape Cod with five cats, lives in the Boston area with her two “children” – Travis and Mariah, both Gifford alums. She is also the founder and CEO of The Renaissance Network, an award-winning, strategic search firm specializing in Education and Education Technology. Based in Newton, MA, TRN is celebrating its 25th year in business – all under Lisa’s continuous guidance.
Lisa earned her M.S. in Human Resource Management from Northeastern University and her B.A. in Psychology from The Catholic University of America. She’s also taken significant coursework in Entrepreneurship at the F.W. Olin School of Business at Babson College.
LISA SACCHETTI
Secretary
DANNA BAIDA
Treasurer
PETE DOHERTY
DAVID BONO
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PHOEBE DANTOIN
Director
Ann Gurka brings 20 years of shelter volunteer experience to the role of Shelter Operations Specialist. She worked as a volunteer animal caregiver at both MSPCA and the Alliance for Animals Cat Adoption Center prior to joining the Gifford community in 2004. Ann’s major interests have always been animal welfare and shelter standards. In her years at Gifford, Ann has familiarized herself with national standards for animal sheltering, as well as state regulations for shelters. She has successfully obtained a number of grants to help pay for both the replacement of the old brick shelter building and veterinary care for the cats. She has participated in many fundraising events and coordinated the annual Silent Auction for a number of years. Her work at Gifford has always been fueled by the cats – seeing them transition from the hardships of being a stray to the safety and love of the shelter to happy permanent homes is her biggest reward. Ann’s has a master’s degree in nursing and has both practiced and taught in the areas of critical care and cardiology. She currently does administrative work for her husband’s allergy practice.
ANN GURKA
Director
NATE MARSH
