Our Leadership Team
Lucie Yepez
Lucie Yepez (she/her) is the Executive Director and Community Engagement Director at PACT. A former general manager and accounts manager in the nonprofit sector and the public works industry, Lucie specializes in business development, process improvement, and government compliance. Additionally, Lucie has worked to provide resources to underserved humans and animals in her community including developing free art programs for public libraries and shelters, volunteering at local animal shelters, volunteering for the point-in-time count, and fostering dogs.
Rebecca Niemiec, PhD
Rebecca (she/her) is the Founding Director and Director of Development at PACT. She has been working in the field of animal protection and animal-human relations for over a decade. In addition to her work with PACT, Rebecca is a social scientist, Assistant Professor, and Director of the Animal-Human Policy Center at Colorado State University. She has also served as the manager of the Bureau of Animal Protection for the state of Colorado.
Our Board
Danielle Frey, DVM (she/her) is a veterinarian with a drive for community outreach and engagement. In her role at Colorado State University (CSU), she has created programs that create a bridge to access veterinary care for clients that experience various barriers to that care, including geographical, financial, and linguistic. Participating veterinary students are exposed to the theory and structures of providing this care and the role they play in the community as public health practitioners. Through her work, she aims to increase access to veterinary care for animals and connection to community.
Bobbi Priestly. With over 23 years of professional experience in animal welfare investigations, law enforcement, and equine management, Bobbi brings a wealth of expertise to the Board of Directors. A commissioned Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP) agent since 2002, Bobbi has conducted thousands of animal cruelty and neglect cases, specializing in companion animal and equine welfare. Her contributions to the community include developing a division that helped thousands of animals and collaborating with animal welfare organizations to improve shelter capacity and building a team to educate animal owners and help with animal removal, transport, and housing solutions.
Dr. Claire Vaiden (she/her) graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. Her passion for animal welfare began with running a student-led program that provided veterinary care to vulnerable populations in the local community and has continued through her roles as a general practitioner, shelter veterinarian, and forensic veterinarian. She moved to Colorado in 2016 with her now husband (also a veterinarian) and transitioned to shelter medicine in 2019. She loves serving her community by being a part of the safety net for Colorado’s pet population.
Dr. Ann Majchrzak (she/her) is a Professor Emeritus from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California where she did program evaluation, policy research and consulting, research on community mental health centers, and consulting to nonprofits on organizational effectiveness and digital innovation. She devotes her volunteer time to caring for, and rescuing, dogs from shelters as well as serving as a FEMA-trained volunteer first responder for ASPCA during emergencies.
Daira Suljovic (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with experience in inpatient, outpatient, and crisis settings. Throughout her career, she has witnessed the profound therapeutic benefits that companion animals offer to individuals navigating mental health challenges. In her role on the board, she is committed to integrating mental health perspectives, advocating for the preservation of the human-animal bond, and promoting overall well-being within our community.
Shelby E. McDonald, PhD, MSW (she/they) is the Sarama Bliss Endowed Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at Colorado State University, where she directs the RISE HAI (Research for Inclusion, Social Justice, and Equity in Human-Animal Interaction) lab in the School of Social Work. Her research critically examines the roles that human-animal relationships play in various aspects of public and mental health, particularly within populations experiencing health disparities. Shelby’s research has been instrumental in informing policies and practices related to pet-inclusive housing in domestic violence settings and understanding the health and safety impacts of co-occurring intimate partner violence and animal cruelty.
Christie Reimer, MD (she/her) is the Assistant Dean of Medical Education at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado State University regional campus. In this role, she supports medical student work in One Health including this great project impacting human-animal relationships. She is thrilled to see this nonprofit come together with a collaborative interdisciplinary team and looks forward to seeing it thrive as it meets community health needs. Christie is also a practicing internal medicine physician in Fort Collins.
Suzanne Brandenburg, MD (she/her) is the Associate Dean for Medical Education at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado State University. She practices internal medicine in Denver and has dedicated much of her career to medical education. Most recently she has focused on the importance of effective teamwork involving broad interprofessional team members and a One Health framework to address the complex health problems faced by patients, communities, populations and the planet. She is excited to support and promote this important work to the benefit of people and pets!
Dr Lori Kogan (she/her) is a Professor of Clinical Sciences for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and co-director of the Animal-Human Policy Center at Colorado State University. She is the Chair of the Human-Animal Interaction section of the American Psychological Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Human-Animal Interaction journal. She has over 25 years of experience in the HAI field, including creating and managing programs that support the human animal bond (i.e., for low-income elderly and disabled pet owners (Pets Forever) and women seeking shelter from abusive situations (CrossTrails)).
Student Associates
Lizzie Beagle, MPH-DVM Candidate ‘28; Lizzie (she/her) is a veterinary student research associate at PACT. She has been working in animal/human healthcare for over 6 years, earning bachelor's degrees in public health and biology. In addition to her work with PACT, Lizzie is the current fundraising chair for the CSU Student Chapter of American Shelter Veterinarians (SCASV) and a graduate research assistant for the Animal-Human Policy Center at Colorado State University. Lizzie is excited to continue access-to-care and One Health research with a plan for a career in veterinary public and population health.
Kelsey Clark (she/her), DVM Candidate, is a veterinary student research associate at PACT. She has worked in wildlife and small animal emergency medicine for three years, developing a strong interest in One Health and the preservation of the human-animal bond in communities. Passionate about increasing access to veterinary care, she is particularly interested in the intersections of animal and human health. In addition to her work with PACT, Kelsey is involved in research with the Animal-Human Policy Center and has a special interest in pathology.
Katie Culver, MD Candidate; Katie (she/her) is a medical student associate at PACT. She is currently in her second year of medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado State University. During her clinical year of medical school, she has discovered her passion for assisting patients with care for their pets during their toughest times. Growing up in her parents’ veterinary clinic, Katie has a deep understanding of the incredible bond that people have with their pets and is committed to ensuring that this bond remains strong even when individuals are faced with challenging times.
Ellis Mobley, MBA-DVM Candidate ’28; Ellis (he/him) is a veterinary student research associate at PACT who has worked in pet healthcare for over 4 years. He has obtained bachelor’s degrees in both business administration and animal science from NC State University, where he also completed a minor in Spanish. He is a first-year veterinary student and in his last semester of his MBA. Through his many years of work experience, he has seen first-hand the importance of making pet healthcare accessible and ensuring that the necessary resources are readily available to maintain the special bond between owners and their pets. While a new member of the PACT team, he is extremely excited about finding different ways to keep this bond intact and to assist pet owners in our community.
