Elle is an accomplished executive with a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years at the intersection of employee benefits, insurance, professional education and business process improvement. Leveraging a strong academic foundation with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in business, she has built a reputation for expanding and optimizing business performance for national and global industry leaders.

A lifelong advocate for animals, Elle volunteers her free time supporting nonprofit animal rescue organizations. She has opened her home to many rescues and gone to great lengths to protect and care for those in need. As President of Eyes for Mercy, she combines her executive expertise with her compassion to help build systems that protect animals, connect communities, and make prevention possible where it once was not. At home, she is surrounded by her beloved dogs—Bella, Bronc, and Jett—and honors the memory of many who came before them, including Sage, June, and Tank, whose recent passing deepened her commitment to advancing mercy through action.

Dee is a seasoned Data Architect with over 25 years of experience turning data into a driver of clarity and change. With a Bachelor’s in industrial engineering and Master’s in information systems, she discovered early on that her strength was in untangling complexity and turning it into solutions people can use. Throughout her career, she has led initiatives across healthcare, consulting, and global supply chains, building data ecosystems that deliver consistency, break down silos, and help leaders act decisively.

Since late 2021, Dee has devoted her time and heart to connecting with rescue networks and helping animals in desperate need of compassion and a way out of suffering. Her love of data and her empathy for animals have quietly converged into a mission guided by both logic and mercy. As the Founder of Eyes for Mercy, she helps brings together technology, storytelling, and data-driven insight to drive systemic change. Most days, she’s surrounded by her three rescue dogs—Zinc, Rio, and Guapo—each full of personality, while Tungsten’s memory still has a place among them, the one who first inspired her work.

Rich has built a career defined by thoughtful counsel and principled leadership. With a Bachelor’s in the liberal arts and a Juris Doctor, he spent decades guiding both for-profit and nonprofit organizations before retiring in 2021. Before retirement, Rich served as General Counsel for a global professional society, overseeing legal affairs, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management. Earlier in his career, he worked across industries—from technology and consulting to equipment leasing and consumer products.

Today, Rich continues to share his experience with purpose-driven organizations. He has supported several nonprofit startups with organizational and governance guidance and serves on the board of a foundation dedicated to advancing math education. At Eyes for Mercy, he brings his experience and legal expertise to his role as Corporate Secretary and Legal Advisor, helping ensure the organization remains transparent, accountable, and true to its mission.

David brings more than 40 years of experience in auditing, advising, and financial oversight across both public and private sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a concentration in Accounting from a prestigious business school, and has spent his career working across employee benefit plans, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and corporate entities, with deep expertise in ERISA compliance, audit quality, and financial governance.

A recognized leader in the accounting profession, David has held national advisory roles, contributed to industry standards through AICPA committees and task forces, and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to the ERISA Advisory Council. He has also served on numerous boards and has been recognized with a Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the field.

At Eyes for Mercy, David serves as Treasurer, leading financial oversight and upholding the organization’s integrity and accountability, while ensuring strong stewardship as it grows and pursues funding to advance its mission.

Wence is an innovation leader with more than twenty years of experience helping organizations reimagine what’s possible through technology. His career spans healthcare, finance, logistics, retail, and education, where he has led transformative initiatives in AI automation, contract lifecycle management, and data strategy. What drives him most is seeing how innovation can bring clarity, efficiency, and purpose to complex systems. As the founder of multiple ventures and a trusted advisor, Wence blends technical insight with business strategy to help organizations innovate with confidence. 

He joins Eyes for Mercy’s as Strategic Advisor for Innovation & Revenue where he brings a commitment to purposeful leadership and forward-thinking innovation. He also shares his home with Mamba, a spirited rescue Jack Russell who keeps him grounded and inspired.

Dan has spent more than a decade in IT building teams centered around systems and data excellence across corporations, higher education, and nonprofits. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, combining a strong technical foundation with creative thinking. In his career, his teams have built many large scale data structures, enabling leadership at all levels to make crucial business decisions, while he leverages his background in art to synthesize new ways to present that data to end consumers.

As Strategic Advisor for Creative Intelligence & Technology at Eyes for Mercy, Dan applies his experience at the intersection of data and design to strengthen the organization’s digital foundation. He blends technical expertise with creativity to make complex information more accessible, clear and impactful, helping technology serve a mission rooted in empathy and purpose. His loyal furry companion, Beauregarde (soon to be more), often keeps him company outdoors, soaking up the beauty of nature, and making sure Dan does the same.

Taylor is a change management and brand engagement specialist with a Bachelor’s in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications, graduating cum laude. With over five years of experience helping mission-driven organizations unite around shared purpose through storytelling, strategy, and stakeholder engagement, she brings both creativity and structure to every initiative she leads.

As Director of Merchandising at Eyes for Mercy, Taylor leads the development of mission-aligned products from concept through production. She ensures consistency in quality, tone, and messaging, and partners with communications and advocacy to align merchandise with broader outreach and awareness efforts. A lifelong animal lover and devoted cat parent to Chips and Wednesday, she finds balance (and daily entertainment) in the company of her two opinionated, but endlessly loved, cats.

Derrick has spent over 15 years building digital brands from the ground up.  With both a bachelor’s and master’s in the arts, he has worked with prominent brands in the startup and healthcare landscapes. Over the years, he has built high performing teams and led strategy to help brands exceed marketing goals in consumer, B2B, and nonprofit spaces.  He is passionate about building functional organizations that deliver results.

He brings that same focus to Eyes for Mercy, where he serves as Director of Marketing & Brand Development. Derrick helps shape the organization’s public voice and visual identity, combining branding strategy and purpose to strengthen awareness and connection. He and his ever-loyal and affectionate dog Beauregarde, are often off exploring the woods, which, if you ask him, is the best part of any day.

Tana has decades of experience as a respected real estate professional known for integrity and long-standing client trust. Her work is grounded in trusted relationships and a deep connection to the community. Yet the truest throughline in her life has always been animals. She devotes significant personal time, energy, and resources to rescuing animals in need, guided by deep compassion and empathy, especially for German Shepherds.

Tana brings the same passion to Eyes for Mercy, where she serves as Director of Advocacy & Network Partnerships, driven by a strong belief in the organization’s mission. Her ability to connect people and foster lasting partnerships makes her especially effective at cultivating strong relationships across the animal protection community — working with grassroots advocates, rescue partners, and allied organizations to strengthen collaboration, alignment, and collective impact. She shares her life with her two beloved shepherds, whose loyalty and presence continue to shape her daily commitment to animal rescue.

CC is a project management leader who believes technology is most effective when it helps people and communities thrive. With more than 20 years of IT leadership across education, nonprofit, and healthcare, she has guided teams through complex initiatives with an emphasis on collaboration, trust, and effective execution. She takes a practical, solutions-oriented approach to her work and helps organizations achieve effective results. She currently serves as Director of IT Planning & Governance in healthcare, connecting daily operations with long-term goals.

Guided by her love for animals, CC also serves as Director of Strategic Project Management at Eyes for Mercy, where she leads key initiatives, aligns cross-functional efforts, and ensures projects move forward with clarity and measurable impact. At home with her rescue dog, Mamba, no day is ever too quiet…or too productive.

JJ brings over a decade of experience in software development and IT leadership, supporting mission-critical systems for some of the nation’s most established organizations. Grounded in a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, he turns complex challenges into practical solutions by building reliable systems and developing secure cloud applications. He is known for his thoughtful approach, creative instincts, and the quiet satisfaction he takes in building solutions that work, whether in complex technical systems or in hands-on mechanical and fabrication projects.

As Advisor for Systems Engineering at Eyes for Mercy, he provides guidance on the technical design and development of the tracking system. His blend of engineering and systems experience fits the needs of a system that must stay stable, secure, and ready to evolve as the mission grows. His two rescue dogs, Kona and Gabriel, make sure he stays balanced, mostly by interrupting him for pets and walks right when he needs the break he didn’t realize he needed.

Chelsea has more than 15 years of experience in technical production, project management, event operations, and audiovisual work. With a Bachelor’s in telecommunication, she developed early strengths in message development and audience engagement, refining them as she coordinated complex projects and brought clarity to fast-moving environments.

Her long-standing involvement in animal rescue, volunteering at shelters and adopting dogs from unstable or abusive situations, gives her a clear understanding of the challenges rescues face. Chelsea supports Eyes for Mercy in her role in Community Partnerships & Engagement, helping strengthen relationships with shelters and community partners while also creating social media content that brings visibility to the mission and the realities behind it. At home, she shares her life with two Shih Tzus, Josie and Charlotte, whose quirks keep her laughing and grounded in the good parts of everyday life.

Jowy began her media journey in 2017 with a self-produced pop culture podcast that sparked her love for storytelling. That spark grew into a creative path spanning Canadian short films, storytelling games, book publishing, convention appearances, and directing and producing educational projects. Along the way, she discovered that storytelling could not only entertain, but it could also educate and inspire compassion.

Today, as Content Creator Lead for a Canadian humane wildlife company, she develops media that encourages humane approaches to human–wildlife interactions. Jowy brings that same passion to her role as Social Impact Content Producer at Eyes for Mercy, developing digital campaigns that raise awareness and drive change. When she’s home, she’s joined by her dog, Izy, who’s mastered the art of persuasion and claiming the best seat in the house.

Ryan supports Eyes for Mercy as a Community Advocate. He helps with outreach by raising awareness of the organization’s work. He also supports storytelling efforts, helping ensure that the lives behind the mission are remembered, not lost to silence.

He brings a quiet compassion for animals that comes through in both his outreach and storytelling. This aligns with Eyes for Mercy’s commitment to honoring those lives and keeping their stories visible and grounded in what matters most.