Animal Place
Staff
Executive Director
Kim Sturla is the Executive Director of Animal Place and co-founded the sanctuary in 1989. She has been a central figure in the animal rights movement for 30 plus years. Sturla wrote the first law in the country that protects pre-university students unwilling to participate in animal dissections. For more than a decade, she served as director of the Peninsula Humane Society. Kim is the resident Pig Whisperer, able to communicate beautifully with even the wiliest of pigs! She shares her home and life with dogs Ralph, Marty, and Sally.
Education Staff
Marji Beach is the Education Manager for the Grass Valley sanctuary and has been with Animal Place since 2004. She earned her BS in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis. She oversees the education and outreach programs at the sanctuary, including tours, cooking classes, volunteer workshops, tabling and campaigns. She is editor of the quarterly magazine and website, and puts to good use her writing. You can see her photography of the animals here. Her favorite animal is Sadie, a black and white, shy Holstein cow. Marji is owned by a 12-yr-old pink-nosed pit bull named Mina and a 4-yr-old blue-eyed Mexi-mutt named Celeste.
Animal Care Staff
Jamie London is the Animal Care Manager for the Grass Valley sanctuary. She earned a BS in Animal Science from the University of Florida. Her background with farmed animals is immense, having spent nearly 6 years as caregiver for farmed animals at another sanctuary. She has a wealth of experience in managing farmed animals and their special care. Turkeys are her favorite sanctuary animals, but she loves them all! She lives with two dogs, Pixie and Wendal.
Cally Jones is the senior Animal Caregiver and has been with the sanctuary since December of 2005. She provides superb care to the hundreds of animals at the sanctuary. Her compassion is obvious in how she handles and interacts with the animals. From giving medicines to weekly health checks, she makes sure the critters are healthy and happy. She shares her apartment with Maxine, the cat.
Nettle is one of the dedicated animal caregivers at the sanctuary. She has a background in farmed animal and companion animal care, having spent time working for another sanctuary and a veterinary hospital. She lives with two cats, Olivia and Ramona.
Jacie Volek is a part-time animal caregiver who shares her life with a lovely house bunny.
Rescue Ranch
David Phinney is the primary animal caregiver for all animals who end up at Animal Place's Rescue Ranch facility in Vacaville.
Jacie Volek is our part-time adoption coordinator
for Animal Place's Rescue Ranch, with a primary focus on working with
egg farmers and placing chickens into good homes.
Horticulture
Greg Litus, PhD is a true renaissance man. He maintains the grounds, monitors the pastures and coordinates the proper diversion and management of our water. He is also responsible for the 4-acre organic, vegan community garden.Administration
Estelle is our part-time book keeper and donor steward.Kristin is our part-time administrative assistant.
Board Members
Dr. Ned Buyukmihci served as a faculty member at UC Davis for more than 20 years. His visionary ideals and uncompromising values often jeopardized his career as he challenged the conservative status quo of his profession. He co-founded Animal Place with Kim Sturla. Currently, he serves on Animal Place's board.
Diane Allevato
Nedim Buyukmihci, VMD
JP Novic
Marianne O'Connell
Diana Phillips, DVM
Kim Sturla
