STAFF
Angie Lien, Executive Director. With a remarkable 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Angie Lien has honed her expertise to create lasting change in the world. Stepping away from a successful career in sales, she's excited to return to her passion for mission-driven work as the Executive Director of Carver Scott Humane Society. Angie's profound love for animals fuels her unwavering commitment to protect, nurture, and preserve the lives of all creatures. She believes in the incredible healing power of animals and is driven by the impact they have on human lives. Their presence alone can simply make people feel better. Angie is excited to work with the dedicated staff and Board of Directors to contribute to the continued success of Carver Scott Humane Society and elevate it to the next level. When not working, you’ll find Angie practicing or teaching yoga, hiking, biking, or golfing with her partner. Email: angie.lien@carverscotths.org
Tricia Buerke, Animal Intake and Foster Supervisor. Tricia has been in the animal welfare industry for quite some time, starting with doggy daycares and moving to shelter work. Though she went to school for her theatre passion, her passion for animals rivals that! In her free time, you can find her on film sets, writing scripts, working out with her partner or creating art. Email: tricia.buerke@carverscotths.org
Ridley Coate, Director of Communications and Development. Ridley has been in nonprofit work throughout her career, starting as a college administrative intern and growing to focus on communications and development work through the years. Ridley is passionate about building empathy through sharing stories and is excited to tell the stories of CSHS and its animals. In her free time, Ridley likes tackle home projects, explore new breweries, or stay at home and cook with her husband, Sean. Ridley and Sean have two rescue dogs, Atticus & Mabel, and a cat, Spiders. Email: ridley.coate@carverscotths.org
Simone Hatfield, Adoptions Supervisor. Simone became a volunteer with Carver Scott Humane Society in 2019 by joining our cat care team. After four years of cat care and fostering numerous dogs and cats, she realized she wanted to step into a bigger role as the Adoptions Supervisor here at Carver Scott. Simone comes with a rich history of customer service skills and is incredibly passionate about animal welfare, highlighting beneficial programs such as Fur Keeps, TNR, Lead with Love, and Adopters Welcome. She is a firm believer that every animal deserves warmth, love, compassion, and care. She hopes to continue to support CSHS and rescue as many animals as she can. In her free time, you'll find Simone in her garden planting flowers, hiking with her dog Bubba, or lounging on the couch playing video games. Email: simone.hatfield@carverscotths.org
Cam Hernandez, Animal Intake and Foster Supervisor. With a rich history of caring for animals across different animal shelters and zoological facilities, Cam brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role. Cam's passion for helping and advocating for animals is the driving force behind her work at CSHS. In her free time, Cam spends a lot of time with her partner and enjoys spending time in nature, taking hikes, or sitting out on the front porch. Cam and her partner brought home a foster cat, Hazel, just six days into working at CSHS and officially adopted her a short time later. Email: cameron.hernandez@carversotths.org
Jesse Preibe, Animal Wellness Supervisor. Picture and bio coming soon! Email: jesse.priebe@carverscotths.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carver-Scott Humane Society (CSHS) is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Executive Director reports to the Board. Board members are elected and serve two-year terms, with a three-term limit. Email: boarddirectors@carverscotths.org
Jessica Schaumburg, President. Jessica has been managing nonprofits professionally throughout her 25+ year career. Her experience in operations, management, governance and leadership of nonprofits, combined with her unwavering passion for animals, made serving on the CSHS Board of Directors the perfect match. She believes it is our responsibility to be the voice and advocate for each and every animal. She has been involved with several rescues throughout the Twin Cities and has been a CSHS Foster since 2021. She and her husband Jon had their first "foster fail" in 2023 and now have four incredible rescue animals that complete their family: a dog named Lexi and three cats named Monte, Remi and Moo. Email: jessica.schaumburg@carverscotths.org
Angela Price, Vice President. A long-time foster and volunteer for multiple Twin Cities rescues, Angela is currently the Sr. Director of Quality Assurance for DiaMedica Therapeutics. Angela always thought she was a cat person, until 2006, when a bossy stubborn pit bull stole her heart. Since then, Angela has split her time loving both cats and dogs and hopes to grow spay/neuter initiatives to relieve the pet overpopulation issue. Angela and her husband Steve live in Prior Lake and are currently parents to two senior pit bulls (Zeus and Donna) and a tenacious senior cat (Sigmund), and a CSHS foster fail cat (Betty). Email: angela.price@carverscotths.org
Nick Beck, Treasurer. As a long time dog rescuer and animal lover, Nick joined the the board in April 2023. Nick is a senior portfolio analyst on the High-Yield Fixed Income Team at Columbia Threadneedle Investments. He received a B.S. in both Finance and Accounting from Iowa State University. In addition, Nick holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Nick is an avid hockey player and likes to golf during the summer. He lives with his girlfriend and two dogs, Natalie, a shepard/retriever mix, and River, a Great Dane. Email: nick.beck@carverscotths.org
Mandy Malecek, Immediate Past President. Mandy is a long-time volunteer in the animal welfare community with a soft spot for animals with special needs. She’s worked with several local rescue organizations, in a number of leadership and board positions. She has a master’s degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration program and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance, with a minor in Economics and Human Resource Management. Together with her husband and daughter, Mandy has 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 5 chickens. Their dogs are: Guthrie, a Border Collie/Whippet mix; Etta, a pitbull; and Remmy, a German Shepherd. Their cats are Duchess, a Ragdoll, and Gilroy, a DSH. Mandy works full-time as a Senior Risk Specialist for Allina Health. She joined the board in June 2018. Email: mandy.malecek@carverscotths.org
Alyse Arras. Driven by a dedication for animal welfare and compassion for all living beings, Alyse believes every animal deserves a loving home. She graduated from Rasmussen University with Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Digital Marketing and is a Content Marketing professional at Augeo, a leader in engagement platform technologies. Alyse has a passion for raising awareness through storytelling to inspire positive change and thrives on connecting with new people and creating lasting connections. In her personal life, she enjoys cooking vegan meals alongside her partner, Ben, while showering love upon their two cherished pets, Lady Fina, bearded dragon, and Lenny, a rescue pup. Alyse joined the board in April 2023. Email: alyse.arras@carverscotths.org
Liz Grey. Passionate about people and animals, Liz brings the two together by participating in various community leadership roles. Prior to her involvement with CSHS, she served as a board member with Can Do Canines and as a leader on the advisory board of The Pack, a young professionals group at the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley. Liz is a University of Hawaii alumna with a B.B.A. in Marketing and International Business. In her current role as a Client Success Manager at Icario, Liz helps her clients drive growth and achieve their goals within the healthcare industry. She and her boyfriend are proud parents of their dog Koa, a loving Havanese runt who never leaves their sides. Liz joined the Board in June 2021. Email: liz.grey@carverscotths.org
Holly Kellar. Holly is a life-long cat companion, starting in childhood when the family cats were named after opera characters (including Fidelio, Florestan, and Pamina). When she’s not at the beck and call of current kitty Sofie, she’s working in management consulting, currently with Slalom and previously with Deloitte in Minneapolis and Zurich, Switzerland. Holly has a BA in Music from Grinnell College and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Her background is in marketing and she has served as Marketing Director/CMO for various performing arts and nonprofit organizations. She joined the CSHS board in 2023. Email: holly.kellar@carverscotths.org
Wade Sorenson. Wade Sorenson. Wade is a strong advocate for animal welfare organizations and is the Technical Product Manager for Chewy Gives Back, the philanthropic arm of Chewy.com. He has a BS in Computer Science from the University of North Dakota and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. In his free time, Wade enjoys spending time with his family, listening to jazz music and playing with his three-year old poodle mix Charlie. He joined the CSHS board in 2023. Email: wade.sorenson@carverscotths.org
Nick Winger. Nick Winger, a seasoned technology expert, currently leads as the Director of Cybersecurity at a Fortune 10 company. He is further amplifying his nerdiness by diving into a Master's program in Computer Science this fall, with a specialized focus on Machine Learning and Robotics at Georgia Tech. Nick joined the board in 2023 and is an active contributor on the Facilities Committee at Carver-Scott Humane Society. When he's working, Nick feeds his adventurous spirit by journeying across the globe, with several trips planned every year. Email: nick.winger@carverscotths.org
Dr. Steve Barghusen, Advisory Member. Dr. Steve Barghusen is a veterinarian at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic. He graduated first in his class from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and later pursued advanced training in companion animal medicine and surgery at the Cornell University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. Barghusen is a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, specializing in canine and feline practice. His professional interests include ophthalmology, internal medicine, and laser surgery. In addition to practicing veterinary medicine, Dr. Barghusen is an attorney concentrating on issues that affect pets and their people. His main legal interests include how the law views animals and how people can provide for the ongoing care of their pets via wills and trusts. Dr. Barghusen also lectures and publishes papers and articles on medical, ethical, and legal topics. Additionally, he is the proud dad of several poorly behaved cats and dogs and a very cute tree frog. Email: steve.barghusen@carverscotths.org
Brian Christiansen, Advisory Member. Brian is an attorney with Hellmuth & Johnson, where he specializes in businesses, franchises, and commercial entities. He joined the board in 2017 and has been an active and engaged contributor and currently serves as a member of the Policy Committee, which consists of both staff and board members working collaboratively to update and develop organizational policies and processes. Email: brian.christiansen@carverscotths.org
Jan Rajaratnam, Advisory Member. Janahan (Jan) is a tech guy, turned finance guy, turned back to tech guy. He did a stint working in institutional asset management for Securian Asset Management before taking the leap into full-time entrepreneurship. Jan does app and web development for startups through his company Valari Solutions. He lives with his wife and two Alaskan Malamutes in Bloomington. He is also a member of the Minnesota Alaskan Malamute Club. Jan joined the board in July 2018. Email: jan.rajaratnam@carverscotths.org