Board of Directors

Patsy Hand - President
Patsy brings to CVC her ability to organize and brainstorm ideas and to get them implemented in the community, in addition to her experience as a public speaker and working with the media, including television and radio. Patsy has worked with the local police and city council on many issues, as well as chairing several community boards and groups. Patsy has had a varied career in politics and public efforts, including that of a director of a national organization and teaching at the college level. She was raised on a ranch where she developed from the beginning a great respect and love for animals. Patsy serves on the boards of the Stray Cat Alliance and Habitat for Humanity. She has three university degrees, including a masters degree in Health and Science, and she is a professional artist and a writer of fiction. Along with two other women, Patsy recently opened a print studio and gallery, Tres Amiche. She lives in south Eugene along with three Golden Retrievers and a Persian cat.

Anne Baden - Vice President
Anne brings her experience in marketing, public relations, advertising and design to the CVC board of directors. A graduate of the University of Oregon, majoring in English and Russian Literature, Anne incorporated her business, a full-service advertising agency, Baden & Company, in 1979. With Baden & Co., Anne is involved in developing marketing plans, doing market research and implementing plans into name recognition, company branding, market positioning, logo and tag-line development, media placement and full media campaigns. Her clients include University of Oregon Admissions, University of Oregon Athletics, Sacred Heart General Hospital, Pacific Continental Bank, Trillium Health Care and many local businesses. Anne has served on the boards of the YMCA, the South Twin Lake Conservation Society and Pro-Bone-O. As president of the Pro-Bone-O board, she is committed using her considerable skills to provide veterinary care to the companion animals of people who are homeless or living below poverty levels.

Charlotte Behm - Secretary
Charlotte brings to CVC her engineering background, community leadership experience and a passion for animals. Charlotte has been on the Citizen Planning Committee (CPC) for the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park for 10 years, working to ensure that our community's protected 273 acres stays a viable habitat. As Chair of the CPC, she led the efforts to change the name of the park to honor the Kalapuyas and the placement of the Talking Stones. As a member of the Project Design team for the I-5 bridges across the Willamette River, as well as other projects, Charlotte has worked with ODOT, city staffs and politicians on building and permitting issues. Charlotte has 5 university degrees: zoology (1), engineering (3), and a Masters in Business Administration. She worked in industry and at NASA for 9 years before becoming a teacher and researcher in higher education. Charlotte has written several grants which awarded over $800,000 for projects she led and has authored 2 books. Charlotte lives in Springfield, loves working in her small yard which she has turned into a "micro farm", and totally adores her 3 cats: one who came from Greenhill Humane Society and two who were neighborhood strays.

Jennifer Cranford - Treasurer
Jennifer holds a BA in Accounting from Westminster College, Fulton, MO and is a certified public accountant. She has experience in public and private accounting. She performed tax and audit work for a regional accounting firm in Springfield, Missouri before becoming the Assistant Controller for DeLong’s Inc., a steel fabricating company, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Currently, Jennifer is the CFO at Ridgeline Management Company, a local management company of assisted living communities. Jennifer grew up in a military family moving every 3-4 years. She lived in multiple states and foreign countries including Ansbach, Germany and Izmir, Turkey. In 2005, Jennifer and her husband moved to Eugene, Oregon from Jefferson City, Missouri. They live in Eugene with their two mixed breed dogs, Wilson and Maggie. Wilson is a 14 year old terrier mix and Maggie is 13 year old beagle mix. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, & biking. Last August, she and her husband summited the South Sister!

Mick Helton
Mick has been practicing veterinary medicine in Eugene since 1978, and has
owned The Ark Veterinary Clinic since 1986. Although Mick is currently not
very involved with organized veterinary medicine, he is a past president of
LCVMA and years ago, served on the board of Greenhill Humane Society. Mick's
wife, Marilyn, is VP of patient services for Planned Parenthood of
Southwest Oregon. They have two grown sons, and have recently become proud
grandparents.

Deanna Larson
Deanna has long advocated for animals, both privately and through rescue organizations including the Feral Cat Coalition, West Coast Dog and Cat Rescue, Stray Cat Alliance and Pro-Bone-O. As a current member of the Pro-Bone-O board, she recruits continuous donations of dog and cat food from major retailers and helps coordinate the clinics that provide veterinary care for homeless clients' companion animals. Deanna has taught oil painting and drawing at Lane Community College while also promoting her own work as an artist, as well as spending many years in the business sector before retiring to pursue her third vocation -- writing. Her articles have been published in dozens of magazines including The Chronicle of the Horse, Dog & Kennel, Mother Earth News, Cats & Kittens and many more. At the present time, she is focused on a book, Menagerie Ranch: the Miracles and Mishaps of Animal Rescue. Deanna lives on a ranch with her husband, nine horses, nine dogs, eight cats, five goats, two pigs and two llamas -- many rescued.

Diane Weaver
Diane Weaver, CVT, originally from Chicago, Illinois, has been an animal advocate most of her life. She began her veterinary technician career in 1979. A volunteer vet tech with Pro-Bone-O for almost 3 years, she joined the PBO board in November of 2011. Diane works part time as a surgery technician at Emerald Valley Pet Medical Center in Eugene. She also volunteers at Lane County Animal Services and Shelter Animal Resource Alliance (S.A.R.A). As the wife of a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, she moved around the country and worked in many veterinary clinics, as well as volunteering in a variety of animal shelters along the way. She has been involved in obedience and agility training and competition with her dogs. Now, with her husband retired, she lives on a "ranch" in Elmira with 5 dogs, 4 cats, 2 horses, 2 alpaca, 2 llamas, an angora goat, 12 chickens, and her very tolerant husband. Diane has her federal & state wildlife rehabilitation permits and has volunteered at various rehabilitation facilities including Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene. When she is not caring for animals, she enjoys weaving, spinning, reading and horseback riding.

Janetta Overholser
Janetta brings to CVC her amazing ability to organize and work throughout the community to advocate for animals and to promote the need for spay /neuter programs. Janetta regularly attends the Humane Society of the United States Animal Care Expo and is constantly seeking information about programs for animals that can be used as models for Lane County. Janetta is an original founder and currently serves as President of the Humane Society of Cottage Grove, which raises funds to provide financial assistance to low income families for spay / neuter procedures, and transports homeless animals to other shelters for adoption. She participates in Overpopulation Crisis Coalition, served on the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority Task Force, and consistently gives public comment at city and county government meetings and contributes editorials and radio interviews relating to animal issues and codes. Janetta resides in Cottage Grove where over the years her home has been a respite for hundreds of cats and kittens while waiting for room at Greenhill Humane Society where they can find their ''forever'' home.

Joey Gayles
Joey has lived in the Eugene area since 1971. He has a degree in sociology and has been in the wood-working business since 1973. Joey worked for over a year in overseeing the renovation of the CVC clinic and in that time developed a strong feeling about helping the community with this project. For him, continuing with CVC as a board member is a wonderful way to give back to the community that has provided him with a great living for many years.

Katherine Oslund
Katherine Oslund has joined the CVC Board to make a contribution to the issues of animal welfare and community compassion, to help support animals and their families where need exists. She moved to the Eugene/Springfield community in 1975 after completing a BA in English and French from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Katherine worked in several professions including law library research and reference, restaurant planning, consulting and service and private catering. In 1978 she left Eugene to work for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) at Legal Aid in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In 1983, Katherine joined the staff of marketing and design firm Oslund Design Incorporated in Eugene and continues as a principal at that company working on thousands of projects for a wide range of businesses, community organizations and non-profits. She also serves as a volunteer and clinic coordinator for Pro-Bone-O. Katherine lives in the country outside of Eugene with a variety of well-loved animals.

Veterinary Advisory Committee:

Gail Schroder, DVM
Sandra Smalley, DVM
Jodi Wiktorowski, DVM
Liz Gray, DVM