mary@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Born in Eugene, Mary Henry has been hanging around Florence off and on since 1962. She and her husband Jim live on Cleawox Lake with their OCHS alumna, a Great Pyrenees named Lettie. Now retired, Mary’s spent 40 years working with nonprofits of all sizes, raising money, planning growth, and helping generous people work together to make the world a better place. She founded a community theatre in Florence in the 1980s, studied interspecies communication with gorillas named Koko and Michael, and spent 15 years on the staff of the Oregon Humane Society in Portland.

joe@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Joe was born in Washington State and grew up in California. He and his wife Michele moved to Florence in 2000. They have always had rescue animals, caring for as many as 22 pets at one point. After their daughter graduated from Siuslaw High School, they returned to California to be closer to Joe’s family. In 2018, they lost everything in the Paradise Camp fire but were able to save all but 4 of their 19 pets. Homeless and jobless (their place of employment also burnt to the ground), they decided to return to Florence, the place they loved the most, purchasing Florence Shipping Solutions in June 2022. They continue to help animals by supporting OCHS. Every day, a cat from OCHS spends the workday at Shipping Solutions, resulting in almost 50 cat adoptions. Joe was elected to the OCHS Board in 2024. He may be late at times for meetings, but he is always there in heart and spirit, and has compassion for all for the animals they serve.

cynthia@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Born and raised in England, Cynthia and her late husband immigrated to the US in the late 1980s. She worked as a tax accountant for a small accounting association in San Diego, California, for fifteen years. In 2009, she moved to Santa Rosa, California, with her fondly remembered rescue dogs, St. Bernard Ben and chow mutt Billy, and started volunteering as a dog walker with the Humane Society of Sonoma County.  For ten years she learned from top-notch trainers and behaviorists and was introduced to the concepts of Fear Free shelters and positive reinforcement training.  She also fostered dogs for an excellent rescue organization, Compassion Without Borders, before moving to Florence, where she lives the beach life with her partner Larry and two rescue cats, Tommy and Grayson.

leslie@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Leslie Garretson started her career as a draftsman at Hughes Aircraft Co. and retired many years later from Glenair as a Senior Designer. Born in Compton, California, she now lives in Florence with her husband Eric and their rescued golden retriever Duke. The mother of two grown children and grandmother of three, Leslie is devoted to her family, both two-legged and four-legged. In her spare time, Leslie also enjoys creating watercolor paintings for the special people in her life.

shauna@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Shauna joined the OCHS Board in 2018, and has served as President, Vice President, and Secretary. She helped launch and develop the OCHS Estate Sales Team and the Holiday Store. Shauna was also a longtime Florence Area Chamber of Commerce board member and helped found a Jimmy Buffet fan club. The mother of two grown sons, she lives in Dunes City with her husband, Brian Robbers, and rescue pups Khloe the Wonder-Dog and BC Loki. She loves to fish and co-owns a boat named “Robbers Reward.” She’s run eight marathons, holds a black belt in jujitsu, and enjoys belly dancing and scuba diving.

mitzi@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Mitzi Hathaway is a Portland native who moved to Florence in 2019. She is the Director of Tourism Development for the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held for over five years. She brings extensive experience in marketing, graphic design, fundraising, office management, and event direction. A proud mom of two grown children, Mitzi is also a happy pet parent to Luna Skye, a tuxedo cat who wandered into her life on her birthday and claimed her as her forever human 11 years ago, and Finnigan Chewbacca Legolas Wood, a playful 3-year-old OCHS rescue Golden Doodle who is as fun as his name! In her free time, she enjoys outdoor adventures along the Oregon Coast and supporting local causes that fuel her passions and strengthens her community.

jan@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Jan grew up in Southern California and majored in physical education at Whittier College. Now retired from a busy career as a high school teacher and later a vice principal, she enjoyed the challenge of helping children, and occasionally parents, make better choices. She and her husband Al, also a vice principal, owned two horse ranches: one near Yosemite and the other up Highway 36 near Mapleton. Jan showed horses and won a national championship in Western Pleasure and a reserve championship in Equitation. She and Al enjoyed traveling worldwide and made many RV trips in Canada, Alaska, and Mexico. An avid golfer, Jan’s two Schipperkes, Blackberry ad Cash, are her constant companions. Jan has enjoyed meeting the board and members. She says, “What a talented group I fell into at the Humane Society!”

susan@oregoncoasthumanesociety.org

Hailing from sunny Arizona, Susan and her husband David had been vacationing in Oregon for 20 years. Four years ago, they decided to make the leap and fulfill their lifelong dream of living by the coast in Oregon. They and their three rescue dogs, Scoutie, Glenda, and Toby, packed it up and were delighted to make Florence their new home. Susan spent most of her career in real estate development and homebuilding, working in executive roles for both local and national developers. She also served on several non-profit and one governor appointed boards. She operates two small businesses remotely from her home office.