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As executive director of Better Together Animal Alliance (Formally, Panhandle Animal Shelter) and the Home To Home™ network, Mandy Evans sees a world where people are inherently good and where animal welfare advocates work upstream to help people care for their animals. She believes in giving humans the benefit of the doubt, removing the “shame barrier”, and shifting organizations away from transactional approaches to ones committed to supporting both sides of the human-animal bond. Thanks to this philosophy, Mandy and her team have increased the number of animals assisted by over 500%, reduced length of stay in the shelter by 77 percent, and reduced owner surrenders by 33 percent. She hosts the podcast People are Animals Too, Darn It; consults with shelters throughout the nation; and is a speaker sharing the importance of a no-shame culture and how it can translate into all areas of our lives.

Melanie has worked in both for-profit and non-profit environments, including 11 years of corporate and small business management. As manager of the traffic safety department for the California State Automobile Association, Melanie worked to develop education and outreach programs and build volunteer coalitions. She was also instrumental in governmental affairs activities, facilitating effective marketing outreach programs, and screening non-profit funding requests. Melanie opened Murphy’s Paw, a retail store in downtown Pleasanton selling dog and cat supplies in 2007. During the four years she owned the store, Melanie created strong brand recognition and great community support, which she passed along to the new owners in late 2011. Melanie’s excellent relationship-building skills coupled with her marketing and public relations experience have allowed VHS to step out of the shadows and become a more visible animal welfare leader within the TriValley region. Melanie’s dedication to supporting the community was recognized in 2016 when she received the TriValley Hero Award for her Community Spirit.

As Director of Education, Lisa works closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and manages the day-to-day activities of Maddie® University. She also manages, mentors and coaches Maddie University employees while overseeing the management of programs and projects.

Lisa comes to Maddie's Fund® with 30 years of experience as an educator in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, where her career started in 1987. She has served in positions from being a teacher, middle school principal and recently as the Director of Student Services. She has dedicated her life to education and feels it is the foundation for change and growth in the world and is extremely excited to carry on the work in education with Maddie's Fund.

Lisa holds a two Masters Degrees, one in Educational Leadership, and one in Athletic Administration, along with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation all from Saint Mary's College, Moraga, California. During her undergraduate time at Saint Mary's College, Lisa also competed in Intercollegiate athletics and has been named into the Saint Mary's college Hall of Fame. She lives in the East Bay with her husband, two daughters and two rescues, a labradoodle mix, Thunder, and a lab-mix, Lightning. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, sporting activities, and hikes with the dogs.