Board of Directors
Brian Joyce, Board Chair
Brian is a California native, having moved from Southern California to the Bay Area in 1995. He relocated from San Jose to Pleasanton in 2007 and currently enjoys the walk to downtown from his home. Brian currently has three cats and two dogs. He and his wife Kim have three children in Pleasanton schools and one off at college studying accounting.
Brian is a Certified Public Accountant with a degree in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach and a Masters degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He is currently the Vice President of Tax and the Treasury at Net App in Sunnyvale. Brian formerly served as the Vice President of Tax and Treasury at Blackhawk Network in Pleasanton and Vice President of Tax at Informatica Corp in Redwood city and is a former International Tax Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. He is a member of the AICPA and Cal CPA as well as an active participant at the Tax Executives Institute, The North Bay Tax Directors group, NeuGroup and LeanUp.
Brian coached baseball for Pleasanton Little League and football for Pleasanton Junior Football League for many years as his kids grew up. He formerly served as the Chairman of Tri Valley Animal Rescue and has years of experience in animal rescue here in the Tri Valley Area. Brian has always been impressed with the work done at Valley Humane Society and was excited to join the board in 2020.
Clyde Ogata, Treasurer
Growing up in Honolulu, Clyde began a lifelong journey with pets that included a dog, rabbit, mouse, as well as tropical fish, frogs, chickens, and homing pigeons. He has lived in San Ramon for nearly 20 years with his wife and three children, and they share the house with three cats from Valley Humane Society and other rescue organizations. Clyde began volunteering in VHS’s cat isolation unit in 2011, and joined the Board in November 2016.
Clyde is currently Managing Tax Counsel at Chevron Corporation’s headquarters in San Ramon, and loves his short commute time. Prior to that role, he was a Tax Planning Coordinator for Chevron’s exploration and development operations in Australia, Southern Africa, and the Middle East. He became a CPA in Hawaii and California and received his law degrees from Santa Clara University and New York University. Clyde served on the Steering Committee of Chevron’s Asian Employee Network and was Chairperson of the State Bar of California’s Corporate Tax Committee.
Susan Capello, Secretary
Susan grew up in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Biology and Business Administration, and worked in scientific research capacities with Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. and the Rorer Group, Inc. Susan received her Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law in 1989 and admitted to practice in New York in 1990. She spent several years in private practice before becoming an in-house Intellectual Property attorney. Currently Susan is a Senior Intellectual Property Counsel for Intel Corporation, with responsibilities focused on supporting HealthCare Life Science Group, Intel’s University engagements and New Technology Group, including New Device business, New Business Initiatives, Intel Labs and Perceptual Computing. As in-house counsel she has worked for Becton, Dickinson and Company; Lipid Sciences, Inc., and Connetics Corporation before joining Intel Corporation.
In 1999, Susan moved to California with her partner and their two dogs, embarking on a great, fun-filled, cross-country drive, taking photos of the dogs in all the places they stopped to sightsee. Susan has always had dogs and cats in her life. Her volunteer work began with Wildlife Education & Research Center in Morgan Hill, where she served for a few years as a member of the board of directors and ultimately as President. More recently, Susan’s volunteer work has focused on providing legal support services for veterans, assisting women-owned businesses, and assisting people through portions of the immigration process. She joined Valley Humane Society’s Board of Directors in 2019.
Kailesh Karavadra, Director
Kailesh served as the Managing Partner for EY and led EY’s Growth Market Strategy focusing on entrepreneurs, startups, VCs, Family Business, PEs and our Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) programs. Kailesh started his EY career in the UK as a Chartered Accountant 34 years ago, before moving to Silicon Valley in 1995. He left Africa as a refugee, lived in India, the UK and has traveled extensively all over the world.
Kailesh holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Electronic Engineering from Bangor University in the UK, specializing in AI, where he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in for his services to Business and community. Kailesh is a Chartered Accountant in the UK and attended Executive Management Leadership at Stanford, Harvard, London Business School and the Kellogg School of Management.
Kailesh joined the College Futures Foundation Board, was the 2022 Chair of the Board of the California Chamber of Commerce, serves on the EY Social Justice Fund Board, was on the Bangor University Council/Board, served as a board chair and member of organizations such as United Way Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Directors Exchange, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, America’s National Kidney Foundation Board and Innovation Fund. He joined Valley Humane’s Board in 2024.
Kailesh is an Angel Investor, part-owner of Luton Town Football Club, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro raising funds to build water wells that support girls staying in schools in Africa to teaching youth soccer in the slums of Mumbai. His favorite quote is, “People don’t care what you know, until they know you care.”
Gina Piper, Director
Gina has spent her entire life in Pleasanton and is very passionate about her hometown. A Foothill High School graduate, she earned her degree in Nutritional Science at Cal Poly University. Upon returning home from San Luis Obispo, Gina embarked on her successful career in real estate.
During her 21-year career she has assumed many leadership roles, including President of the Valley Marketing Association as well as President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, and she also served as Director of the Bay East Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors. Among her many accomplishments in real estate, Gina is most honored to have been voted the Best Realtor in Pleasanton from 2011 to the present by readers of the Pleasanton Weekly. Giving back to the community that has given her so much is very important to Gina. She is currently President-elect for Pleasanton North Rotary and authors the very popular local Facebook page “Living in Pleasanton,” which she developed in 2008 as a platform to help support and promote local businesses.
Her love of animals began with her first boxer, Rico, and she now shares her home with two wonderful dogs: Kodiak the boxer, or Kodi, as his friends call him, and Frankie the Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix she rescued in 2011.
Lori James Rice, Director
Well known in the community for her prolific volunteer activities, Lori James Rice brings a wealth of volunteer management, fundraising, and event planning experience to Valley Humane Society. A member of the Board of Directors since 2006, Lori guided the organization through a capital campaign and the building of our long-awaited adoption center, serving as Board Chair in 2010. In 2014, Lori stepped down from her Board role to assist as interim Volunteer Program Manager, then rejoined the board in 2015. Her term ended in 2020, and after a short break, Lori began a new term in 2021. She also volunteers in the front office and sits on the Gala committee. Among her achievements Lori lists: first woman President of Amador Valley High School’s Athletic Boosters Club and 2008 recipient of the City of Pleasanton’s Juanita Haugen Community of Character Award. Lori’s family includes her daughter Catie, son Kevin, dogs Walter and Penny, cats Julia Roberts and Gandalf, and is joined by occasional foster animals.
Jeffrey Schneider, Director
Jeffrey earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from California State University, East Bay, and his MBA in Finance from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. After spending his career focusing on corporate financial planning and operational finance, he moved to the public sector in 2017, where he manages Finance, IT, and Contract Administration for the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District.
Jeffrey currently serves on two boards: the Livermore Amador Symphony Association and Valley Humane Society, and does volunteer finance work with Special Operations – Finding Kids. He has three wonderful children and enjoys hiking, art, travel and spending time with his family and friends.
Neal Sornsen, Director
Neal Sornsen brings a blend of professional expertise, community engagement, and a profound love for animals to his role on the board of Valley Humane Society. Alongside his wife Beth, and their three sons, the Sornsen family has been a part of the Pleasanton community since 1996.
A California CPA (retired) with a Business Economics degree from U.C. Santa Barbara, Neal’s career at Ernst & Young spanned 34 years, culminating in his retirement as a Partner in 2020. His extensive experience in financial management and strategic planning provides a solid foundation for his contributions to the board.
Neal has always loved animals and he and Beth have often joked that their house was a small zoo raising boys and animals. They are currently proud pet parents to two beloved dogs, Zoe and Harley. Neal understands firsthand the importance of providing loving homes and proper care for our furry friends. In fact, both Zoe and Harley were rescue dogs; Harley, his mixed breed rescue, holds a special place in Neal’s heart as she was adopted from Valley Humane Society.
Growing up surrounded by animals, Neal’s passion for animal welfare has deep roots. He joined Valley Humane Society’s board in 2024, eager to leverage his skills and experiences to further the organization’s mission of promoting the well-being of animals and strengthening the human-animal bond in the community. Neal’s unwavering dedication, coupled with his financial acumen and genuine love for animals, makes him a valuable asset to the board, driving positive change and making a lasting impact on the lives of both pets and people alike.
Penelope Tamm, Director
Penelope is a native of California, growing up in San Jose and moving to Pleasanton in 1987. Penelope has a BA in Psychology from CSU Fresno and a MA in Psychology from Santa Clara University and she is a licensed MFT. She recently retired from the City of Pleasanton after serving her community for over 30 years. In her position with the city, she was fortunate to work, in cooperation, with organizations such as PUSD and Pleasanton Downtown Association to support a variety of community events.
Penelope has had animals since childhood varying from dogs, cats, rabbits and a chicken. Currently, she has two rescue dogs, Zack and Calli. Her love for animals stems from her belief that animals enhance our lives and complete our families. Penelope spends her time reading, traveling, and taking photos everywhere she goes.
Lindsay Tang, Director
After earning her J.D. from Northwestern University, Lindsay began her career in-house at Oracle where she had a broad international corporate governance practice. She then practiced at national law firms in Silicon Valley, counseling clients on intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions. In her current role as General Counsel of the SF SPCA, Lindsay applies her corporate experience by handling governance issues and working directly with the SF SPCA Board of Directors. She also handles contracts, litigation, trust and estate matters, and provides pro bono legal advice to other California shelters and rescues.
Lindsay has nine dogs (six with special needs) and several small pets. In addition to rescuing animals, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and studying foreign languages.
Heidi White, Director
Heidi has had a special bond with animals her entire life, having grown up with dogs from the day she was born. A Pleasanton resident since the late ‘90s, Heidi is mom to several fur babies (Murphy, Sheldon, Savvy) along with two sons who have grown up in the Pleasanton School District. She was first introduced to Valley Humane Society (VHS) when her sons were involved in the Paws to Read program and later adopted a kitten from VHS along with a dog from another Bay Area rescue organization. For the past several years, Heidi and her therapy dog Murphy, have served as a Canine Comfort team bringing stress relief to K-12 students at schools throughout the Tri-Valley.
Heidi brings more than 25 years of strategic marketing communications, issues/reputation/crisis management and CSR/social impact experience to Valley Humane Society. She currently serves as Senior Vice President for Fineman PR, a Bay Area public relations and marketing agency, and has worked with national and regional consumer brands on marketing communications campaigns, product launches, events, and social impact and cause related programming. She is particularly proud of her work directing mutually beneficial public, private, NGO partnerships to address key social issues including hunger, education, economic development, animal welfare and sustainability. Heidi joined the board of directors in 2021 and serves in an advisory capacity to other non-profit organizations.
Julie Wolfe, Director
Julie is very happy to call Livermore, California, home. She and her husband, Nathan, two children, and rescued dog and cats relocated to California from Columbus, Ohio, in 2012. Julie loves to meet new people (and their dogs) and over the last decade has built a strong network in the Bay Area. She is an alto with the Valley Concert Chorale, has been the Gala Coordinator for a number of years with the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, and enjoyed being the manager of her son’s indoor soccer team. Julie has two children, Clayton and Parker. She grew up in Jamestown, New York, and graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a B.A. in Journalism and minors in Public Relations and English.
Julie is currently the Senior Manager for Revenue Enablement at Glassdoor. Her career has been focused on sales and marketing in the Northwest and includes roles at Kaplan Education, and The Ohio State University.
Julie is passionate about animal welfare, particularly connecting animals and people. She and her rescued black lab, Toby, were members of Therapy Dogs International and visited nursing homes together with her daughter. The family’s current dog, Henry, is a rescued blue Doberman who lives to fetch and is Julie’s daily walking partner. Much like Julie, Jasper, their stray Bombay cat, has never met a stranger and loves the sunshine. Julie was thrilled to join the Board at Valley Humane Society and be part of the organization’s mission.