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.
Neal Sornsen, Treasurer
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.
Chris Cavallo, Secretary
Chris was thrilled to join the Valley Humane Society Board in January 2025 after living in the Bay Area since 2000 and calling San Ramon home since 2001. Chris grew up with rescue cats and has had a lifelong love of both cats and dogs as part of her family. She and her husband, Rob, have two adult children, and an adorable rescue cat named Mocha who wears her half-Siamese personality quite well! Chris was attracted to Valley Humane Society’s mission and impressive surgery center and looks forward to giving back to the community through this amazing organization.
Chris joined Chevron Corporation in May 2016, where she serves as Assistant Secretary and Senior Managing Counsel. In this role, she provides legal counsel with respect to corporate governance, securities law, and other corporate legal matters. Prior to joining Chevron, Chris served as in-house counsel to publicly traded companies in the technology and biotechnology sectors. Chris started her career at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP. She holds a B.S.B.A. from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Chris is licensed to practice law in California, Texas, and the District of Columbia.
Gina Piper, Executive Officer
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.
Teresa Dilger, Director
Teresa Dilger is a longtime Pleasanton resident whose lifelong love of animals was inspired by her father, Dr. Russell Hackler, a beloved Castro Valley veterinarian who dedicated his career to caring for animals both large and small. Teresa grew up in her father’s veterinary practice, spending countless hours helping in the clinic, accompanying him on ranch calls, and witnessing firsthand the compassion and dedication required to care for animals and the people who love them. Dr. Hackler’s lifelong commitment to serving the community through organizations such as the Oakland Zoo, Lindsey Wildlife, Rowell Ranch Rodeo, and local spay/neuter clinics instilled in Teresa a deep appreciation for animal welfare and community service.
That passion continues today through her own family. Teresa shares her home with Malibu, a rescue dog who arrived at a shelter after the devastating Tubbs Fire, and Doc, a schnauzer who joined her family after the loss of her parents. Teresa also enjoys spending time with her daughter’s rescued cats, whose stories are daily reminders of the extraordinary impact that rescue can have on both animals and families.
Professionally, Teresa serves as Senior Vice President of Technology Business Operations at Visa. She brings extensive experience in strategic planning, governance, financial stewardship, and organizational leadership, providing a strong foundation for her service on Valley Humane Society’s Board.
After a lifetime surrounded by animals and inspired by her father’s example, joining Valley Humane’s Board in 2026 felt like a natural way to give back to the community. It allows Teresa to combine two lifelong passions—strengthening organizations and improving the lives of animals—to help ensure more pets find the loving homes they deserve.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Benita Wold, Director
Benita brings more than 15 years of tax leadership experience to Valley Humane Society’s board. She currently serves as VP of Tax at Liftoff Mobile and has held senior tax leadership roles at Twitch (an Amazon company), FibroGen, OpenTable, and IAC across the technology, biotech, and media industries.
A native of Vancouver, Canada, Benita is a CPA, CA credentialed through the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and a graduate of CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax Program. She is an active member of the Silicon Valley Tax Directors Group, the North Bay Tax Directors Group, and the Tax Executive Institute.
Benita and her family have called the Pleasanton community home since 2001. She previously served as team treasurer for the Ballistic United Soccer Club, during her son Benjamin’s club soccer career.
At home, Benita is proud mom to a recent Cal Poly graduate and married to an avid golfer. The family fondly remembers their beloved Golden Retriever, Scouty, who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge after years of unconditional love and companionship. It is Benita’s love of animals that drew her to join Valley Humane Society’s board in 2026. She enjoys supporting the incredible work the organization undertakes while giving back to the community.