CHS Staff

Meet our incredible team!

Claira Belle

Aria Davis

Assistant Manager

Volunteer Coordinator

Claira was born in Traverse City, but spent her teen years in California, before returning to Michigan for her senior year of high school. While in California she discovered her passion for active engagement in being a voice for the voiceless, and a desire to contribute to genuine compassionate and educated change. She has a history of working in the field of advocating for survivors of domestic violence, working in addiction treatment, as well as in home healthcare. Claira has always dreamed of broadening her work towards the realm of animals, anyone who knows her is well aware of her immense love and passion for all the critters. She credits her love of animals to her Mom, who while raising her and her two brothers frequently rehabilitated animals of all shapes, sizes, and needs.
She spends her free time exploring the natural wonders of Michigan with her toddler-aged son. She has an extensive history with creative art and writing, which she is so proud to see her son grow a love for as well. When she is not caught with a sticky hand holding hers, or a paint brush or pen between her fingers; she can be found exploring the various restaurants and you pick farms with her boyfriend and family.

Aria was born and raised in the Ann Arbor Area before moving to TC! She has a life-long love of animals big and small, and knows that oftentimes taking care of animals means taking care of people as well. She’s done it all, veterinary receptionist, museum docent, activities director in a nursing home, after-school science teacher, and wherever she goes she has a passion for advocating for those who struggle to speak for themselves. She knows first and foremost how important volunteers are, and she’s excited to help them thrive! When not working, she’s usually involved in a production at the Old Town Playhouse, reading a good book, or explaining the plot of a tv show to her two cats (they’re uninterested).
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Laurel has been on staff at CHS since 2009. Her job consists of managing donor software program, is responsible for acknowledging donor contributions and handling end of day bookkeeping keeping her busy! Although she dearly loves both cats and dogs, she has a real place in her heart for dogs. She and her husband have one dog who is very spoiled and loved very much.

Born and raised in Suttons Bay, Connor has always shared his home with animals and now lives with his two dogs, two cats and two children. A foodie at heart, he loves cooking, traveling for great eats, and staying active at the gym. In his downtime, you’ll find him snuggled up with his pets (and his wife!) watching scary movies.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Naomi Pobuda

Esther Simon

Communication & Marketing Manager
and Outreach Coordinator

Adoption Specialist & Animal Welfare Technician

A mother of seven children – two human and five furry, Naomi joined the CHS team with a passion for all. She loves camping with her husband and kiddos, cooking, eating and traveling to expand her worldview. With a bachelor’s degree from Hope College and nonprofit marketing experience, she is determined to be a strong advocate for all of the animals at CHS.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Esther has loved animals for as long as she can remember. She grew up in South Haven with childhood cats, and after they passed away, she began fostering and volunteering in their honor—an experience that eventually led her back to school to earn her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Michigan State University (Go Green!).
While in school, Esther worked as a shift supervisor at a pet store and as a pet sitter/dog walker, all while gaining hands-on experience with a wide range of animals —including companion animals, farm animals, and a study abroad program rewilding cheetahs in South Africa.
At home, she’s happily outnumbered by three boys - her husband, her golden retriever and cat. When she’s not at the shelter, Esther loves crafting cat toys, exploring northern Michigan, and taking her dog to the beach for endless rounds of fetch.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Medical Manager & Animal Welfare Technician

Christa was born and raised in the Detroit area and has always had a passion for animals. She manages the medical program at CHS and loves being able to play a part in helping animals in need find their forever home. Prior to joining the CHS team she spent many years riding, training, and working with rescue horses out west. She eventually found her way back to Michigan and up to Traverse City in 2018, where she now lives with her partner, their rescue dogs, and their kitty cat. When she's not working, Christa enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, and gardening.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Behavior & Training Supervisor, CPDT-KA, ADT

Emma has been an animal lover all her life. She rode horses as a girl and even taught her goldfish tricks. She attended Michigan State University to further her passion by getting a degree in Zoology, with an emphasis in zoo and aquarium science. She joined the CHS team in 2017 where she began to pursue her passion in animal behavior. Emma is an Accredited Dog Trainer from the International Association of Behavior Consultants (IAABC-ADT) as well as being Fear Free Shelter Certified. Currently she is the lead trainer at CHS, working with both animals in the shelter, and with adopted pets. She is also the proud parent of a very large, fluffy husky who keeps her on her toes!
IAABC Shelter Affiliate
Fear Free Shelter Certified
B.S. Zoology

Floor Supervisor and Animal Welfare Specialist

Rebecca Fry

Gina Guerriere

Animal Welfare Technician & Foster Coordinator

Rebecca was born and raised in Traverse City. She attended Northwestern Michigan College and joined the CHS team in October of 2016. Rebecca loves working at CHS and says her favorite thing is helping the animals find their “purr”-manent homes!
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Gina was born in Bethlehem, PA, but has lived all across the country in Pennsylvania, New York, and most recently Sacramento, CA. In California, she worked for 5 years at the Sacramento SPCA starting as an adoption counselor. She has her degree in Theatre - Stage Management and was able to put these skills to use as the Sacramento SPCA’s Special Events Coordinator putting on fun events to raise money for the animals. Even though her degree is in theatre, her passion has always been for animal welfare. As a child, she would tell people that she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up and instead of watching cartoons, she would often be found watching the Animal Planet. She grew up with hamsters, fish, a guinea pig, and a sweet family dog named Sadie. Now her family consists of 2 awesome American Bullies, 2 cats, a sassy bearded dragon, and of course her fiance. Along with her main crew, she will often be found with neonatal foster kittens and she has a soft spot in her heart for the harder medical cases. She is excited to bring this experience to her role and spread the message that fostering saves lives!
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Jane Duverney

Melissa Veasey

Animal Welfare Technician

Jane previously worked in the dental field. First, as a dental assistant, then as a laboratory technician after earning and AAS in Dental Laboratory Technology. She retired in 2013 after 30 years in the dental field. Jane has been a life long lover of animals, having had horses, dogs, cats, birds and even a tarantula. She started as a volunteer for several years and is now delighted to be an official part of the CHS team!
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Melissa moved to Traverse City in 2016 and enjoys the TC summers by hiking, kayaking, and paddle boarding. She has worked as a Medical Assistant since 2007 and in 2020 began fostering & volunteering with CHS. Lily, a CHS alumni, had the pleasure of living with Melissa until she found her forever home! Melissa showed Lily endless love, deaf dog training, and how to play with all the bubbles. Now Melissa uses her talents to help care for the pets at CHS, how lucky are we!
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Animal Welfare Technician

Ryann Vanderheide

Austin Reiber

Veterinary Technician

Austin was born in Ohio, raised in Florida - which is where he discovered his love for the outdoors, skateboarding, hiking and kayaking. After many years of working retail and with a Bachelor's Degree from Graceland University, he realized he wanted to work in a field where he could care for animals. Austin and his wife have two dogs and two cats. His favorite thing is to help the nervous dogs at our shelter become happy and confident.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Ryann has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2003 and has worked in small animal practice up until 2020. In 2020 she joined the Cherryland Humane Society and has loved it ever since. She is very passionate about advocating for the animals' health, safety and wellbeing; it is one of the most rewarding jobs she have ever had as an LVT. Ryann lives in Traverse City with her husband, 16 year old son, 2 kitty fur babes and 3 dog fur babes. They love boating, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors, especially here in Traverse City.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Terrell Bickle

Sophia Jozwiak

Animal Welfare Technician & Adoption Specialist

Born and raised in Northern Michigan, Terrell developed a love for animals and the outdoors at an early age. Much of Terrell’s childhood was spent exploring the forests and waterways of Northern Michigan and helping injured, lost, and abandoned wildlife and domesticated animals whenever possible. That passion eventually led Terrell to work in invasive species management and wildlife habitat rehabilitation across Michigan state parks before his time at CHS.

Outside of work, Terrell enjoys hiking, camping, boating, tubing, and taking in the natural beauty and wildlife that make Northern Michigan home. Terrell also enjoys listening to music, collecting records, and spending time with his family and pets. Terrell’s lifelong connection with animals and the outdoors has fostered a strong passion for caring for animals and protecting the environment we all share.

Sophia was born and raised in Traverse City and has always had a love for animals. From catching moths in the backyard to watching the cows at Moomer’s, she’s always wanted a pet of her own. As a recent graduate of Purdue, she started volunteering at the shelter and fell in love with the animals, people, and atmosphere. Now she gets to love and take care of so many dogs and cats and help them find their forever home! Her favorite part is seeing the more fearful animals start to recognize her as a friend. Outside of the shelter, Sophia enjoys water coloring and being in nature (especially around a nice water feature).

Dr. Kayla Brunner

Veterinarian

Amy Bennetts

Veterinary Technician

Dr. Kayla Brunner is originally from California, where she attended veterinary school at the University of California, Davis. She moved to Michigan with her family in 2019, and started working at Cherryland Humane Society after helping care for the Disney Dogs in 2022. She is passionate about providing excellent care for pets at CHS so they're ready to find their forever families!
Dr. Brunner also enjoys spending time outdoors in Leelanau County with her husband and three daughters and their very silly American Bulldog and spicy long-haired cat.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Amy is a native to northern Michigan and currently lives in Traverse City with her husband, daughter and 4 fur babies, 2 dogs and 2 cats. She has been working with animals as a vet technician since 2009 and has always had a passion for animal care. She joined the medical team at CHS in 2022 and loves how rewarding it has been to help animals in need! Outside of work, she enjoys hiking with her dogs, boating, traveling and spending time with her large extended family.

Tia Barbera

Heidi Yates

Shelter Animal Welfare & Behavior Manager

Executive Director

As a Traverse City native, Tia spends most of her time with her three rescue pups exploring Northern Michigan. She loves traveling with her husband, creating art, and spending time in nature. Tia joined the CHS Team in 2016 after graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in Zoology, Animal Behavior and Neurology. Behavior is a passion that has led Tia to spearhead CHS's behavior, training, and enrichment programs. Tia wishes to change the mindset of “pets are property” into pets are sentient beings that deserve guardianship, protection, education, and advocacy.
IAABC Shelter Behavior Certified
Fear Free Shelter Certified
B.S. Zoology, Animal Behavior and Neurology

Heidi has been with CHS since 2015. Previously, she was the Executive Director at Harbor Humane Society and The Humane Society of Muskegon County. Heidi has been involved in animal welfare since 2000. She holds a BA in Business Administration from Western Michigan University. She enjoys spending time with her two rescued pit bulls, cat and horse.
Fear Free Shelter Certified

Connor Pobuda

Laurel Couturier

Donation Specialist

Fund Development Specialist

Emma Openlander

Christa Trudo