Leadership

Amy Mills is passionate about solving tough social problems, both professionally and through service as a board member, volunteer, and consultant to non-profits. Since 2006, Amy has served as CEO of Emancipet, a non-profit building a national affordable veterinary care system to serve the underserved. Under her leadership, Emancipet has opened several low-cost pet health clinics in five cities – Austin, Pflugerville, Killeen, and Houston, Texas and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and launched a national social change training program. Emancipet’s low-cost clinics provide care to over 200,000 pets living in underserved areas every year, keeping those pets healthy, happy, and safe with their families.

Kiyomi joined the Emancipet team in 2017. She focuses on strategies for growth and leads the Data Analytics team. Prior to joining Emancipet, she spent 8 years supporting social sector growth through roles in impact investing, non-profit/social enterprise, and international development. This was a pretty big change from where she began her career – in private sector finance. Kiyomi holds degrees from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and the University of Miami. She also serves on the Board of Capacity Catalyst and The New Philanthropists. She loves spending time with her family, including her 2 pups, and is passionate about creating equity of opportunity for everyone with dignity.

Myles joined Emancipet in January of 2013 to work alongside a passionate team of animal advocates helping people to help their pets. He believes that in the world of animal welfare, loving animals is important, however, it’s loving people that is imperative. With more than a decade of working in clinics and shelters across the U.S., Myles has deep expertise in clinic operations, organizational culture, and strategies for creating social change. Day to day, Myles provides support to Emancipet’s growing network of clinics, helping them to meet stringent quality standards, advance the mission and uphold Emancipet’s core values. He envisions a future where veterinary care is accessible to all, so that people and their pets can stay together.

Rabecca Cross’ career has focused on meeting the legal and business needs of initiatives that serve low-income families and animals, and at Emancipet she focuses on making veterinary care affordable and accessible for everyone in the greater Austin area. She was previously with the Michelson Found Animals Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and sits on the board of directors of I Live Here I Give Here. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Rabecca also has a master’s degree in social theory and an executive MBA.

Jenna came to Emancipet from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania where she was their Director of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Initiatives. She currently serves on the board of directors of two international, social justice nonprofits: Corporate Accountability Lab and Free Migration Project. She co-founded The Natalwork, a nationwide networking group for family care practitioners and families, and has worked as a fundraising and communications consultant for nonprofits nationally. Jenna graduated with her Masters in Law & Social Policy and Masters in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College and currently lives in Philadelphia with her partner, stepdaughter, and their goofy doodle.

Dr. Holly Putnam is a 2003 graduate of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. After 6 years of private practice in NY State, she relocated to Austin, TX, and joined Emancipet as a spay/neuter surgeon, later moved back to NY State to join the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University and – in 2019 – returned to Austin and to Emancipet to serve as Chief Medical Officer. In that role, Dr. Putnam oversees all medical and surgical protocols and supervises the Clinic Operations team. Outside of work, Dr. Putnam enjoys spending quality time with her husband, two daughters, and their menagerie of pets.

Hugh joined the Emancipet team in November of 2021, and brings over 30 years of senior and executive-level HR leadership, across six different industries. A lifelong lover of animals, he was moved by the vision, mission, and core tenets of the company. His primary focus is on providing strategic HR leadership in the areas of talent acquisition, people management, employee development, and compensation. While the non-profit space presents a unique set of challenges, he is excited about the company’s potential for exponential growth on a national level, which will result in countless numbers of families being able to provide quality veterinary care to their pets. Although a native of Austin, Texas (longhorn country), Hugh is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in political science and currently resides in Missouri City where he enjoys spending time with his family.

B.J. believes that people are the solution and not the problem – and has spent his career working to build community solutions to address community challenges. Whether fundraising for multiple sclerosis as a child, advocating for LGBTQ+ equality as a young professional or serving as an animal welfare executive for more than 16 years, B.J. is a lifelong learner and optimist. He joined Emancipet in 2018 and has guided a variety of efforts since then, including fundraising, marketing, PR, and Emancipet’s Resource Center. In his current role, B.J. leads Emancipet’s consulting and training services and assists in the design and implementation of the organization’s leadership development and healthy culture initiatives. Twice a nonprofit CEO, and a longtime educator, B.J. is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, a Certified Dialogue Education Teacher, and earned an Executive Education Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Divya joined Emancipet in 2022 and comes to us with a background in hospitality, sales, and events. She is a graduate of The University of Texas and is a proud Longhorn. Her career has been focused on relationship building and service. She is a fitness enthusiast who loves spending time at home with her family which includes 4 cats and 1 dog.

Angelita Sampaio joined Emancipet in January 2019. She has a background in oil and gas, Spanish-language television production, international healthcare program management, and foreign government trade development. Angelita is actively involved with local animal welfare organizations and efforts like Rescued Pets Movement (a group she has fostered over 275+ dogs for), The Empty Shelter Project, Big Fix Houston, and serves on the Board of Unity for a Solution. She loves spending her time with her 3 rescue dogs. Angelita holds her undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico and her MBA in Leadership Management from Adams State University.

Derik Comalli joined the Emancipet team in 2022 after previously serving as the General Manager of the Racquet Club of Philadelphia and as the Executive Director of its non-profit foundation. Derik led the Racquet Club to two Platinum Club of America designations and created a partnership with SquashSmarts to develop an intensive summer squash program for local public school children. Derik graduated with his Master’s in Business Administration from Drexel University and lives in South Philadelphia with his wife, infant son, and their two canine rescues. He is an avid animal lover who genuinely believes that pets make our lives better.

Lindsay Box comes from the human healthcare industry, licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor. She has been working in the healthcare industry for the last 12 years, in clinics, a barn, hospitals, and inpatient facilities, through direct-care and supervisor roles. Lindsay has spent the majority of her career working with nonprofit organizations and has enormous interest and experience in animal-assisted therapies – with equine, dog, and cat partners. She offers expertise in supporting clinic service provision and program & people development. What is so cool about Lindsay being in this role, (aside from her sparkling personality) is that as we continue to elevate the standard of care in our clinics, her background in human mental health will bring a whole new lens and set of tools to our teams! Lindsay has 2 wild human animals, a black lab and Russian Blue.

Amy Henson specializes in marketing great causes and purpose-driven companies. She loves scaling fundraising success, digital marketing for good, and helping people put their money where their heart is. She has driven creative marketing and funding strategies for nonprofits, sustainable brands, and universities and has served as an adjunct professor teaching marketing insights for tech professionals. Amy is based in Austin, TX where she lives with her partner and two high-energy scruff-muffins, Briggs and Goose.

Dr. Virginia (Ginny) Mulé is a 2017 graduate of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has always had a passion for animals, public service, and education, from interning at a marine mammal and sea turtle rescue to attending volunteer (human) medical brigades with her undergraduate classmates, to volunteering at a wild bird rehabilitation and release center after graduating veterinary school. She joined Emancipet in 2019 as a staff vet in Pflugerville and found a new passion in the access-to-care movement. Before accepting her current role, she served as Lead Vet of the East Austin Clinic, and she has been enjoying the challenges associated with leadership and operational roles.

Kate joined the Emanci-fam in 2019. She works with an amazing team to grow Emancipet’s inclusive veterinary blueprint in new markets and deepen our fan network in the cities we already call home. Prior to joining Emancipet, she spent several years in the moving and energy sectors focusing on digital marketing, specifically SEO and PPC, conducting website, sales, and ROI analysis. It was a dream come true to be able to marry her marketing experience and ambitions with the mission of Emancipet. Kate received her BBA from The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas and is currently working on her Masters of Science in Animal Welfare and Behavior at The University of Pennsylvania. She’s excited to be a part of the accessible veterinary movement and work with the kindest people in the business to make the world a better place for our four (sometimes three) legged companions.