Board of Directors

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Susan Hamil

Chairwoman
Acting Executive Director

  • Founding Blue Bell Director
  • BS Education, LSU
  • MA Library Science, Cal State Fullerton
  • Licensed Veterinary Technician
  • Board Member Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
  • Vice Chair American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation
  • Past Chair, Orange County Animal Shelter Advisory Board
  • Meritorious Service Award, American Bloodhound Club
  • Former President, American Bloodhound Club
  • Founding Member Bloodhounds West Rescue
  • Former General Manager, Canyon Animal Hospital, Laguna Beach
  • Owner Holiday Pet Hotel, Encinitas

Blue Bell Focus Areas: Operations, Governance, Fund Raising

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Dr. John Hamil

Secretary/Treasurer

  • Founding Blue Bell Director
  • BS Zoology, North Carolina State
  • DVM, Oklahoma State
  • Former Owner, Canyon Animal Hospital
  • Past President, California Veterinary Medical Association
  • Past Member, AVMA Animal Welfare Committee
  • Past Member, AVMA Human Animal Bond Committee
  • Hill's Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award
  • Oklahoma State School of Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award
  • American Animal Hospital Association
  • Western Region Practitioner of the Year
  • Southern California Veterinary Medical Association Don H. Mahan Memorial Award
  • Co-Author "Your Aging Cat"

Blue Bell Focus Areas: Cat Care, Lifetime Care Program, Veterinary Medicine

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Bonnie Lutz

Director

  • Attorney, Klinedinst PC
  • BS University of Massachusetts
  • JD California Western School of Law
  • Advisor State Humane Association of California
  • Chair Animal Law Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Section of the American Bar Association
  • Advisor National Canine Research Council
  • Former President, American Veterinary Medical Law Association
  • Law Practice Focus on the Representation of Veterinarians Before the California Veterinary Medical Board and the Performance of General Legal Services for Private Humane Societies and SPCAS
  • Publisher of Numerous Articles in the Pulse, California Veterinarian and Veterinary Economics
  • Orange County Bar Association

Blue Bell Focus Areas: Veterinary, Animal and Humane Society Law

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Linda Markland

  • Veterinary Relations Specialist for Nationwide Pet, Peoria, AZ
  • Pacific Veterinary Conference Committee - Chair for Practice Management Tract
  • NAVTA CE Committee Member
  • Cats in Need Volunteer
  • One of the Founding Members of the Orange County Zoological Society
  • Orange Coast College Graduate
  • Recipient of Numerous Awards, Including CVMA Outstanding RVT in Non-private Practice (2012), SCVMA Paraprofessional of the Year Award (2015), VHMA President's Award (2016), Special Recognition Award From WVC (2017), Nationwide Bravo Award (2018)

Blue Bell Focus Areas: TBD

Volunteer Leaders

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Pamela K. Knudsen

  • Business and Promotional Copywriter
  • Author, catladyinthecanyon.com
  • Subdivision Regulatory Compliance Specialist
  • Sr. Transactional Paralegal, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP
  • Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management

Blue Bell Focus Areas: Community Outreach and Public Relations

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Jeff Zakaryan

Chairman Emeritus

  • Strategic Planning Advisor
  • Founder, Global Strategies Management Consulting and CEO Coaching Practice
  • Graduate, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
  • Founder, Leadership Mentoring Program
  • Project Manager, Purr-fect Shelter Project, San Clemente

Blue Bell Focus Areas: Planned Giving & Strategic Planning