BELINDA SMITH
President
Belinda is a retired Assistant District Attorney from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. She initiated the Animal Cruelty Section at the Harris County DAO in 2009 and prosecuted thousands of animal cruelty cases as Chief of the Section. She also currently serves as the Chair of the Houston Bar Association Animal Law Section.
GRACE CARTER
Vice President
Grace is currently the Host of a video series on TennisNow.com and is a Real Estate Investor. She spent many years as a TV News Anchor in Orlando and Philadelphia. Grace is an animal lover and feels very passionately about animal welfare issues. She looks forward to helping fundraise and bring awareness to the Taskforce.
CANDICE SANCHEZ
Secretary
Candice brings over 20 years of administrative and organizational experience to the board. She intends to utilize her skill set to the fullest in achieving our goal of support to F.A.C.T. and the Harris County Animal Cruelty Task Force. She is an avid animal lover and supporter, and is very excited to be part of an organization that benefits the two and four legged members of the community.
THOMAS PALERMO
Treasurer
Thomas is a CPA and partner at Desroches Partners, LLP, where he provides tax and consulting services to high net worth individuals and their related businesses. He leverages his accounting background and experience with non-profits to assist in providing resources for Paw & Order. His family are the proud owners of two wonderful rescue dogs!
ANDREA ANDRUS KIBBE
Marketing Director/Spokesperson
Andrea is the Principal of Andrus Communications, LLC, a boutique marketing communications agency serving small to mid-size clients in Houston. Andrea will utilize her expertise in marketing, public relations and brand-development to support F.A.C.T. and the Harris County Animal Cruelty Task Force.
CAROLINA VELASQUEZ-GOMEZ
Communications Director
Carolina has a background in public relations, social media, branding, marketing, community relations and media research. She is the Founder of Dog and Me Friendly Media, an upcoming online lifestyle platform for dog lovers, and she feels that participating on the Board for F.A.C.T. and supporting the Taskforce is a dream.
CHRISTIE FELIZ
Event Director
Christie is a National Account Director for BDA, LLC., the nation’s premier Merchandise Agency, focusing on strategic Sports partnerships. A proud owner of three rescue pets, she is excited to bring her passion for animals and event planning together to meaningfully support this critical cause.
VALERIE CORTEZ
Board Member
Valerie is a passionate supporter of all animals and looks forward to making a difference in the lives of animal cruelty victims in Harris County.
MARTHA MINNIS
Board Member
As a retired Harris County Prosecutor, Martha has a unique perspective on animal cruelty issues in Houston. She is glad to be on the board to help law enforcement become more effective in enforcing our animal cruelty laws as well as to assist rescues and shelters who are on the front lines of our fight to end animal cruelty.
FRAN ORTIZ
Board Member
Fran is a Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law Houston and adviser to the school’s Animal Law Clinic. She has served as chair of the ABA’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee, the State Bar of Texas Animal Law Section, and the Animal Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools.
SUZANNE HOLLIFIELD
Honorary Board Member
Suzanne was an Investigator at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and is a retired Senior Police Officer from the Houston Police Department. During her tenure at HPD, she was assigned to the Major Offenders Division and investigated hundreds of animal cruelty cases, which were ultimately prosecuted in both the State and Federal systems.
MARVEL
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