Key Staff
Megan Flowers Executive Director
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Megan grew up on the California and Oregon coast, attending college in Portland. She spent ten years working for a civil rights non-profit in Texas and Washington, focused on programming and development, and is happy to return home to Oregon. Megan has also volunteered for horseback riding therapy organizations and Trap Neuter Release programs. At Sanctuary One, she is excited to blend her professional and volunteer passions together.
Janelle Whitfield Program Manager
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Janelle worked for the UC Davis Health System in a medical residency program for 13 years as the program assistant and curriculum coordinator. Janelle grew up with a love and curiosity for all animals and living things. She owned and showed several horses for many years, and worked as a zookeeper aide at the Fresno Chafee Zoo where she worked with elephants, a rhino, orangutans, sea lions, an anteater, hippo, and several other species. She has also worked as a vet tech at an exotic animal hospital. In her spare time, she loves to garden, raise succulents, craft, hike, watersports, and spend time with her husband, and rescue dog, Beau. Sanctuary One is her “dream job” and she looks forward to building relationships with the animals and humans at the farm!
Liz Walton Office Manager
Liz grew up in Southern California; she and her husband moved to the Rogue Valley in 2019 for his new job. She was a teacher for 26 years, in elementary grades, high school biology, and middle school science, and just recently retired from education. Liz started volunteering at Sanctuary One shortly after moving to the valley, and volunteered at a rescue ranch back in Southern California where she fostered a rescue horse. Liz loves hiking and paddleboarding with their Golden Retriever, Bowie. She also enjoys playing tennis, and exploring Southern Oregon with her husband, Bill. Liz is excited to join the Sanctuary One staff where she can help this organization that she has grown to love.
Colleen Avery Animal Care Manager
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Colleen has lived in Southern Oregon for the past 8 years. Before settling in the area she spent time in California, Colorado, and Montana with her husband Wade. Colleen has an Equine Degree as well as a Bachelor Degree in Sociology. She loves spending time outdoors, riding her horse Ike, hiking with her 3 dogs, and is very active in rescuing and rehoming Australian Cattle Dogs. She recently adopted Sassafras, the miniature horse, from Sanctuary One.
Cody Wettenbone Farm Operation Assistant
Cody has a long history with Sanctuary One. As a middle school student he was part of a regular service learning team who helped with the animals and gardens. Cody is excited to return to Sanctuary One as a vital member of the crew. His favorite friends on the farm are Pippa the pig and Gumball the pig, who always inspects Cody’s irrigation work in the pond pasture.
Sanctuary One also relies on invaluable interns and volunteers to run our day-to-day operations. Apply to become a volunteer or intern.
Board of Directors
Lynae Williams President
Lynae was born and raised in southern Oregon. After spending several years after high school in Eugene, OR, Los Angeles, CA, and Portland, OR, she returned to the Rogue Valley to continue her career in banking. Lynae received an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and went on to earn a BA in Accounting from the University of Oregon. Lynae is passionate about sustainable living and enjoys gardening, hiking, art/sewing, and golfing in her free time. She has two cats, Grace and Bowie, which she adopted as kittens in 2018.
Ryan Pfeil Vice President
Ryan grew up in Colorado before moving to the Rogue Valley in 2002, when he began attending college at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He graduated from SOU with honors in 2006, worked in rental car for a year, then began a career in journalism that lasted nearly 15 years, with more than four years at the Klamath Falls Herald & News and more than 10 at the Medford Mail Tribune. He currently produces videos for the Jackson County Library District’s marketing department. When not working, Ryan enjoys playing hobby board games, writing, and running.
Lisa Marie Ottoson Treasurer
Lisa was born in Seattle, WA, and has lived primarily in the Puget Sound region. Raised in the country, her family raised cattle while she rode her horse and showed her dog in 4H. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Business Administration and worked in finance and banking throughout her career. More recently she worked in a multi family office, managing assets for ultra high net worth families before consulting on her own. She moved to Grants Pass, OR in late 2019, with her fiancé, Ryan.
Leslie Miller Secretary
Leslie was born & raised in San Francisco Calif. She worked in Corporate America for 35 years; received Certification in Information System Technologies from UC Berkeley & Project Management Certification from Pacific Bell. She pursued her love for dogs & cats by working as a veterinary technician at Bay Area Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Walnut Creek, Ca. for 8 years. Leslie moved to Rogue River, Oregon in 2018, settling on 2 acres with dogs, cats & goats. She found Sanctuary One after losing one of their goats to respiratory failure. After adopted 3 goats in Nov 2019, Leslie became a volunteer Spring 2020. Her spare time is spent working in her garden and caring for their dogs, cats, goats & chickens.
Thomas Eckert
Tom was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been a Southern Oregon resident since 1989. Tom holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Parks and Recreation from San Jose State University and a Master of Science Degree in Education from Southern Oregon University. Tom was a Special Education Teacher for 27 years in the Southern Oregon region. He loves working with students, and animals, especially dogs. He enjoys the outdoors, cooking, baking bread, and collecting fine wine. Tom is also a volunteer at the care farm along with his wife Annette.
Brigitte Nickel
Brigitte is originally from Hawaii, but considers the Pacific Northwest her home after over twenty years in the area. Brigitte earned her Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from Portland State University and a MBA from Southern Oregon University. In grad school, Brigitte was the nineteenth intern at Sanctuary One and assisted the executive director with in-depth research on various projects. After graduating, she remained a proud advocate of the organization; this is her second time being on the board. When not working or volunteering, Brigitte enjoys traveling, cooking, outdoor adventures, and encouraging others to get more involved in our community.
Dawn Townsend
Dawn was born and raised in Medford, OR. She grew up raising and showing Arabian horses with her parents. Being an only child, her dogs and horses were her siblings. She received a BS degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Southern Oregon University. She has accounting experience in retail, manufacturing, wholesale and governmental industries. Dawn and her husband enjoy spending time with their dogs and gardening at their home in Rogue River, OR.
Advisory Board Members (listed alphabetically)
Sanctuary One’s advisory board members support our staff and board of directors by providing free or reduced-cost expert advice as needed.
Lloyd Matthew Haines Attorney-at-Law, Property Development
Lloyd moved to Ashland, Oregon in 1983, and after a brief stint running a restaurant, began developing and redeveloping property in southern Oregon. Prior to that, he practiced law in Livermore, California with Haines & Walker after receiving his law degree from Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. A New York City native, Lloyd’s interest in restoring historic structures and beautifying Ashland by creating interesting and art-filled spaces has included ventures such as the Bluebird Park, the Shasta Building, the Ashland Creek Building, condominiums, and various public arts projects, including the “We are Here” sculpture (2006), and the Ashland Creek Art Walk (2007). Lloyd’s current passion is the development of the Sanctuary. Lloyd is the “father” of two dogs and two cats, and “godfather” to all of the Sanctuary’s animals.
Jeff Judkins, DVM Veterinary Care
Dr. Judkins owns and operates Animalkind Holistic Veterinary Clinic in Jacksonville, Oregon. His practice focuses on a blend of herbal and nutritional medicine with acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy and cold laser therapy to treat disease states from their energetic root causes. Dr. Judkins is also President of the Rogue Valley Veterinary Medical Association. As an Advisory Board member for Sanctuary One he often lends his expertise in holistic medicine and donates his time for our more difficult medical cases. Dr. Judkins can be reached by calling 541.702.2288 or by emailing drj@animalkindvet.com.
