Our Staff
We recognize the importance of strengthening our roots so we can continue to grow our branches, and our staff helps us do that.
Katrina Weschler
Executive Director
Katrina holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology with a certificate in Markets & Management from Duke University. While working towards her masters degree from the LEAP Institute at Colorado State University in 2018, she started volunteering with The Street Dog Coalition and quickly became invested in its mission and vision. She has put her 15+ years of nonprofit management experience to work building SDC’s organizational infrastructure and has enjoyed helping SDC grow into a national nonprofit with teams in 60+ cities from coast to coast. In addition to SDC’s core values (unconditional love, unbridled collaboration, compassionate activism, and trust), Katrina identifies with the servant leadership style and family-style dining. She is also the proud dog mom of Ferdinand and Hammie, aka FerdnHam.
Hilary Wheeler, DVM
Medical Director
Practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1998, Dr. Wheeler's focus is on improving animal healthcare options, with an emphasis on wellness, pain management and strengthening the human-animal bond. She received a B.A. in Biology from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University. She completed her IVAS certification in veterinary acupuncture in 2006. In 2016 she became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. Dr. Wheeler also has a full house. She is married with two children (now teens!), two rescued dogs and two rescued cats. Despite her busy schedule, Dr. Wheeler enjoys volunteering in the community and working closely with rescue groups such as The Dancing Cat and Humane Society Silicon Valley. She is proud to be the Medical Director for The Street Dog Coalition, in addition to SDC’s Bay Area Team Lead.
Daria Tavana
Development Director
Daria is a human-animal rights activist with 13+ years of experience in digital fundraising, donor relations, special events, and grant writing. She has raised millions of dollars for nonprofits that advocate on behalf of animal protection, environmental justice, and other social causes. Daria is passionate about the human-animal bond and protecting the rights of all beings. She spends her free time volunteering as a cat socializer, humane educator, and outreach assistant at the Animal Welfare Association of New Jersey. Daria is also an ambassador for Black Run Preserve, a New Jersey pinelands protection nonprofit organization. She holds a B.A. in playwriting and theatre production from Fordham University and various certifications in personal training, nutrition coaching, plant-based nutrition, and yoga. Daria lives in Voorhees, New Jersey, with her three rescue tuxedo cats, Norma Jeane, Wednesday Addams, and Peanut Butter.
Leah Picker
Development Director
Leah grew up in New England but now calls Pittsburgh home. She holds a B.A. in English from Vassar College, a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and earned her CFRE in 2021. Leah has worked as a frontline fundraiser in higher education since 2013, and strives to do the least harm possible. She lives with Rabbit, a purebred Good Boy.
Alana Scott
Administrative Coordinator
Alana has 25+ years of experience in the areas of environmental compliance, engineering project management, and production/manufacturing management. Her most recent role was as Director of Operations at an engineering consulting firm. Alana encourages team collaboration, searches for continuous improvement in all areas, and maintains a ‘can do’ mentality when faced with obstacles. Joining SDC is a wonderful integration of her technical skill set and personal viewpoint of watching out for others – humans and animals.
Julie A.
Inventory Coordinator
Julie was born and raised on the East Coast but has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2004. She works as a veterinary assistant by day and is a founding member of SDC’s Bay Area team. Julie took on the role of National Inventory Coordinator in 2021 and has found it fulfilling not only as an excuse to indulge her organizational inclinations but also as an opportunity to gain a broader picture of the work SDC is doing around the country. Julie has also successfully completed the CVMA Certified Veterinary Assistant program, the only program of its kind in veterinary medicine.
Sofia Prado
Community Engagement Coordinator
Sofia was introduced to SDC in 2020. She was in awe of how volunteers treated pets and people with compassion and the highest level of care, and she could not stop thinking about it. Three years later, she started interning with SDC and was invited to officially join the team in 2024. Prior to joining SDC, Sofia started a dog rescue in Mexico with her father where they provided free wellness clinics and S/N events. Sofia is also passionate about wildlife conservation and has worked with various conservation nonprofits in the Peruvian Amazon.She has a B.S in Biology from The Evergreen State College and a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.
Karen Grimes-Schuler
HR Director
Karen holds a BA in Psychology, in addition to certificates in nonprofit management and nonprofit fundraising. Karen has over 20 years experience managing nonprofit organizations, with a special focus on human resources. Karen takes a people-first approach, and her work is driven by the belief that every employee deserves a supportive environment where they can thrive. Karen is passionate about animal welfare, and has volunteered at her local shelter as a dog socializer and kitten foster, and has volunteered at Street Dog Coalition clinics. In her free time, Karen loves hiking, reading, and spending time cuddling with her pup, Sophia.
Shannon Modec COHMO Coordinator
Shannon will be graduating in December with her Bachelor’s in Social Work and a minor in Ethnic studies. She is committed to advancing social justice and equity, while consistently applying an intersectional approach to her work. Shannon believes deeply in the misson of The Street Dog Coalition and knows how essential the Human Animal Bond is. She is passionate about serving pets and their people and is dedicated to improving our collective health practices with a One Health model. Shannon loves the outdoors and spending time with her family, she is a major dog lover and has two fur-babies that brighten every moment of her life.
Founder Spotlight:
Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP
Founder
After establishing his second career in emergency veterinary medicine, Jon founded The Street Dog Coalition in 2015 when he identified a need and wanted to do something about it. Jon understands the benefits of pets for people experiencing homelessness, and he approaches street medicine from a One Health perspective. With a focus on serving both ends of the leash, Jon is currently pursuing his Masters in Public Health at The University of Minnesota School of Public Health while continuing to volunteer with The Street Dog Coalition. Jon believes in doing something, even if it’s wrong. As he says, “We can learn from failure, but we rarely learn from doing nothing”.
