Board of Directors

Business leaders, community minded citizens and professionals can contribute their time and professional skills to IMHS through the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors meets once monthly to discuss IMHS goals and policies.

Members of the Board of Directors must be current members of IMHS
The Board of Directors sets goals for IMHS and provides policies for the Executive Director/Shelter Manager
The Board generally meets 11 times yearly, with additional committee meetings for many Board Members.

2011 Annual Report (PDF)

Required Contract and Statement for all IMHS Board Directors

Intermountain Humane Society 2011- 2012 Board of Directors

Matt Blumenshine, President

Matt is a Senior Business Analyst with more than 10 years of experience in Supply Chain and Operations Management in a wide range of industries. He also spent six years as a volunteer director for a northern Colorado operations management educational society. In addition to grant writing, Matt has a passion for process improvement and hopes to use these skills to help the shelter run more efficiently through the use of technology. Contact Matt at matt.blumenshine@imhs.org.

Cheryl Ide, Vice President

Cheryl transplanted from Maine to Colorado in 1996. She was first introduced to IMHS when she adopted Onyx and Topaz, her shelter-born sibling felines, in 2004. Cheryl has volunteered for a number of IMHS events over the years, including the inaugural Canine Carnival as well as numerous silent auctions. Cheryl currently works as the Director of Learning Services for a software development company and served two terms as President of Colorado Business Women, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the lives of women in business. Cheryl's experience brings project management, non-profit leadership and strategic planning, as well as training and development expertise to the IMHS family. She currently shares her Bailey home with 16 paws and another pair of feet. Contact Cheryl at cheryl.ide@imhs.org.

Mary Sobzack, Secretary

Mary is a pilot for United Airlines whose early career included flying C-130's for the Air National Guard in Martinsville, WV. She was first drawn to IMHS when her daughter, an aspiring veterinarian, joined the shelter as a youth volunteer in 2012. A longtime active community volunteer herself, Mary soon became an IMHS shelter volunteer as well, performing animal enrichment duties, foster care and animal transports. Mary joined the IMHS Board of Directors in January 2013 and serves as co-Chair of the Building Committee. She lives in Evergreen with her co-pilot, Jeff, and her animal-loving kids, Skye and Cody. The Sobzack family's home is shared with two over-sized pooches, and rescued cats Jasmine and Orville (an IMHS alumni). Mary's hobbies include hiking, skiing, and reading. Contact Mary at mary.sobzack@imhs.org.

JJ Sackett, Treasurer

Originally from the midwest, JJ is a longtime Colorado resident who works as a Certified Financial Planner CFP®, ChFC® with a large national financial firm. JJ holds a business degree from the University of Northern Iowa and brings financial management skills and a strong sense of business management to the IMHS Board of Directors. She co-Chairs the Building Committee and also serves on the IMHS Operations Committee. JJ has extensive experience fostering ill and under-aged kittens and is a proud "foster failure" as evidenced by the menagerie of beloved four-leggeds who share her home, including two large rescued dogs and five cats. JJ is a Bailey resident as of the summer of 2012 and joined the IMHS Board in January 2013. Contact JJ at jj.sackett@imhs.org.

Ellen Feller, Director

Ellen is a native New Yorker who graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Communications. She is a Certified Software Quality Engineer and holds a professional background in software technology. Ellen serves on both the Tech Committee and Operations Commitee for IMHS. After living on both the east coast and the west coast, Ellen relocated to Colorado in 1994 for the gorgeous scenery. Her deep sense of passion for helping homeless animals prompted her to join IMHS as a volunteer dog-walker in 2010, and she's been lacing up to walk the shelter pups every weekend since. Ellen lives in Morrison with her husband and dog-walking partner, Bob, and shares her home with four rescued pooches. Ellen is a self-pronounced foodie who enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and exploring Colorado with her husband and dogs. Contact Ellen at ellen.feller@imhs.org.

Debra Hayes, Director

Deb joined IMHS as a volunteer in 2009 and joined the Board of Directors in 2012. Deb holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Adminstration and brings a professional background of over 25 years of accounting and re-engineering skills to the organization. She serves as co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee and also on the Finance Commitee for IMHS. Deb made a cross-country move to the Foothills area of Colorado in the fall of 2008, where she resides with her husband and 2 moustached dogs. She became a "foster failure" when she adopted her foster dog, a schnauzer mix named Zoe, from IMHS in 2009. Deb enjoys walking and hiking, moonlight snow-shoeing, and participating in fundraising activities for IMHS. Contact Deb at deb.hayes@imhs.org.

Carol Haykus, Director

Carol is the Chair of the IMHS Volunteer Committee. Carol is retired from the Jefferson County School District where she worked as a classified employee for 27 yrs. Her volunteer service began with IMHS over 15 yrs. ago and she is active in a wide variety of roles including fostering, weekly cat care and dog walking at the shelter, outreach and adoption events, and fundraisers. Carol has expertise in emergency and disaster response through her participation in local Animal EVAC, Colorado Petaid and the American Humane Red Star team. She has completed training courses offered through American Humane Association, Code 3, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Fema and Animal Emergency Management Program. Carol is proudly owned by four dogs and two cats--all adopted from IMHS. Carol can be reached at carol.haykus@imhs.org.

Sharon Thompson, Director

Before joining the IMHS Board, Sharon worked for the US Air Force for 45 years and then owned and operated a newspaper for 14 years. Sharon has spent the better part of the past three decades in active participation with humane agencies serving to rescue and care for injured and abused animals. She spends one weekday each week volunteering to care for cats in the IMHS shelter and joined the Board in early spring 2012. Sharon lives in Bailey with her sister, Mimi, and a full house of happy IMHS alumni cats and dogs.