Stacy Bannerman, MS, Executive Director
Stacy has over 18 years of leadership in the non-profit and education sectors, including spearheading multimedia campaigns, launching national grassroots initiatives, and serving as the Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Outreach Center. She has twice testified before Congress (2006, 2008) on combat-related trauma, the home front costs of war, and how to improve care for veterans and military families. Stacy received her M.S., Magna Cum Laude, from Minnesota State University, a B.A. in International Relations with research in Biotechnology, and attended the Doctorate of Ministry program at Wisdom University. A previous member of the Spokane Human Rights Commission, she created and hosted Value Added: We’re Talking About What Really Matters (KSBN AM 1230). Stacy has conducted over 400 multimedia interviews, including The Associated Press, BBC (British Broadcasting Company), MSNBC, FOX News, Hardball with Chris Matthews, the Lehrer News Hour, NBC Nightly News, and The Washington Post. She has published dozens of original articles, is a contributor to The Institute for Policy Study’s Foreign Policy In Focus, and the author of When the War Came Home: The Inside Story of Reservists and the Families They Leave Behind. (Continuum Publishing, March 2006)
Julie Fritz, Farm Manager
Julie is a third-generation rancher, and has been an animal care provider and welfare advocate since grade school. She grew up near her family's 780-acre ranch, learning a profound sense of stewardship for all creation, and receiving numerous awards from The Cattlemen's Association, the Bluebells Cattlewomen's Association, and the Horsemen's Association. Julie has conducted research on various methodologies for humane treatment of livestock, is certified in Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control by the DEQ, and proficient in AutoCAD with a special interest in wetlands design. She was employed as a veterinary technician for eight years, and ran a German Shepherd Rescue for six years, resulting in 104 successful animal placements. She also worked in the hospitality industry as a department head, where she was responsible for personnel management and budget administration. Her extensive volunteer experience includes Habitat for Humanity, the Klamath Falls Humane Society, and serving as a leader for her church youth group.
Jeff Borchers, MS, Ph.D., NCC, Director of People Programs
Jeff is a psychotherapist, scientist, and traditional martial artist with a background in research, teaching, training, policy analysis, and organizational development. Over the past 25 years, he has worked in academia, government, and the private sector on issues of social, ecological, and psychological significance. At the Oregon Animal Sanctuary, he develops “people programs” to facilitate psychological well being via a mindfulness approach to caring for animals and the land. In addition to his role at the Sanctuary, Jeff is co-founder and policy coordinator for the Oregon Coalition for Consumer Mental Health Protection and Choice (www.oregonmentalhealth.info), a grass-roots organization of mental health providers who advocate for legislative change in Oregon. He has a private practice (www.commensa.org) where he works with individuals, couples, and families, and provides training and interventions for organizations. Jeff’s education includes a Ph.D. in ecology from Oregon State University, a master’s degree in counseling from Capella University, and a master’s degree from Yale University. He also has taught traditional martial arts for over 30 years, holding the rank of nidan in Shotokan karate-dō. He is the creator of MindBodyOne™, a course that teaches relationship and self-assertion skills via mindfulness and self-defense.
G.A. Bradshaw, Ph.D., Ph.D., Director of Research
Gay is a researcher and writer working with the theories and methods of animal psychological rehabilitation and wildlife culture conservation. She focuses on the traumatic effects of violence on elephants, chimpanzees, parrots, and other species in captivity with a specialization in trauma recovery of elderly and special needs animals. Her work has established the new field of
trans-species psychology. She is the Executive Director of The Kerulos Center (www.kerulos.org), and President and Co-Founder of the International Association for Animal Trauma and Recovery. Gay holds doctorate degrees in ecology and psychology and has published and lectured widely in the U.S. and internationally. She holds faculty positions at Oregon State University and Pacifica Graduate Institute and is completing a book about the impacts of human violence on elephant psychological and social well being,
Elephant Breakdown (Yale University Press, 2008). Her research has been featured in diverse media including
The New York Times, Time Magazine, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Orion, The London Times, ABC’s 20/20, and several documentary films.
