Keith Meyer | Board Chairperson
Keith Meyer, P.E. is President of Ditesco, an engineering, program, project and construction management firm located in Fort Collins. What’s in a name? Ditesco [dī-tes-kō], is a latin word meaning to enrich (dito) and to become (esco). Ditesco’s purpose is to enrich their client’s project delivery experience by providing them with exceptional service and value while also allowing communities to become the thriving and vibrant places we all call home.
Keith is a Colorado native, proud graduate of Colorado State University (B.S. in Civil Engineering), and a grateful resident of the Fort Collins community for 25 years. Giving back to the community that has positively affected his professional and personal life is, and always will be, a core value to Keith, his family, and Ditesco.
Keith lives in Fort Collins with his wife, Colleen; daughter, Karlie; and Larimer Humane Society adopted dog, Buddy
Meg Olsen | Vice Chairperson
Meg Olsen joined the board in August 2017. She’s an Associate General Counsel with UCHealth, and is passionate about animal welfare advocacy. Meg is excited to be involved with helping animals experience unconditional love and compassion.
Haleigh Gonzalez | Treasurer
Haleigh Gonzalez joined the board October 2016. She works as a CPA for Soukup, Bush & Associates, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Business Administration. Haleigh is eager to contribute her expertise that will translate into strategic planning, budgeting, and more.
Susan Shattuck | Secretary
Susan Shattuck returned the board as of September 2016. Susan brings experience as board Treasurer for the Artists’ Association for Northern Colorado, as well as 16 years of volunteer experience with Larimer Humane Society. Susan has a strong passion for animal welfare and wants to help give animals a voice in the community.
Jim Watson | Member
Jim Watson joined the Larimer Humane Society Board in October of 2016. Jim has over 35 years of Customer Service and Business Management on his resume, 13 of those years at The Group Inc., Real Estate as a Partner and Broker. Jim has always been dedicated to developing systems that will provide consistent, excellent results. His belief that a successful business is built on long-term relationships, rooted in trust and respect, is the driving force in every interaction. At The Group Inc., he has found those same core values and that translates to a smooth and positive real estate experience for his customers.
Jim has served in various roles on non-profit boards for the past two decades and is currently on the GroupGives Foundation board, a Northern Colorado Community Foundation non-profit founded by The Group partners with the belief that every person should have a place to call home. Larimer Humane Society has a similar belief and mission, find every animal a loving home. Jim has always felt the call to be the advocate for the underdog or undercat as his new role has shown him. He believes that a community should be judged by how they support the needy and unwanted in its midst. Jim hopes that his business experience along with his years as a volunteer board member will bring some value to the Larimer Humane Society and all the critters that are brought to its doors.
Raised in a small town in the California Gold Country, the Watsons moved to Fort Collins in 1986. Nikki, Jim’s bride of 32 years, is an amazing supporter and partner in life’s adventure. She was also Jim’s initial introduction to Larimer Humane Society when she volunteered at the shelter. Nikki and Jim grew up with pets and have had animals as part of their lives as long as they can remember. Although currently empty-nesters, they have two daughters, Ashley and Chelsey, who both went through Poudre School District and went on to graduate from Colorado State University. They live and work in Denver now, enjoying a “20 something urban experience”. For this moment in time, Jim and Nikki are content loving their grand-dogs, Mitzey and Remy, and enjoying the love and excitement they bring to their home.
When not busy with work or volunteering, Jim is an avid runner, fair weather cyclist, cautious mountain biker and decent skier. Nikki and he love to hike, camp, work in their yard, cook together and check out new breweries and restaurants.
Paul Birdsall | Member
Paul joined the board as a member in March 2017. Paul is a commercial banker with Colorado Business Bank with skills in budgeting, financial planning, and management. Paul is excited about contributing to the well-being of Larimer County’s animals. He’s energized about educating citizens on what’s best for their pets and what resources Larimer Humane Society provides.
Melinda Frye| Member
Melinda Frye joined the board as a member in October 2017. Melinda is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University and serves as the Associate Dean for Veterinary Academic and Student Affairs. She provides instruction to first-year DVM students on the subjects of pulmonary and cardiovascular physiology.
Originally a critical care R.N., Dr. Frye received her DVM from Colorado State University in 1996. She served as an associate DVM in a mixed animal practice in rural Idaho before returning to CSU to complete an internship and residency in large animal internal medicine and became an ACVIM diplomate in 2001. Dr. Frye pursued a PhD in physiology thereafter, emphasizing vascular biology within the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory. She returned to the CSU Department of Biomedical Sciences in 2007, initiating her teaching in the DVM program and conducting research focused on the myocardial response to fatty acids using dietary interventions in rodents.
Geneve Huxley | Member
Geneve Huxley is a CPA and the founder of Huxley CPA Consulting, LLC (www.huxleycpa.com), which offers fractional CFO services as well as helping businesses increase their bottom line through process optimization. Previously, she was the Chief Financial Officer of Colorado State University Foundation in Fort Collins, and also worked at the University of Northern Colorado Foundation and the University of Colorado Foundation. She has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, many as a strategic adviser to executive management and leading teams. In her spare time, Geneve enjoys networking, volunteering, skiing, and spending time with her family.
Kathy Kregel | Member
Kathy Kregel joined the board in February 2017, as the new member. Kathy has spent 20 years designing, developing, and operating three non-profits. She also has memberships in numerous animal and business organizations. Kathy is passionate about combining her life-long love of animals with her organizational management skills to provide good lives for Larimer County’s animals.
Cheri O’Neill | Member
Cherí is a newcomer to Larimer County, but not to animal welfare and nonprofit leadership.
Cherí is president and CEO of the Colorado State University Foundation, a $500 million organization that receives, invests and stewards private contributions to CSU. Before moving to Fort Collins in 2018, Cherí was president and CEO of the Ball State University Foundation. Before that, she was CEO of the Alpha Chi Omega women’s Fraternity, Foundation and Housing Corporation. Cherí also served Indiana University for 17 years, working in admissions, alumni relations, international recruiting and development.
As an animal-welfare volunteer, Cherí worked with animals at Bloomington, Ind.’s Pets Alive, and was appointed by Bloomington’s mayor to that city’s Animal Control Commission. She also served on the board of IndyHumane, the leading animal welfare organization in Indianapolis.
Cherí also serves on the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents, and the investment committee of the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation.
When she’s not working, leading boards, or volunteering, Cherí and her husband, Bruce Hetrick, can be found with their pup, Ollie, walking near their Old Town home or hiking in the mountains.
Patrick O’Neill | Member
Patrick O’Neill joined the board in October of 2018. He and his wife Stefanie are the third generation owners of Vern’s Toffee House in Fort Collins.
Patrick has over a decade of experience on non-profit boards and is specifically interested in long term planning and fiscal responsibility. He is excited to contribute to the welfare of animals in Northern Colorado.
Wendy Woods | Member
Wendy Woods is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. She has lived in northern Colorado since 2005 and currently resides in Loveland with her husband Joe Glaser and their three rescue dogs, Lexi and Bodhi, and Dixie. Wendy was introduced to Larimer Humane Society when she unexpectedly adopted a 10-week-old puppy (Lexi) from the shelter on December 17th, 2007. Since then she has acquired a huge heart for all animals and wants to help those that don’t have a voice to help themselves.
Prior to LHS, Wendy served on the board for Animal House (now known as Animal Friends Alliance) for 4 years. She helped them with a capital campaign to relocate their facility from Vine Road to Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins and with the merger of Fort Collins Cat Rescue in 2020.
Raised in a small town in central Illinois, Wendy’s main contact with animals was the strays that inhabited her small rural community. She was notorious for secretly feeding them the leftover food scraps from her family’s dinner each night and leaving the garage door open, so they had a place to stay warm and dry during challenging weather (this did not make her mother very happy 😊).
When not busy with work, Wendy can be found playing Pickleball, riding her bike, doing yoga, walking the dogs, and/or drinking good wine with her husband.
