Our Team

Staff

  • Juli Zagrans

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Juli is an Illinois attorney who moved to Portland in 2013 to earn her Animal Law LL.M. from the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School. Having volunteered with OTAT Chicago since 2010, Juli wanted to bring its mission, passion, and policies to the PNW so that even more dogs in need could be saved. To date, Juli has fostered around 100 dogs and, briefly, Kevin the pig. Aside from wanting to improve the lives of animals, humans, and the environment in which they live, Juli loves getting lost on her motorcycle somewhere in nature or doing just about anything with her own OTAT PDX alumni, Magpie.

  • April Saban

    COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT MANAGER

    April started volunteering with OTAT PDX in 2015 after she adopted her OTAT PDX pup, Oats. She worked in veterinary medicine for 8 years before shifting to the legal field. Desperately missing working full time with animals, she was thrilled when offered a position as our Community Engagement Manager. April works closely with our veterinary partners, adopters, fosters, volunteers all other members of the OTAT PDX community. When not helping rescue dogs in need, April spends her days with her partner and dogs, Oats and Teddy, who are happy to hang outside with her while reading a good book or listening to Taylor Swift on repeat.

  • Emi Harmon

    PROGRAMS MANAGER

    Emi began volunteering for OTAT PDX in 2018, serving as the Adoption Counselor Coordinator and member of the Associate Board. As Programs Manager, Emi provides support to the adoption and foster programs. Having made nine moves through six states, Emi feels most at home in Oregon, where she has lived since 2007. When not at work, Emi is at home with her partner, their cat, and new OTAT PDX rescue, Devo, who helps with her crosswords, cooking, Jeopardy, and obsessively trying to beat her own score at Tetris.

  • Adyn Wood

    PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

    Adyn is a certified CPDT-KA positive reinforcement/force-free trainer who recently moved to Portland from Los Angeles, where she was born and raised. She grew up with rescue dogs and cats her whole life and started working in the world of rescue with Best Friends back in 2019. Most recently she was on the dog training team at Pasadena Humane Society in Southern CA. When she's not geeking out about dogs and dog behavior, she is indulging in her roots as a former student of theater/musical theater. She's beyond humbled and thrilled to be joining the OTAT PDX team, and can't wait to meet everyone here!

Executive Board

  • Nicole Brodeur

    EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT

    Nicole is a producer and angel investor based in Portland, Oregon. She joined OTAT PDX in 2016 as a foster, created the Foster Coordinator position in 2017, and has served as Associate Board President since 2018. In June of 2019 she and her husband adopted Sheila, a nine year old American bully. Nicole serves on four nonprofit boards in addition to OTAT PDX. When not volunteering you can find her gardening, developing new vegan food recipes, and hanging out with her husband, dogs, Cookie and Sheila, and cat, Beatrix.

  • Alexander Case

    BOARD MEMBER

    Alex is a Midwest transplant whose love of nature, mild weather, vegan comfort food, music, and dog culture brought him to Oregon. He began volunteering with OTAT PDX early on, fell in love with the mission, and has stuck around ever since. When not devoting his talents to OTAT PDX, Alex is a musician who works for local record label, Tender Loving Empire. Alex loves to camp with his pups, ride bikes and motorcycles, and volunteer with other local nonprofits.

  • Amy Dunn

    BOARD MEMBER

    Amy’s work with OTAT PDX began with five of the most powerful words in the English language: “Can I pet your dog?” A lifelong dog lover and repeat rescuer, she’s been fostering, volunteering, and advocating for OTAT PDX ever since that chance encounter. Amy believes there is no greater joy in life than a dog on a freedom ride (probably in it for the selfies) and no better place for a pup to find a forever home than Oregon (typical native Portlander). Amy spends her workdays at a local tech company, her evenings and weekends rescuing dogs, and every spare moment with her foster-failure hellhound, Warby.

  • Maureen Minister

    BOARD MEMBER

    Maureen, who started volunteering with OTAT PDX in 2017, has done a little bit of everything, from fostering to adoption counseling to events and fundraising. She also participated in the relief trip to Puerto Rico. She spends her days working as the Conservation Manager for the Port of Portland. In Maureen’s free time she enjoys traveling and hiking and camping with her two rescue pups.

  • Missi Clements

    BOARD MEMBER

    Missi grew up with dogs always at her side. She began volunteering for local dog rescues and hosting adoption events in high school, and her passion for dog rescue was reignited in 2015 when she adopted her soul-mutt, Olive. In 2016 she began volunteering with OTAT PDX and things escalated quickly; since then, she’s worn many hats within the organization.