CCHS Staff
CHERYL NICKERSON, Executive Director
Cheryl Nickerson M.A. has over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector as a Development Director, Program Director and Executive Director. A graduate of San Jose State University, she has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a Master’s Degree from Holy Names University. Cheryl grew up in the East Bay and has worked at various non-profit organizations in the East Bay as well as San Francisco and San Joaquin County.
MARGARET BOQUET, Volunteer Manager
Margaret grew up in the Washington, D. C. area and earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and French at Goucher College in Baltimore. She settled in northern Virginia and, following her love for animals, worked for several doggie day care centers, for a dog grooming salon and she offered regular pet sitting services. Margaret and her husband moved to the Bay Area in 2013. In 2015 she began volunteering for CCHS, working in both Kitty Corner, as an office assistant and as a cat adoption counselor. She also volunteers with the East Bay SPCA. In 2016 Margaret was named CCHS’s volunteer manager.
Board Members
Officers
KEVIN KOSIK, President
Originally from New York, Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from State University of New York (SUNY) College at Buffalo and a Masters degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Illinois in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Kevin is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and has held senior leadership and resource development positions with the Chicago Youth Symphony and the Navy Pier in that city. He was executive director of the American Lung Association in California (Greater Bay Area and Sacramento), President/CEO of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) in San Francisco, Vice-President/Chief Development Officer for the YMCA of the Central Bay Area and Deputy Chief Development Officer for the Sierra Club. Kevin joined the CCHS Board of Directors in 2011 and was elected president of the board in 2015.
JAN BONO, Secretary
Jan is a partner with Ernst & Young, LLP and is their West Coast Bay Area Advisory Leader assisting the company’s global clients with managing their governance, compliance and risk management programs. She earned a degree in BS Business Administration in organizational development emphasis at California State University, Fresno, and holds certification in both project management and information systems. Jan also serves as the Advisory Board chair for the YMCA in Pleasant Hill and is branch representative to the YMCA of the Central Bay Area Board of Directors. She is a volunteer and member of the Oakland Zoo where she leads Ernst &Young’s teams at annual volunteer events and she is also a longtime volunteer at Kitty Corner, CCHS’s on-site, free-roam cat shelter. Jan became a member of the CCHS board of directors in 2014.
CHRISTINE BURKE, Treasurer
Christine graduated from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration and holds an MBA in finance from California State University East Bay. She has spent more than 20 years working in a variety of finance and accounting positions with Longs Drugstores, Central Garden and Pet and most recently with the CSAA Insurance Group. Christine joined the CCHS board in 2009 and has served as its Treasurer since 2012.
STEVE AMOS
Steve is in the financial sector and has extensive experience in companion animal welfare and professional leadership for nonprofits. He earned a BA in accounting from Portland State University. He has spent more than 10 years as a volunteer for Contra Costa Animal Services where he started and manages CCAS’s Running Dog program. The program involves a team of approximately 10 runners who schedule structured runs with the dogs on local trails providing them with much needed exercise and temporary freedom from confinement. Steve joined the CCHS Board of Directors in 2014.
MARTI ANTHONY
An alumnus of San Francisco State University, Marti earned a law degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Law. She practiced law in Danville for 18 years prior to her retirement and continues to handle animal related cases on a pro bono basis. In 2010 she and her sister founded a Paws to Read program at the Clayton Community Library encouraging children from kindergarten through the fifth grade to read books to canine companions on a one-to-one basis. The successful reading program, Lisa’s Legacy, is named in memory of Marti’s late daughter, also an avid animal lover. Marti joined the CCHS Board of Directors in 2011 serving as a legislative watchdog, keeping the board apprised of pending legislation and cases involving animal welfare.
JARROD COOPER
Jarrod is a former professional football safety and longtime animal advocate. He played with both the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers. Jarrod began volunteering with the Oakland Animal Shelter in 2007 and financed the construction of outdoor kennels for dogs often recovering from abuse and neglect. He aided the adoption of formerly homeless dogs that became police and rescue animals and began the nonprofit Help Code 597. Jarrod joined the CCHS Board of Directors in 2011.
NICOLE HANEY
Nicole is a management liability underwriter for Nationwide in San Francisco. An alumnus of San Francisco State University, she recently received her master’s degree in philosophy by completing a thesis on Animal Welfare in Politics. She is a volunteer for BADRAP, a pit bull rescue organization and became a member of the CCHS Board of Directors in 2015 where she sits on the Animal Welfare and Advocacy committees.
MIKE REEKERS
Mike graduated Magna Cum Laude from Golden Gate University with a BS degree in business management. He additionally holds a linguist degree in Korean from the Monterey Defense Language Institute and served with the Naval Security Group during the Vietnam era having received both land and sea assignments throughout the Far East. In a civilian capacity, Mike spent a 42-year career working as a financial and project manager for Chevron. He has served on both the Board of Directors for the Moraga Baseball Association and the 30 Fund providing marketing services for charitable organizations and was a longtime supporter of both CCHS and the Lindsay Wildlife Museum before joining the CCHS Board of Directors in 2015.
TEMMA ROBY
Temma is the Chief Financial Officer and law firm Administrator for Angius and Terry LLP in Walnut Creek. She has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources Management and is Chair of the CCHS Personnel Committee. Temma earned her BA in Political Science from San Francisco State University and is the past Board President for the Benicia Stingrays Swim Team. Temma also served as a Commissioner for the City of Benicia, Civil Service Commission. Temma is a long time animal welfare advocate and has done some volunteering for the Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek and the Benicia/Vallejo Humane Society. Temma became a member of the CCHS board of directors in 2017.
ANITA TAFF-RICE
Anita graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. and founded iCommLaw, specializing in technology and telecommunications matters for competitive and wireless carriers and broadband providers. Prior to obtaining her law degree she worked as a journalist in Washington D.C. covering public policy, technology and regulatory issues in the computer and technology industries. She joined the CCHS Board of Directors in 2010 and has helped develop the AniMeals program that distributes pet food to limited income companion animal owners in Contra Costa County. Anita also offers pro bono counsel to non-profits providing food and housing assistance for disadvantaged women.
