Overview
PaLC's People
Suggestion Box
"What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows."
--Alexandra Stoddard
PaLC affectionately refers to itself as a "boutique" organization. Indeed the organization is very small and selective, and is dedicated to standards of excellence and organizational best practices. However, while committed to achieving its goals effectively and efficiently, the organization purposely maintains a structure that allows for the flexibility to take on unique projects and programs which fit with and further its mission.
The board believes that it is critical to take a broad approach to pet population issues, and that it is equally important to maximize funding and resources by looking beyond quick fixes to find pragmatic, long-term and sustainable solutions.
Considering the problem an American issue, a community issue, the new board is also committed to collaborating with all who, however differing in other philosophy, share in the desire to prevent the tragedy and suffering and financial and public safety expense of homeless American pets.
The new team measures success in terms of results, and is committed to annual review of its Board, its strategies, short and long term goals, and operational and financial efficiency.
Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, PaLC is registered with the Virginia State Office of Consumer Affairs, Division of Charitable Solicitations.
PaLC'S PEOPLE:
PaLC values standards of excellence, professional achievement, integrity, team work, balance, creative thinking and diversity. These qualities are exemplified by the new core team.
Volunteers recruited from the resident community or online, provide additional staffing for graphic design, mass mailings and fund-raisers, or administrative, in-depth research and computing needs. PaLC is a virtual organization and its "offices" are the homes of its volunteers and staff.
DIRECTORS (AND OFFICERS)
Sara Khurody-Downs (President and CEO) (2001-2006)
Carol Rakatansky (General Counsel) (2001-2006)
Chris Westbrook (2002-2006)
STAFF (PAID AND UNPAID)
Randy Heuer (Chief Technology Officer)
Dierdre Straughan (Website Management)
Sara Khurody-Downs
President and Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Khurody-Downs is an artist with an equal passion for all things animal and analytic. From her prior corporate career, Ms. Downs brings over a decade of experience in business management and administration to the organization.
Ms. Downs is a citizen of the world, having lived in five countries and on three continents. She settled in the United States in 1985, and eight years later resigned from the corporate world to pursue her creative calling. She received a BFA in painting, with distinction, from the Calfornia College of Arts in 1998. Upon obtaining her painting degree she married and moved to Virginia. A trip to her local animal shelter to volunteer in her new community, was an eye opening experience to the plight of many American pets.
Ms. Downs spent the following three years immersed as an independent volunteer in the field, researching animal issues, contemporary sheltering and preventative programs, and developing outreach, educational and volunteer programs for her local county animal shelter. Ms. Downs also served on the Metropolitan Washington DC Council of Governments' Animal Services Task Force.
In early 2001, Ms. Downs also began helping a small local organization, Prevent a Litter Coalition (PaLC), compile information on the Animal Friendly License Plate Program so that they could become a central clearinghouse of information. She also helped the organization's volunteer Hope Tarr present her Stamp Out Campaign communications online by developing a new website for the organization.
Recognizing her commitment to the animals, but unable to find the right fit for her interests and skills, Ms. Downs considered returning to the corporate world or founding her own non-profit organization -- one that would be dedicated to big picture and collaborative approach, analysis and best practices. She envisioned a highly skilled team of professionals that would bring an analytic and business approach to the issues.
In May 2001 the original PaLC organization considered dissolving the corporation. Recognizing the benefit of taking on an already incorporated 501c3, Ms. Downs offered to bring on a whole new board and team on the understanding that she would be building a new organization, rather than taking on leadership of the original organization. The original board resigned, and in August 2001 Ms. Downs brought on a new board and team of staff and volunteers.
Ms. Khurody-Downs' non art and animal welfare interests include language, world travel, literature, teaching, interior design, philanthropy, music, cooking and anything technology. She currently lives in Fairfax County, Virginia with her husband and two adopted beagle sisters, Mahiya and Mango, and two cats Shanti and Reem.
In memoriam: A Tribute to Sparkie Downs
Carol Rakatansky
Director and General Counsel
Ms. Rakatansky is Associate General Counsel and an Officer of Sallie Mae, where she focuses on complex corporate transactions, as well as corporate governance and all aspects of non-profit issues affecting Sallie Mae. While at Sallie Mae, she has been directly involved in the company's major business acquisitions, matters relating to the structure and function of the Board of Directors and maintaining and structuring Sallie Mae's relationships with non-profit entities. Prior to joining Sallie Mae in 1998, Ms. Rakatansky was an associate for 6 years in law firm practice, most recently with the firm of Katten, Muchin and Zavis.
Ms. Rakatansky is currently President of the Board of her neighborhood civic association in Arlington, Virginia on the board of the Levine School of Music, and is a member of Arlington County's Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee. She has previously served on the board of other local non-profit entities.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Rakatansky worked for two years at the U.S. Department of Education, where she specialized in legislative and policy analysis for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Ms. Rakatansky received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Brown University in 1985. She received a Masters of Education with an emphasis on administration and policy from Harvard University in 1987 and a law degree from Georgetown University in 1992. Ms. Rakatansky lives in Arlington Virginia with her son Benjamin. As a final note, Ms. Rakatansky enjoys weekly piano lessons and has been a fan of the symphony and opera since she was 6 years old. Ms. Raktansky joined the PaLC team in August 2001.
Christine L. Westbrook
Director
Ms. Westbrook has been with the U.S. Government since 1982. A specialist on political and weapons proliferation issues in the former Soviet Union and Europe, Ms. Westbrook's assignments have included analyst and manager responsibilities, plans and budget officer, and speechwriter. She now recruits and hires analysts.
Ms. Westbrook received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1980 and her Master of Arts degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, in 1985. She, her husband Kenneth, and cat Pippen live in Reston, Virginia.
Randy Heuer
Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Heuer is a retired Technology Consultant from AT&T Labs - Research. He has over 25 years of experience in architecture, design and development of software systems. His skills include object-oriented software design and development, distributed systems, web services, graphical user interfaces, rapid prototyping/development, web development and system architecture. His contributions over his career at AT&T include the design and implementation of target tracking systems, graphical programming tools, consumer survey systems, automated speech recognition tools and business process monitor and control systems.
Mr. Heuer has a B.S. in Meteorology from Rutgers University and an M.S. in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University. He also has completed a Masters Program in Computer Science at AT&T Bell Labs. He has presented papers at numerous software and web conferences, and has taught classes in C++, Java, Visual Basic and rapid prototyping. In recent years, he has focused on Java development in Windows, Unix and Linux environments, working with visualization toolkits, web services and persistent object databases.
When not writing code, Mr. Heuer enjoys playing trombone in jazz groups and building Lego models. He is also a certified golf addict. He performs his role with PaLC from his virtual office in Parsippany, New Jersey, where he lives with his wife, Ava and their Japanese Chin, Shawn. Mr. Heuer joins the PaLC team in February 2004.
Dierdre Straughan
Website Management
Ms. Straughan assists PaLC from her virtual office in Lecco, Italy, where she lives with her daughter Rossella, husband Enrico, and turtles Poirot and Marple (Hamish the horse lives nearby), and maintains her own travel and op/ed website, www.beginningwithi.com. Ms Straughan joined the PaLC team in April 2004.
Are you a Visionary, a Leader, a Doer?
Prevent a Litter Coalition, Inc. welcomes applications from Business Executives, Community Leaders, and Respected Academics to join the board of our small but ambitious start up organization.
We are seeking talented people who believe passionately that society has a responsiblity towards its most vulnerable, and that when the most vulnerable and dependent are neglected or abused, that it is our obligation to act.
We seek out of the box thinkers who believe in results and the achievement of goals as the ultimate measurement of success, and who will bring any combination of strong analytics, strategic planning, creative problem solving, non profit management, legal, technical, financial and development expertise to the team.
If you would like to roll up your shirt sleeves and be part of this vision, please submit your name to president@palc.org.
