Board Of Directors

Jeanne Pascal, BA, MS, and JD - Board President

Jeanne Pascal is the President of the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center Board of Directors and also the in house attorney advisor. Jeanne was born in the deep south and received her BA degree from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She went on to get a Master’s degree in art from Indiana University in Bloomington IN combined with an education degree. Jeanne then taught art for several years in IN before moving back south to attend law school at the University of Memphis in western TN. On graduation, Jeanne moved to Washington state to practice environmental law. Jeanne went to work for the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney and eventually wound up at EPA where she was an Assistant Regional Counsel for approximately 10 years. In the early1990s, Jeanne transferred to the EPA Suspension and Debarment Division where she handled cases for EPA Regions 8 and 10 (CO, ND, SD, MT, Utah, WY, WA, AK, OR and ID) overseeing governmental grantees and contractors.

Jeanne rescued a backyard pine siskin in the winter of 1989 without knowing how to help it. So Jeanne, with her lifelong love of all animals great and small, called numerous wildlife places in Washington State trying to discover how to help the bird. Although it died, Kaye Baxter (founder) was the only person to return Jeanne’s call. Kaye asked Jeanne to volunteer, and Jeanne showed up at the center for the first time the next day which was on Mother’s Day,1989. Jeanne continued to volunteer cleaning cages, feeding, doing laundry, and other necessary jobs. Jeanne worked at Sarvey for approximately a year before Kaye Baxter asked her to join the Sarvey Board of Directors. Jeanne continued volunteering in the clinic for several years while on the Board. Jeanne worked with Kaye, Judy Buczek, Bob Jones and a host of other prior volunteers and employees. While in college and law school Jeanne volunteered her time at a vet’s office, and worked closely with Virginia Knouse and PAWS when she initially came to Washington. Jeanne worked tirelessly to oppose vivisection, protect our environment and wild habitats, rescuing horses and donkeys, and in changing the laws in Washington state so that animal cruelty became (and is now) a felony. Caring for the Earth’s children on Mother’s Day was extremely meaningful and sent a powerful message to Jeanne. Since that day, Jeanne has been continuously involved with Sarvey at some level, and with wild and domestic animals every day of her life.

 

Barbara Ogaard - Director

Barbara Ogaard was born and raised in Massachusetts, many moons ago to a family of commercial fishermen working out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Eventually she left the east coast for a new life in Alaska with her husband, two children, a dog, and two cats. Finally settling in Seattle, Barbara went on to finish her college degree, obtaining a B.S. in Zoology as well as a 5^th year in Ethology (animal behavior).

Over the course of her working career, she was a Ranger and Interpretive Specialist in outdoor education with the Parks and Recreation Department of Seattle, Edmonds, and Everett. In Edmonds, Barbara was a beach ranger and taught marine biology; and in Seattle Discovery Park and King County Redmond Park, she gave nature walks with emphasis on trees, plants, animals, and birds, and was head ranger at Jetty Island.

Barbara’s seasonal work with the Parks Department eventually led her to a job with North Creek Veterinary. She was interested in learning more about the medical part of caring for wildlife. When the clinic was sold and became part of Silver Lake Veterinary Clinic, Barbara met Kaye Baxter (Sarvey Wildlife founder). Kay (a client with a poodle) and Dr. Doug Yearout, DVM, and Barbara all shared an intense interest in wild animals and knew there were very few people qualified to care for injured wildlife. Thus began the Everett Wildlife Center in 1981.

Kaye went on to purchase property in Arlington and eventually the name was changed to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center. Sarvey is still located on this same property and Barbara went on to do wildlife programs for the public, schools, youth groups, and Audubon societies to raise funds for expenses.

One day someone brought in an injured bat. At the time, Barbara was the only person inoculated against rabies, so she took the little creature home. Over the next few days, Barbara was drawn to the intelligence and gentleness of the little mammal. A love affair was blooming. Puzzled by the uniqueness of the small animal, she went on to study with many bat experts and traveled the world learning about bats.

Now retired from her job as a park ranger, Barbara is specializing in the study and rehabilitation of bats. Her intense love of wildlife and animals has kept her involved with Sarvey Wildlife and she has been on the Board of Directors since 1981. Barbara still gives educational programs about bats; and when an injured bat comes into the clinic the staff call her for her expertise and experience.  

Suzanne West - Director 

In 2012, Suzanne became the Executive Director at Sarvey Wildlife. She was selected by the Board of Directors based on her diverse background working with other non-profits, as well as her commitment to helping animals and the environment. She graduated from California State University, East Bay in 1995 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and a Minor in Sociology. In 2014, she joined Sarvey’s Board of Directors.

Suzanne spent seven years working for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office as a Child Support Collection Officer, and eventually stayed at home raising her two daughters. Married for over 30 years to a Federal Law Enforcement agent, she has lived in Texas, Virginia, and California, and finally settled in the Seattle area. Over the years, she was actively involved with various non-profit organizations in different states all with unique purposes. She held leadership roles or Board positions with Early Childhood PTA, 4-H, Homeschooling co-ops, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and many other groups.

In 2001, she began homeschooling her daughters and in 2008, Suzanne went to work for the Edmonds School District teaching alternative classes through Edmonds Heights K-12, a homeschooling resource center for families in the area. Years of experience with homeschooling associations in various states and working cooperatively with other families led her to develop her own curriculum, which was the foundation for the courses she taught to other homeschooled children.

All of these experiences and a dedication to animals, education, and the environment led her to transition into her role as Executive Director at Sarvey Wildlife. Each day is unique and rewarding. Suzanne enjoys her administrative role and responsibilities, but also loves to be able to assist in rescuing and releasing patients. Her daughters graduated from Washington state colleges and they both help out with Sarvey events and transporting animals. Her husband, now retired, assists at the center building habitats and making repairs. She has 6 cats, all rescues – including Jack, who was rescued from the Galapagos Islands as a 4-week old abandoned and abused kitten.

In 2017, she was appointed to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Working Group to assist with streamlining and editing the state WAC's that oversee rehabilitation efforts in our state. In 2019, these new codes were adopted and this working group led way to an Advisory Panel for Wildlife Rehabilitation. Suzanne is a member of that panel and regularly meets with WDFW officials and other stakeholders in the field to ensure the that humane care and treatment of wildlife and professional standards are upheld. She is also on the Board of the Washington Wildlife Rehabilitation Association (WWRA), and in 2021 took on the role of President at WWRA. 

Keven McDermott - Director

Keven McDermott (Kev) was born in Pittsburg, PA. Her father was an army officer so the family moved frequently. She lived in Japan for three years, where she developed a love of Japanese art and culture.

After her father retired from the army, the family settled in Kankakee, IL. Kev loved the small community where the neighbors all knew each other. She especially enjoyed riding her bike to the local state park where she could observe the area wildlife.

Kev graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. In 1974 she moved to Seattle to be closer to the mountains and the open spaces she loves. 

After working for various federal agencies as an investigator, Kev landed her dream job with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Kev embraced the agency mission – to protect human health and the environment. She worked first as a civil investigator and later managed the field investigations group.

Kev retired from the EPA in 2009 to spend more time with her family and to pursue her childhood dream – caring for vulnerable dogs. She and her family enjoy life in the country surrounded by cougars, coyotes and the occasional bear. 

Paula Harris - Treasurer 

Paula was born and raised in Southern Arizona. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2006 with her husband and son, and they settled in Lake Stevens. A lifelong animal lover and advocate, she found Sarvey in 2014, and was hired as the office assistant. She answered the phones, established new bookkeeping systems, ordered supplies, and occasionally helped with releasing patients. Paula kept the office running smoothly, but in March 2020 – in the midst of the pandemic – she stumbled into a new opportunity. She was offered a position at an insurance company in the finance department and made the difficult decision to leave and pursue a new career path. 

Because of her dedication to Sarvey’s mission and assistance with fundraiser events, Paula was offered a position with the Board of Directors. We did not want to see her go completely and she was thrilled to stay on in a new capacity. She is still living in Lake Stevens with her husband and son, 2 dogs and 2 cats, and is going back to school to obtain her CPA license. 

Lesley Kovar, DVM - Director (please see bio on Staff page)

 

Elora Webb, Director 

Elora’s first job out of high-school was as an office assistant and ambulance driver/rescuer at Sarvey Wildlife—but her passion for safeguarding wildlife started much earlier. At 16, Elora co-founded Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Infinite Patience campaign, documenting the annual slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan for the world’s media. Her blog, accounting her personal experiences in Taiji, gained international news attention and hundreds of thousands of daily followers. In total, she'd spend over 100 days documenting the slaughter and inhumane treatment of dolphins and small whales in Taiji. Elora served on the Board of Advisors for Children’s Education & Activities at Sea Shepherd from 2010-2015. In addition, she worked with the organization for 5 years in various capacities including as volunteer coordinator for the 2014 Faroe Islands campaign and as Executive Assistant to the organization’s founder Paul Watson. Elora earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication & Film Studies from Western Washington University. She’d go on to work with many non-profits in the Seattle area before earning her Master’s in Communication & Digital Media from the University of Washington. For the past four years, Elora has worked with Mighty Media Studios in Bellevue. She developed an original workflow and department to manage American Sign Language accessibility on global, enterprise-level, digital events. As Development Manager at Mighty, she works closely with senior leadership on developing and implementing strategies for business growth—and loves it every day! Elora and her husband are the proud parents to three cats (Lester, Binx, and Oliver). As a member of Sarvey’s Board of Directors, she hopes to bring her media expertise to help make Sarvey a local household name.