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Leadership Council 2022-2023

Gail Artikaslan

Gail served as a FAAS board member for eight years, from July 2014 to June 2022. She is an Enrolled Agent in Alameda with a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University and has been a tax consultant for more than 35 years. She has always been passionate about animals and has been a sponsor of the FAAS After the Ball fundraiser since 2012. She is thrilled to help FAAS continue its mission of educating the public and finding forever families for our furry friends. She lives in Alameda with her husband, Ahmet, their lab mix rescue, Allie, and their rescue "diva cat," Lily.


Joe Ernst

Joe Ernst is a founder of srmErnst and has more than 20 years of real estate experience in development, investment, asset management and finance. Joe joined SRM Associates in 1999 and was the principal in charge of all new development since 2005.

Prior to SRM, Joe was a vice president in structured finance at Norwest Bank Minneapolis (prior to acquisition of Wells Fargo). He was also a vice president with Cargill Financial Services focused on developing a conduit for acquisition and securitization of subprime residential mortgages, and a vice president with Piper Jaffray as a structured finance analyst involved in the acquisition, restructuring and fund management of a $1 billion portfolio of distressed residential loans and under-performing CMBS deals.

Joe graduated magna cum laude from the University of Saint Thomas receiving his B.A. in finance and computer science. He is a portfolio advisor with Inner City Advisors, an Oakland-based non-profit small business and jobs advocacy group.


Debborah S. Knowles

Deb joined the FAAS Board of Directors in 2013 and served as president from 2016 to 2017. She has always had a passion for animals and a soft spot for "those who just can’t get a permanent family the first time around." Deb both lives and works in Alameda as a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments. Highly active in the community, she also serves as president of the Alameda Rotary Endowment Foundation and secretary of the Downtown Alameda Business Association. Deb previously served board terms with Girls Inc. of the Island City, Rotary Club of Alameda, and Alameda Food Bank. Deb and her wife, Susan, share their lives with an Australian shepherd. 


Bob Mischak

Bob has more than 40 years of financial, operational, and consulting experience, and has worked in video postproduction, advertising, banking, insurance, taxation and financial planning. He enjoyed a stint as controller of the NFL’s Raiders during their historic move to Los Angeles, working closely with NFL Hall of Fame owner Al Davis. In his last position as executive vice president and chief financial officer of a direct-marketing agency, he was part of a senior management team that ultimately grew the business for sale to the world’s largest holding company of advertising and marketing services firms.

Bob was a member of the board of directors of the East Bay SPCA for six years. He is now in his eighth year as a volunteer at FAAS and in 2020 will mark 15 years of playing “Santa Paws” at FAAS’ annual holiday fundraiser.
He received his master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University and his bachelor’s in business administration degree in international management from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

While he and his wife, Melissa are quite satisfied with their 25 years of living on the island of Alameda, their interest in travel is extensive. Their journeys have taken them through all 50 states and more than 49 countries on every continent including Antarctica, which, with apologies to Mark Twain, is even colder than a summer in San Francisco. Bob speaks fluent Italian and is passionately studying Spanish.


Nancy O'Malley

District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley has served as the chief law enforcement officer of Alameda County since 2009. She is the first woman elected to hold the office, which boasts a national reputation for excellence dating back to former District Attorney and United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren.

DA O’Malley is a nationally recognized expert regarding violence against women and people with disabilities, and interpersonal violence including sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, stalking, and human exploitation and trafficking. She is known for her innovation and vision, including her Restitution Program for victims of crime, her Alameda Family Justice Center, and her Human Exploitation and Trafficking Watch Program. 

She is also a fierce advocate for animals, creating Alameda County’s first Animal Cruelty Task Force to focus on the link between animal abuse and human violence. This groundbreaking task force has resulted in increased awareness of the prevalence of animal abuse in our own back yard, tools for law enforcement to investigate and help bring the perpetrators to justice, and increased penalties for those who are convicted of these heinous crimes.

DA O’Malley has received more 36 awards during her distinguished career, including the 2019 FAAS Noah Award from Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter.


Becca Perata

Becca has spent more than 25 years in communications across a range of industries, including online, telecommunications, children’s health and education, land use and the energy sector. Becca founded Vox Populi, a full-service public relations/public affairs firm, in 2001. She serves as strategic advisor to non-profit organizations, start-ups and corporations. Her firm has managed community engagement, media relations, corporate communications, special events, crisis management and direct marketing for clients, including the Oakland Zoo, Calpine Corporation, BayWest Development, Steelwave, Bishop O'Dowd High School, Catellus Corporation, and SaveMart/Lucky Stores. Becca also has served as strategic advisor to the Gap, Inc. and eBay.

Previously, Becca was vice president of corporate communications for Women.com, a top 50 online media company owned by Hearst Media. She also held internal communications positions with SBC/Pacific Bell, Beyond.com and Sun Microsystems. Becca has worked as media relations director for political campaigns and served as a communications consultant, fundraiser and writer for statewide ballot measures and initiatives. Early in her career, Becca managed both consumer products and technology accounts at Porter-Novelli and Hill and Knowlton and worked in production at KNBR radio in San Francisco.

Becca received a B.A. in Communications from the University of San Francisco and was named among the top communications professionals by PRWeek. She lives in the East Bay, where she is a member of  the Jobs and Housing Coalition in Oakland; honorary board member of Alameda Meals on Wheels; and on the community advisory board for Rhythmix Cultural Works.


Kathleen C. Woulfe

An ardent animal lover and native Alamedan, Kathie has supported FAAS since its founding and been a board member since 2012. Kathie advises numerous other East Bay organizations representing causes about which she is passionate. She is on the boards of Alameda Meals on Wheels; the Alameda Chamber of Commerce; the Alameda Education Foundation, for which she chairs the Adopt A Classroom program; and the Diversity in Health Training Institute serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In addition, she is a member of the Alameda Chamber's Government Relations Economic Development Committee (GREDC), and on the advisory boards of Rhythmix Cultural Works, the Boys & Girls Club of Alameda, and the DreamCatcher Youth Services program of Covenant House in Oakland. 

Professionally, Kathie consults in numerous areas including philanthropy, government affairs, political campaigns, leadership and development, and community and nonprofit relationships. Kathie and her husband, Bob, have a 12-year-old indoor rescue tabby who runs the household.  


 

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