KANAB — The board of directors of Best Friends Animal Society has elected S. Louise Phanstiel as chair, replacing the retiring John Fripp, past chair who also served as chief financial officer of the Society.
Phanstiel, who resides in Los Angeles, has served on the Best Friends board for the past three years. She retired from WellPoint, Inc., where she held several positions including President of Specialty Products. Prior to her work at WellPoint she was a partner at Coopers & Lybrand, now PricewaterhouseCoopers. In addition to Best Friends, she has served on the boards of several non-profits including the Los Angeles chapters of the American Heart Association and the I Have a Dream Foundation.
The board also elected Francis Battista, a co-founder of Best Friends, as vice-chair. A longtime board member, Battista has a wide range of experience in the organization and is one of the nation’s most respected figures in animal welfare.
Also joining the board will be co-founders Cyrus Mejia and Anne Mejia. Anne will fulfill the role of board secretary, replacing the retiring Celeste Fripp. Deborah Morrison was named to replace John Fripp as chief financial officer earlier this year
“We are lucky to have such an experienced and qualified person as Louise Phanstiel to lead our board,” said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society.
“For many years, Best Friends has greatly benefited from the experience and knowledge of both John and Celeste Fripp,” Castle added. “We are all sad to see them leave.”
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society’s leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.
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