Happy New Year, dear friends of OpSPOT!

We are proud to announce that, thanks to you, OpSPOT spayed/neutered 1,022 dogs and cats last year. With your help, we will continue our important mission in 2022.

But first, we have a couple of exciting announcements:

Our incredible executive director, Liz Rudder, will begin sharing her duties in 2022, then transition to board president in January 2023. To that end:

Please join us in welcoming Katie Nelson., OpSPOT’s new co-director.  She and Liz will work side by side until the first of next year when Katie will assume the role of executive director.

We have been blessed to have Liz at the helm of the OpSPOT organization for 27 years. During her tenure, more than 48,000 animals have been spayed/neutered. That number is impressive, and it is Liz’s dynamic and optimistic leadership that has made OpSPOT the incredibly effective organization that it is today.

Katie brings to OpSPOT over four years of executive director experience from the Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS). She holds an M.A. degree from Hofstra University and a B.A. from Illinois State University.

While leading the BAHS, Katie significantly improved the organization’s financial health, implemented new life-saving and educational programming and revitalized the shelter’s branding. Katie worked diligently to fulfill the society’s mission, and we are confident she will be stellar in fulfilling OpSPOT’s as well.

Liz and Katie are excited about this dynamic leadership team and we are thrilled to see them get underway with job sharing and transitioning. They will work to continue OpSPOT’s successful TenSPOT Fix, 909-VETS, and Free Straw for Warm Paws programs and to optimize our highly effective mobile spay/neuter “Waggin'” clinics for owned pets and for free-roaming community cats.

We believe great things are in store for OpSPOT under their leadership.

Thank you for your continued support of our mission. May all of you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022.

Sincerely,

The OpSPOT Board of Directors

Elaine Hunter
Stacey Knight
Leanne Martin
Sarah Casey Newman
Julie Stroetker
Robin Wood​