Katie Nelson
Executive Director
Katie’s Bio
Katie joined the OpSPOT team in January of 2022. She met Liz Rudder through the St. Louis Petlover Coalition and they worked together to bring mobile Waggin’ clinics to the Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS). Katie served as the BAHS’ first executive director from 2016-2020. During her tenure, she made significant improvements to the financial health and operations of the BAHS.
“I’m grateful for my experience in the shelter environment. It makes me see an even greater need for spay/neuter than before. I’ve seen too many great animals with no place to go. Spay/neuter is key to solving pet overpopulation. I’ve respected OpSPOT’s mission for years and am proud to be serving as their co-executive director.”
Katie has a B.A. from Illinois State University and an M.A. from Hofstra University. She lives in St. Louis with her human and canine family. In her free time, she enjoys horseback riding and reading.
Kristin Clements
Veterinarian
Kristin’s Bio
Dr. Clements joined the OpSPOT team as our veterinarian in 2014. In addition to performing high quality and high volume spay-neuter surgeries in our mobile Waggin’, she is also responsible for ordering medical supplies, keeping records and statistics and finding some of the best veterinarian technicians in our region to work alongside her. Her technicians joke about parking her in the corner of our Waggin’ each clinic, and keeping her there. It’s sufficient to say, she has mastered her craft.
Dr. Clements performs spay-neuter for two other local organizations, plus relief surgeries at a private practice. She received her DVM from the University of Illinois in 2001. In her free time, she enjoys fiber arts – cross stitch, crochet, sewing and supporting her kids in their hockey and band endeavours. She resides in St. Louis County with her human family and her calico cats, Cora and Willow.
“As someone who has worked for shelters, I highly support spay-neuter efforts to reduce pet overpopulation. Intact animals have a higher likelihood of injuries from fighting, being hit by a car while chasing mates and emergency problems while giving birth. My personal pets are spayed and I’m happy to help bring that option to the local groups with which we partner.”
Brandi Moore
Veterinarian Technician
Brandi’s Bio
Brandi joined the OpSPOT medical team in 2016. She works alongside
Dr. Clements on the Waggin’ to prepare patients for surgery and monitor them during and as they recover. She gets the Waggin’ ready to spay/neuter, microchip and vaccinate approximately 40 patients per clinic.
“When Dr. Clements asked if I would come help out at one of the clinics, I just kept coming back! I love that OpSPOT goes to the community. That makes it easier on so many levels for the client and the patients. I especially love that OpSPOT has become a large part of the feral cat community.”
Brandi started her vet tech career at St. Louis Veterinary Center. High volume and high quality s/n is no stranger to Brandi, as she also worked at Carol House Quick Fix. In addition to OpSPOT, she also works at City Paws Veterinary Clinic. Brandi holds her certificate for veterinary assistant from Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA).
She enjoys live music, photography and hiking.
Kristy
Erker
Veterinarian Technician
Kristy’s Bio
Coming Soon!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Liz Rudder
Board President
Liz’s Bio
Liz has been at the helm of OpSPOT for 27 years. During her tenure, OpSPOT has spayed/neutered more than 48,000 dogs and cats. Liz has a dynamic and optimistic way of leading, that has directly contributed to the success of OpSPOT. As a founding member, she has seen our region make incredible strides in decreasing pet overpopulation. The organization is effective because of her dedication to the mission over the years.
“OpSPOT’s success has depended on our dedication to working with many community partners to ensure we have the most impact on pet overpopulation in the neighborhoods we serve. It takes the efforts of many caring people to achieve our goal that each dog and cat born will have a loving home.”
She has implemented several programs to directly combat pet overpopulation.
Prior to her animal welfare career, Liz worked as a book designer at McGraw-Hill followed by 10 years as a freelance book designer. She received her B.F.A. from Washington University.
Stacey Knight
Vice-President
Stacey’s Bio
Stacey has been with OpSPOT for nearly 20 years and was nominated vice-president of the board in 2012. Throughout the years, Stacey’s experience with our canine friends has included volunteering with the Humane Society of Missouri, Duo Dogs, Dirk’s Fund, and Helping Strays of Monroe County. She’s helped these groups with pet adoptions, special events, Kennel Enrichment, and was a Critter Camp Counselor. She earned the Humane Teacher of the Year Award in 2002 and Teach Kind’s Compassionate Teacher Award in 2015. In her spare time, she enjoys dog-walking and having fun with obedience training and agility at The Obedient Dog. Stacey is retired from teaching and lives with her husband, Steve, and her four-legged “kids”–Tater, Willow, Tucker, and Gilbert, the cat.
Leanne Martin
Leanne’s Bio
Leanne has been dedicated to OpSPOT for over 20 years. At Waggin’ clinics, you can find her cleaning surgery tools for our vet with the utmost precision. Her loyalty to the mission is unwavering.
“Spaying and neutering is the only solution to pet overpopulation. Vet clinics can be too expensive for many people to afford. OpSPOT offers a viable solution for underserved communities.”
As a lifelong animal lover, she learned about OpSPOT through an event at the BAHS. Recognizing that there were no low cost spay/neuter entities at the time, Leanne gravitated to OpSPOT’s mission.
She holds an associates degree from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale as a physical therapy assistant. She has worked in several healthcare settings and is currently with Crescent Home Health Agency in Swansea, Illinois.
Georgia Laidet
Georgia’s Bio
Georgia has been active in several animal welfare organizations through many years of volunteering, and is thrilled to join the OPSPOT board in 2023. She actively participates in St. Louis’s TNR initiative (Trap, Neuter, Return) and sees firsthand the importance and success of TNR clinics. OPSPOT’s straightforward mission statement resonates with her. She recognizes the need for affordable and accessible spay and neuter services; effective spay and neuter programs are a critical component of keeping the owned pet/animal population from becoming unmanageable. Georgia will focus on fundraising, but dip her toes into a little sprinkle of everything as she develops her role on the OPSPOT board.
In her spare time (and there just isn’t much!) Georgia enjoys cooking, baking, and sitting on the couch with a cat in one hand and a glass of something delicious in the other. Five personal cats live in Georgia’s home: Finn, Rory, Panda Bear, Earl, and Mocha, in addition to several colonies of community cats who allow her to ply them with food and shelter. Her favorite part of the day is hearing her colony cats crunch on their kibble. There is no sight or sound more rewarding than maintaining a fixed colony of cats.
Professionally, Georgia is an Inventory Specialist with Bull Moose Tube Company and had seven plus years of steel industry experience. This role incorporates her passion for creating relationships with people, problem solving on the fly, and desire to strategize.
Sarah Casey Newman
Sarah’s Bio
Sarah has been involved with OpSPOT for approximately 20 years. She learned about OpSPOT when she was The Tail End editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s former Lifestyle magazine and covering the animal scene in St. Louis. Sarah recalls being impressed by OpSPOT, in part because it was the first and only low-cost spay/neuter organization at the time.
“OpSPOT’s mission is important because it is saving animal lives, pure and simple. The adoption of shelter animals is the most visible way to tackle the problem of pet overpopulation, but that alone can’t stop the inevitable death of surplus pets. Only bringing down the number of unwanted animals through spaying and neutering will do that.”
Sarah retired after 40 years as a feature writer and editor for major metropolitan newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her career also included freelance magazine writing and book contributor. She received her B.A. in journalism at the University of Missouri.
She enjoys spending time with her three glorious granddaughters and being around animals, especially her dogs Max and Baxter and cat Winston. Additional volunteer work includes former story-teller and docent at the Endangered Wolf Center and at the Henry Doorley Zoo in Omaha. She has also volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. She loves to read mysteries, thrillers and other escape fiction, as well as news. Sarah is no stranger to writing and calling elected officials about important issues, especially animal issues.
Robin Wood
Robin’s Bio
Robin has been a member of the OpSPOT Board of Directors since 2016 and is proud to support OpSPOT’s mission.
Robin holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Media Communications. She has worked in television, as well as in the nonprofit sector, and is currently employed as the Director of Finance and Special Events at CHAMP Assistance Dogs. In her volunteer role for OpSPOT, Robin has helped with special events and bookkeeping.
Robin loves dogs and has a hound named “Dolly”, whom she adopted from a shelter.
Advisory Council
Bob Baker
Steven Broadbent, CPA
Nancy Grove, Esq
Daniel Smith, DVM
Ledy VanKavage, Esq
Cecily Westerman