M.A.I.N. Board of Directors

Kelly Ferreira: President

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Colby College. After spending most of her professional career working with people with serious mental illness, she has now dedicated her skills, her passion and her time to animals in need. A lifelong animal lover, Kelly has been involved in independent rescue most of her adult life. In 2011 she decided to become a volunteer and foster for Maricopa County Animal Care & Control to see things from the “other side”. She started rescuing medically needy dogs, teaming up with other volunteers to start M.A.I.N. Kelly currently shares her home with 5 dogs.

Don Mertes: Vice President

Don is a Real Estate Agent and lifelong animal lover who has dedicated his time and marketing strategies to help dogs scheduled for euthanasia in Maricopa County. With a long time interest in photography and videography, Don is responsible for a lot of the “studio photographs” of our dogs and most of the videos that we’ve become known for. He lives in an historic bungalow in downtown Phoenix with a variety of critters, both furry and feathered.

Kathleen Moren: Treasurer

Kathleen is completing her Doctorate in Finance specializing in Non Profits. She has over 20 years experience in Finance and Accounting and currently holds the position as the Controller of a Non Profit Behavioral Health and Primary Care clinic. In addition to working in the non profit industry, Kathleen teaches Accounting at local community colleges. Along with her finance background, Kathleen also brings a depth of experience in animal rescue. She is a board member of a local Animal Rescue and is a Docent with the Humane Society. Kathleen has been fostering rescue animals for 20 years.

Mark Zimmer: Board Member

Mark is a Michigan native but an Arizona resident since 1988. He considers himself a “late comer” to the rescue community but finds that it has been very rewarding! He graduated from Michigan State University in 1984 and since then has worked in the field of athletics, specifically at ASU since moving to Arizona. Mark has two Great Pyrenees, Jack and Lola. Although an Arizona resident, Mark still roots on his beloved Detroit sports teams and any team that wears the Green and White of MSU. He has also become a huge soccer fan, rooting for Everton in the English Premier League and the Portland Timbers of MLS. Mark enjoys all types of music, but is partial to the music of Bruce Springsteen. He is also an avid runner and enjoys traveling when time permits.

Sue Nennemann: Board Member

Sue is a self-employed entrepreneur – Graphic Facilitator, Training and Development consultant, dog groomer, antique seller and dog rescuer. After helping setup the grooming facility at the County Shelter, Sue started fostering, volunteering, and then rescuing dogs from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. In addition to teaming to found MAIN, Sue now has her own rescue – Pathways Home Animal Rescue and specializes in terriers, scruffy dogs, and lost souls. A lifelong animal lover, Sue now shares her home with too many fosters to mention.

Kelly Bushong: Board Member

Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Kelly Bushong loved all animals. She had many pets including a hamster named Alistair and a beloved cat named Mandy. After high school, Kelly moved to sunny Tempe, Arizona, to escape the cold winters. She pursued her interest in animals by working as a Certified Veterinary Technician while attending college at Arizona State University. After college graduation, Kelly joined the nonprofit sector and has been working as a professional nonprofit fundraiser for over a decade. When Kelly was ready to adopt her first dog, she visited the county shelter and found Birdie, a dog at risk of euthanasia due to an injury. Kelly adopted Birdie and quickly fell in love with the happy, car-ride-loving dog. A few years later Kelly heard about Medical Animal In Need’s mission and volunteered her veterinary medicine and fundraising skills to help save more dogs like Birdie. In addition to Birdie, Kelly has two M.A.I.N. foster failures, Tippen & Domino.