Leadership & Financials

Prior to joining Santa Barbara Humane in 2019, Dr. Katie worked with the ASPCA in Los Angeles, performing high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter; participating in safety-net and relocation programs; and developing a fostering program for underaged cats. She also served as the Medical Director of the Spay Neuter Project of Los Angeles, where she expanded medical services and helped start an Access to Care program to secure veterinary treatment for pets of low-income families. After completing over 50,000 spay/neuter surgeries, Dr. Katie shifted her focus to Shelter Medicine. Under her leadership, SB Humane quickly tripled our spay/neuter surgery numbers, decreased our length of stay for sheltered animals, more than doubled our adoption numbers, and enabled us to begin accepting hundreds of animals from overcrowded shelters.

Dr. Katie leads a team of eight veterinarians between our two campuses and mobile clinic, offering services seven days a week to over 30,000 animals a year. She graduated from UC Davis in 2008 with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and, in 2020, earned a Master of Science in Veterinary Medical Sciences with a Concentration in Shelter Medicine.  

Dr. Katie lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, Dave, dog Casi, and cat Mae.

In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Dori Villalon oversees the shelter, volunteer, dog training, and facilities operations at both campuses. She has an extensive background in animal welfare, having served in leadership roles at organizations in California, Colorado, and the Midwest.

Prior to joining Santa Barbara Humane in 2019, Dori worked as the Operations Manager and interim Director at Santa Barbara County Animal Services. Knowing that helping animals would be her lifelong career, Dori developed a bachelor’s degree in Animal Welfare Management at Sonoma State University. She is recognized for bringing a progressive approach to animal and client care.

Dori shares her home with her dog, Desi, and two orange Tabby cat siblings, Finn and Hazel.

For over 23 years, Paige has been a dedicated champion for nonprofits in Santa Barbara, ensuring their development and viability through exceptional leadership, strategic fundraising, donor cultivation, and stewardship. Currently serving as the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Santa Barbara Humane, she is passionate about creating lasting impact in her community.

Previously, Paige was the Executive Director of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, where she played a pivotal role in establishing it as the premier small-town community arts center in the nation. Her experience also includes Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, the Foundation for SBCC and the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara.

Paige has a strong commitment to animal welfare, the arts, education, and social justice. She believes in empowering nonprofits to achieve sustainable financial independence and attributes her success to her natural curiosity, ability to connect people with their passions, and commitment to excellence in her field.

A lifelong resident of Santa Barbara, Paige graduated from Santa Barbara High School and UC Santa Barbara. She has also served on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Santa Barbara/Ventura and the 93013 Fund Advisory Board. She was recognized as one of Pacific Coast Business Times’ 40 Under 40 and completed Antioch University’s “Women in Leadership” Program. 

Chung Cam is the Chief Financial Officer at Santa Barbara Humane, where he oversees financial strategy and operational growth. Since joining the organization, Chung has led efforts to bring financial operations in-house and implemented crucial fraud prevention measures. His leadership has enhanced the organization’s fiscal transparency and sustainability, supporting Santa Barbara Humane’s mission of providing essential animal services throughout the community.

Chung has held several prominent roles prior to joining Santa Barbara Humane. He served as a Risk and Controls Analyst at Meta Platforms, Inc., as Finance Manager for Allsaints USA Retail Limited, and as an Internal Auditor for both Activision Blizzard and Green Dot Corporation. He also worked in public accounting, specializing in financial statements and internal controls audits. His extensive experience across tech, retail, entertainment, and finance sectors enables him to bring a unique perspective to his current role.

In recognition of his professional achievements, Chung was named one of Pacific Coast Business Times’ 40 Under 40 in 2023. He is also the Chair of the Supervisory Committee for Ventura County Credit Union and continues to manage multiple real estate investments.

Chung holds an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University, a B.A. in Real Estate from Ashford University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and is a licensed real estate broker in California.

Outside of his professional life, Chung is dedicated to fitness and recently completed a significant personal transformation through powerlifting. He lives in Ventura with his wife, Karen, their two chihuahua mixes, Bauer and Molly, and they are eagerly preparing for the arrival of their first child, Chloe, in November 2024.

Before joining the veterinary team at Santa Barbara Humane, Vanessa worked for San Joaquin Valley College as a teacher for Veterinary Assistants. She has been a Registered Veterinary Technician since 2009 and has a Bachelor in Business Administration.

Vanessa has been in the field for over 20 years, and her background includes high-volume spays and neuters, general practice, emergency, shelter medicine, and teaching. She loves what she can offer the organization with her vast experience, saying, “It’s nice to work for an organization that shares my goals for the animals in our community.”