EXECUTIVE TEAM - BIOGRAPHIES.

Dan Rossi, Executive Director

Dan comes to us from Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, where he led the very successful Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh over 12 years. Dan is a Pittsburgh native and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Carnegie-Mellon University, as well as a Master’s Degree from Robert Morris University. His extensive nonprofit experience spans not only animal welfare but also human health, having served as CEO of United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona, part of the United Cerebral Palsy network which is one of the largest health nonprofits in the United States. Dan’s animal welfare journey really took off in 2010 when he accepted the role of Executive Director at the Animal Rescue League. Under his leadership the ARL experienced unprecedented growth and became the largest animal shelter in the Pittsburgh region, touching the lives of more than 25,000 animals and 30,000 households annually. In 2017, Dan was named CEO of Humane Animal Rescue – the legacy organization of the merged Animal Rescue League and Western PA Humane Society.

Bart Verry, Development Director

Bart joined the Palm Springs Animal Shelter as the Director of Development in December, 2021. Bart oversees the fundraising efforts for PSAS, and works closely on the marketing and communications initiatives. Bart has been in the development field for over 20 years in Southern California, having worked for a variety of organizations such as Global Green USA, the Make-A Wish Foundation, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Pablove Foundation and serves on the Board of the Desert Business Association. Bart enjoys volunteering as a small dog walker for the shelter, and lives in Palm Springs with his husband Mark and their dog Roxxy, who they adopted from PSAS.

Dr. Philip Caldwell

Dr. Phil Caldwell graduated from the Canadian Ontario Veterinary College in 1994. After graduation, he moved to Las Vegas and practiced there for twelve years before moving to Los Angeles and then to the Coachella Valley where he currently resides. He has provided nonprofit veterinary care to small animals in India as well as Cambodia. In his spare time, he is the CEO and founder of the Savong Foundation Cambodia which provides scholarships to underprivileged students who wish to pursue professional careers. More information about this philanthropic work can be found at www.savongfoundation.org. One of his passions is writing and he has completed a book called The Pet Doctor’s Shoes which details his adventures in the trenches of small animal medicine and surgery. He is very proud to be a part of the PSAS team where an enormous amount of effort goes into saving lives and adopting out great pets.

Marta Jara-Rueda

Marta was born in Santiago, Chile but came to the U.S. at two years old thanks to her parents (Hilario & Eliana)and their American dream. She graduated with a double major from U.C.L.A. in 1994 and worked in both the news and entertainment industry for a few years, but the day-to-day satisfaction was not there She then took a u-turn and graduated from Pierce College in 2004 which allowed her to take her state Board exam to become an R.V.T. Under the guidance of her mentor and friend Dr. Steven Salk, she learned most of what she knows today and that has allowed her to help the stray and abandoned animals that have come through the doors of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter since 2012. Two of her greatest passions as a Registered Veterinary Technician are teaching others what she knows and fighting for animals to have compassionate euthanasia that allows them to leave this world with peace, love and dignity. Her greatest supporter is her husband Alejandro who backs her up with her calling. They share their home with their dogs Elvis, Jade, Kourage and Lincoln.