Aileen Paterson

Aileen ‘Ellie’ Paterson is a long-time volunteer animal keeper around the Bay Area, and a frequent volunteer for Palomacy since 2014. She works in university management and thinks that one day she would like to manage a sanctuary, where she can make pretty aviaries, garden with the birds, and clean poop. She lives in Berkeley, CA with Tim (her partner of 13 years), 3 cats, 5 doves, and 2 pigeons.

Christiana and Talma

Christiana Reed 

Raised by fabulous parents in an upper middle class American home. No childhood is perfect, but mine was close – was safe and loved, got a great eduction, traveled a lot. Rebelled by going to performing arts school after high school (despite scholarships to some of the best colleges in the country). Spent 3 years in the Citrus College Singers – performed extensively, learned a ton, got my SAG card, and attained peace of mind that the life of a full-time performing artist wasn’t for me. Moved on to Pepperdine University where I got world-class training in Public Relations and could see the Pacific ocean from my dorm. Confronted issues like body image head-on, and ended up with a bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude. After 9 years in the corporate world, I’m currently applying my PR and theatre experience to the world-class work of Illusion Entertainment. It’s a joy and a privilege. The art of grand illusion requires the utmost excellence in design and performance, and I’m thrilled to help facilitate this artistry that delights audiences like nothing else can.

Jenna & Moose

Jenna Close – Interim Board Chair

Jenna’s foray into the non-profit world started in her early twenties. An actor since childhood, she founded a theater company with two of her friends. They not only learned the ropes of running a non-profit, they went on to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland as well as elsewhere in the US. Later trading the stage for a camera, Jenna spent 19 years as a commercial photographer and filmmaker at Buck the Cubicle, a company she started with her partner Jon and friend Meredith. At age 31 she became the youngest board member of the American Society of Media Photographers, a 10,000 member trade organization for media professionals. She spent 7 years on the board, including 2 as Chair (youngest female chair in the history of the organization) and one as Ex-Officio. During her time as Chair she worked closely with the Executive Director to overhaul the board, including partaking in extensive training on best standards for non-profit board governance. Jenna became an accidental pigeon and dove rescuer 9 years ago and recently retired from Buck The Cubicle to focus on running Moose’s Flock, her non-profit pigeon and dove rescue, full time. Moose’s Flock is the only dedicated pigeon rescue and sanctuary in San Diego and is currently in the process of moving to Jamul to expand and open a Pigeon Education and Adoption Center. Jenna will be serving as Interim Board Chair with a focus on teaching governance to the new Palomacy board.

Rose Lalla Jensen

Neil Gilfedder

Neil Gilfedder
Neil Gilfedder has given generously of his time and skills in taking care of our flock at the Ploughshares aviary, including training new volunteers with a warm smile and welcoming spirit! He has a professional financial background, providing valuable insight to the work of Palomacy’s Board as we put donation funds to work saving the lives of the birds who come into our care.

Dr. Holly Galusha with Panny

Dr Holly Galusha, DVM       
Dr. Holly Galusha is a compassionate and skilled avian veterinarian, and has been a trusted medical provider for the birds in Palomacy’s care, as well as being a friend and an advisor. Her insights into individual bird care as well as a wider, flock-wide perspective, help guide our decision-making as we try to serve as many birds as possible, as compassionately as possible.

Jill & friends

Jill McMurchy Shepard, Care Director 

Jill McMurchy loves pigeons. And doves. She was bit by a broken zombie pigeon named Elinor she found on the side of the road in 2011 and has been blindly doing their bidding ever since. In her spare time, she is a caregiver to everything needy in existence. She has three grown kids and a couple grands, and lives with an always fluctuating number of pigeons and doves, finches, budgies, three dogs and two cats.

Elizabeth with dove Lily & King pigeon Neo

Founder, Retired Executive Director Elizabeth Young

Elizabeth grew up in Las Vegas, graduated with a degree in English from UC Berkeley, worked 13 years on the front lines of the war on poverty as a nonprofit director to reduce poverty and develop self-reliance, spent 6 years making educational toys and in 2007 became an accidental pigeon rescuer. Elizabeth has always loved all animals and had no special interest in pigeons when she began volunteering at the San Francisco Animal Care & Control shelter except concern when she learned they were coming into shelters but not getting out. They were the only animals who had no one helping them. All the others, the dogs and cats, rabbits and rats, parrots and snakes, farmed animals and wildlife, all had at least one rescue to help them. Elizabeth hadn’t intended to start a rescue but she helped a pigeon named Gurumina and then another named Rocky and… now with Palomacy, has saved the lives of more than 1000 directly and helped countless others across the country and beyond. When she retired as Director of Palomacy, founder Elizabeth Young said “I’m leaving the job but not the work.” She is making good on that promise by stepping up to serve on the Board, bringing with her all the wisdom, experience, and understanding of Palomacy’s mission.