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Local Voices

LifeLine Animal Project Announces New Chair of the Board, Additional Appointees

LifeLine Animal Project, the metro Atlanta nonprofit promoting lifesaving animal welfare solutions through its programs and management of Fulton and DeKalb County Animal Services, has named Anisa Telwar Kaicker, president and founder of Anisa International, Inc., as chair of the board of directors for 2014 and 2015. The organization is also pleased to announce the additions of Ashley Derrick, Amelia Fusaro and Lyza Sandgren to its board of directors.

“As a passionate animal welfare supporter and savvy local entrepreneur, Anisa will provide key leadership to our organization as we work towards reducing euthanasia and homeless pet rates in metro Atlanta,” said Rebecca Guinn, chief executive officer of LifeLine Animal Project. “Ashley, Amelia and Lyza are proven community and business leaders, and we are proud to have their efforts and experience added to our dedicated board of directors.”

LifeLine’s announcement comes on the heels of an important year for the nonprofit. After being awarded two separate contracts to manage Fulton and DeKalb County Animal Services, LifeLine has already reduced both shelters’ euthanasia rates by 50 percent. In December, the DeKalb and Fulton county shelters reported record low euthanasia rates of 13.4 percent and 25.8 percent respectively. 2013 successes include more than 10,000 spay/neuter surgeries performed at LifeLine’s two low-cost clinics and 4,000 free and low-cost vaccinations.

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Telwar Kaicker has been an avid supporter of the organization since its inception and has served as a board member since 2008. As leader of a global cosmetic accessory design and manufacturing firm, she brings more than 26 years of business expertise to her role as LifeLine’s chair. Actively involved in LifeLine fundraising, in 2012 her company initiated the annual LifeLine Challenge Grant, matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 during the holiday season. Telwar Kaicker is also a supporter of Families First, a member of the Committee of 200 and was named a Southeastern finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year™ award in 2013.

Derrick is a residential realtor with Keller Knapp and three-year member of the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club. A long-time animal welfare advocate, Derrick founded the Atlanta ResponsiBULLY Coalition, which works to dispel negative myths about pit bull mixes and advocates for responsible pet ownership. In 2011 and 2012, she served on the DeKalb Animal Services Advisory Task Force. She volunteers for and has fostered animals from Animal Action Rescue, Shelter Angels Pit Bull Rescue and Friends of DeKalb Animal Rescue.

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Fusaro has more than two decades of experience developing growth strategies and providing change management assistance for emerging technology companies. She has served as a key business advisor for numerous entrepreneurial ventures and was previously president and chief operating officer at Wren Solutions. An enthusiast for conservation, nature and animals, Fusaro works with endangered frogs as a volunteer at the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Amphibian Conservation Program. She was named Volunteer of the Year in 2009.

Sandgren is the owner and supervising paralegal of CanopyParalegal which provides virtual Intellectual Property paralegal specialists to attorneys, law firms and corporations. She is also president of its parent software training and consultation company, CanopyLegal, LLC, both of which she was instrumental in starting and building. Sandgren founded Paralegal Relief, a nonprofit that provides short-term legal support to lawyers affected by natural and man-made disasters and has supported animal rescue and adoption efforts for many years.

For more information on the organization or to support LifeLine in its efforts, visit www.lifelineanimal.org.


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