Meet Our Directors
Erika Pratte / Executive Director
Erika has a devotion to animal welfare and working with community members to help keep pets with their
families. Innately organized and always seeking improvement opportunities, Erika leverages her personal
strengths to help create a bigger and better future for Partners for Pets and the animals who need the
organization most. Born an animal lover and raised in Madison County, IL, Erika recognized and
appreciated Partners for Pets' dedication to the community and has aligned herself with the organization
for almost a decade.
Nev Fisher / Animal Care Director
Nev, a self-proclaimed animal lover, has been with Partners for Pets for 16 years. During her career Nev
has been an integral part of the organizational growth and continued success of Partners for Pets. Nev
provides oversight on all animals under our care in addition to the multiple ways abandoned pets find their
way to our facility. Nev is responsible for networking with rescue organizations spanning over several states
to ensure that pets from areas with little resources get to us safely. When not rescuing, Nev spends her
time with her husband, their 2 beautiful children and their big dogs.
Partners for Pets Board of Directors
Patty Barney / Board President / HR Committee
Patty earned her BS at University of West Florida and is also a graduate of Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville’s MPA program. With a concentration in nonprofit organization, Patty has long been involved
in community projects, especially those centered around children and pets. For over a decade, Patty has
occupied numerous Partners for Pets volunteer positions from board activity to fundraising to fostering.
Advocating to give abandoned pets a second chance is truly one of her greatest passions.
Jackie Jackson / Treasurer / Finance Committee
Jackie has been involved with Partners for Pets since 2012 when she and her husband Keith started
fostering for the group. Now parents of one prior owned pit bull mix and three pit bull mix foster fails from
Partners, she has moved into the more administrative role of Board Member, Treasurer, and Bookkeeper.
Jackie is a Finance Manager at Nestle Purina Pet Care Company and operates a side business of teaching
horseback riding lessons and training horses.
Julie Fleck / Board Member
Julie has lived in Edwardsville since 2000 and is a Realtor/Broker with Remax Alliance. Also, as the recipient of the Remax Lifetime Achievement award, Julie has been recognized for her charitable acts in and around the GlenEd communities. Julie is proud to be a board member for Partners 4 Pets and loves to help with fundraising projects and fostering senior dogs. Serving on the board of Restore Decor is another way Julie gives back to her community. As the mother of three grown children, twin sons and a daughter, Julie spends her free time with family and friends.
Elena Graber / Board Member / HR & Finance Committee
For the past four years Elena has been invested in fostering both cats and dogs for Partners for Pets. In addition, Elena has created significant fundraising programs with local businesses including the St. Louis Cardinals. As the co- founder of Sterilization Nation, Elena has also made an enormous TNR impact in St. Clair County. Outside of animal rescue, Elena works as an accountant with a public accounting firm and spends her free time with family and pets.
Heather Haberkorn / Board Member
Born and raised in Edwardsville, IL, Heather attended Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University, graduating with a BS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Heather’s career has been focused on the Human Resources aspect of business throughout several industries including travel, banking, plastics manufacturing, but primarily in retail. Career growth has seen Heather make several moves to California, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. Heather and her husband, Tony, have been married for 14 years and after 26 years in law enforcement Tony has recently retired. Both Heather and Tony are currently moving back to the Edwardsville area with their two beloved dogs, Laney and Chase.
Kea Baker / Board Member
Kea is a mother, pet mom and a realtor-partner in the Big River Realty group with Keller Williams Marquee. As board secretary, Kea serves Rebuilding Together Southwestern Illinois working with
homeowners to ensure safe and healthy housing including handicap accessibility for disabled veterans. When not working or volunteering, Kea loves spending time with her family both human,
furry and feathered. Mom to a 13-year-old son, Kea loves watching him play baseball. Over the years, Kea and her husband have adopted multiple furry babies. Kea has recently added ten chickens
which has been a new experience, but lots of fun. Animals are one of Kea’s passion and she is excited to be involved in helping animals find loving forever homes.
Mandy Marquis / Vice President / HR Committee
Mandy is the owner of Secure Insurance and Financial Services and proud mother of two daughters. For
the past twenty years, Mandy has been involved in animal rescue in Madison County and serves as both a
foster and the Partners for Pets foster cat coordinator. Mandy is also on the board of Mercy Hospital and
works to raise awareness for blood donations.
Katie Mondy Hughes / Secretary / HR Committee
Katie has enjoyed volunteering with Partners for Pets in various capacities for over ten years. Katie holds a BA in
Music Performance and Spanish from the University of Iowa, an MA in Management and Leadership from Webster University, and is a certified Project Manager. Katie currently works in supply chain in the life sciences industry and enjoys caring for her two dogs and two cats, as well as a community of cats in her metro east neighborhood.
Kathy Disher / Board Member
Kathy is a lifelong resident of Madison County, wife, mother and pet owner. Kathy has had a career in the health services field and is currently a Registered Nurse for Children and Family Services for the state of Illinois. Kathy and her husband, Terry, established the Zac’s Pac Foundation in honor of their son, Zac, who lost a three-year battle against Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Zac’s Pac supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), sports endeavors and animal causes. Kathy is also an avid animal lover of all wildlife, farm animals and pets.
Dr. David Hall / Board Member
David graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and started his career as an associate veterinarian at Creekwood Animal Hospital (CAH) in Collinsville. In 1989 David bought a small animal practice in Quincy, Il where he worked until 1993 when he returned to CAH. In 1999 David bought CAH and renamed it Horseshoe Lake Animal Hospital, where David has practiced until his retirement in 2021. David also served as the Madison County Animal Control
Administrator from 1993 until 2016. In these various capacities David has worked closely with numerous humane organizations throughout his career. David is married to Kathy Hall and they have three grown children, Tristan, Rhiannon, and Dylan, and a daughter-in-law, Sam. David and
Kathy currently share their home with their cats Oliver and Vienna, as well as their dogs Olive and Dexter. David is a musician (guitar, drums) and an avid pro sports fan. David’s favorite activities include traveling, biking, and drinking wine and he plans to do a lot more of these activities now that
he is retired!
Kathleen Nolan / Board Member
Kathleen lives Alton with her two pit-mix pups, Axl and Basil, and two cats, Mumford and Doctor Whiskers.
Kathleen works in the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office and heads the child abuse and sexual assault
division. In Kathleen’s free time, she enjoys traveling to new places and eating new things. Kathleen has always
had a passion for animal rescue, the ethical treatment of animals and she is excited to be a part of Partners for
Pets.
