Meet Our Leadership Team
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.
Partners for Pets Board of Directors
Katie Mondy Hughes / President
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.
Elena Graber / Treasurer
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.
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.
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Kate Vernor/ Vice President
Kate graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Illinois Springfield and an MA in Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has worked professionally in the IT industry for close to 15 years and owns her own web design and IT consulting business in Wentzville, Missouri. Kate is also a yoga instructor and has been teaching for almost a decade. Kate started fostering cats and kittens for Partners for Pets in December 2020 after losing her beloved dog, Gizmo, and joined the board in January 2022. Kate continues to foster and loves all animals, but especially her sweet pups, Ollie and Smitty, and her crazy cats Sophie, Marge, and Violet.
Stephanie Wallis / Secretary
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.
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.
