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Home :: Meet the Board
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Joey Brooks, President
Joey is employed as an animal cruelty investigator in Gwinnett county.
He has a previous background of crime scene investigation, and he
recently completed the National Cruelty Investigation Level III
program. He serves on the Gwinnett County Domestic Violence Task Force
and Fatality Review Project. He has lectured extensively on animal
welfare and cruelty investigation topics to law enforcement. Contact
Joey at Joey.Brooks@gwinnettcounty.com. |
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Allison Brooksher Cauthen, Vice President
Allison holds both a B.B.A. and J.D. from the University of Georgia. She
currently works as an Assistant Solicitor for Gwinnett County. She prosecutes
many ordinance and misdemeanor violations concerning animals. Allison has
publications in the 2005 and 2006 Animal Cruelty ICLE. Allison has been
involved with animal protection issues since she was a small child. Her
passion for animal protection is the very reason she attended law school.
Contact Allison at abrooksher@gmail.com
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James C. West, Treasurer
James is a former paralegal and currently works
as an AVP/Estate Settlement Officer. James graduated from Kalamazoo
College in Michigan with a B.A. in political science and French, and
also holds a paralegal certificate from New York Paralegal School. He
previously served on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Association
of Paralegals as Co-Director of Pro Bono and also served as a liaison
from the National Federation of Paralegal Associations to the ABA's
Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. James is a District
Captain for the Activist Network of the Humane Society of the United
States.
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Melinda Merck, DVM, Vice President of Veterinary Forensic Affairs
Dr. Melinda Merck graduated from Michigan State University 1988, summa cum laude and in 1990 founded the Cat Clinic of Roswell in Roswell, Georgia, the first clinic in the Atlanta area to stop the practice of declawing cats and instead actively educate the public on why cats need their claws. She has worked with numerous rescue organizations in Atlanta and helped to establish the Good Mews Animal Foundation, a no-kill cat shelter in Marietta, Georgia. Dr. Merck has also worked with dolphin research in Florida. She has presented at the North American Veterinary Conference, 2004 and 2005, American Humane Conference, 2004, University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2004 and 2005, Animal Expo: HSUS, 2005. Dr. Merck is the award-winning author of two books related to animal welfare and cruelty investigations. Contact Dr Merck at catdvm@bellsouth.net |
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Sanford (Sandy) Wallack, Esq., Of Counsel
Sandy is a practicing attorney in Atlanta with an emphasis on criminal defense, civil rights and animal law. He holds a B.A. from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Emory Law School. In addition to serving on GLPA's Board as Of Counsel, Sandy is a volunteer lawyer with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Animal Legal Foundation's Attorney Referral Network. |
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Michelle Farmer, Membership Coordinator
Michelle has an extensive business background and currently works as an executive marketing manager. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in both marketing and finance and with a minor in economics. Michelle's community involvement activities include serving as a team leader with a pet facilitated therapy program. Contact Michelle at glpamembership@gmail.com
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Laura Janssen, Honorary Board Member
Laura Janssen, Esq., graduated from Florida State University Law School in 1995 and began in 1997 at the Forsyth County Solicitor General's office as the Chief Assistant Solicitor. Laura is an attorney and has been involved in advocating for animal welfare for almost a decade. She is currently the Dedicated Animal Cruelty Prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney's office. Contact Laura at laura.janssen@co.fulton.ga.us
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