Our Team 

Alan could not afford surgery on his two year old guinea pig when he was a child and that made a lasting impact on him throughout his education and veterinary career He knew there will always be people like him. Alan graduated from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, school Veterinary Medicine, an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and a residency in small animal medicine at the University of California at Davis, where he received awards for his research and teaching. Dr. Stewart has also lectured around the world on various topics of internal medicine. He has been an internist in the Bay Area for 30 years. He is the founder of San Francisco Veterinary Specialists and a co-founder of Bay Area Veterinary Specialists. He currently does locums around the country when specialty hospitals are in need of experienced internists. He spends the majority of his time as a play wright. He was a semifinalist in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2018. He is also on the board of the Magic Theatre. He also scuba dives and supports wildlife causes.

Anne Marie grew up in Massachusetts and received her bachelor of science degree in
Marine Ecology from Simmons College. She attended the Veterinary School at the
University of California, Davis and graduated with her DVM degree. Since the early 1990s,
she has worked as a feline-exclusive veterinarian in the San Francisco Bay Area. She
served as the treasurer for the San Francisco Veterinary Medical Association for 10 years.
She is one of the founding members of SFAfA. When not working with SF Aid for Animals,
some of her many interests include supporting human and animal welfare programs,
spending time with her two-legged and four-legged family, reading, honing her baking skills
and extensive travel and cultural exchange.

Lucy is a Bay Area native with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology from UC Berkeley. She started her career in scientific research before meandering into tech, where she’s since led talent acquisition at multiple startups. A constant in Lucy’s life has been her love for animals and their well-being, which is evident through her volunteer work at various shelters and the adoption of her dogs. A few years ago, she experienced the difficult (and costly) journey of treating her first dog, Truffle’s, kidney disease. It was through this experience that she realized not only the emotional but also the financial hardship of caring for an ailing pet, so she is excited to contribute to SFAfA’s meaningful mission of keeping families and their animals together. In her free time, you can find Lucy and her pup, Theo, snuggled on the couch with a book or exploring the many beautiful beaches and trails around the Bay Area. 

Priya is a healthcare and technology professional with over a decade of experience in startups, marketing, operations, and partnerships. She holds a Bachelors in Cognitive Psychology/Healthcare Social Issues and a Masters in Public Health. Her rescue dog, Lucy Ricardo, is a cancer survivor which inspired Priya to spend more time volunteering with animal welfare organizations in California, Hawaii, Taiwan, and India. She is an advocate of health and wellbeing for humans and animals alike, and is excited to support SFAfA’s mission of keeping animals and their families together.

Linda has always had a deep love for animals, shaped by a childhood in Michigan and a lifelong belief in the bond between pets and their people. She holds a BSE from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Today, she works in product management at a pet telehealth startup and brings that same passion to her role with San Francisco Aid for Animals. Through this work, she’s proud to help families access life-saving care for their beloved pets. Linda currently lives in San Francisco with her dog Oso (@osoclumsy), where they can often be found exploring the city’s parks, beaches, and outdoor spaces.

Lea is a Bay Area native.  She received her bachelor of science degree in biology at the University of California, Davis and then went on to receive her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University.  Lea has been a staff veterinarian at Balboa Pet Hospital in San Francisco since 1995 and currently serves as their medical director. Becoming an empty nester has further increased Lea's awareness of the importance of the human-animal bond and the role that 4-legged family members play in their owner's lives.  When she's not working you can find Lea taking long walks with her dog Vita, cheering on the SF Giants, or preparing a meal for family & friends with vegetables from her garden. 

Bhavya is a marketing professional who received her BBA from the University of Michigan - Ross School of Business. While she has been a Midwest girl her entire life, she was excited to move to California in 2024 and experience all that the Bay Area has to offer. Throughout her career, Bhavya has shifted her trajectory a few times but has always loved working in marketing and finding ways to solve customer problems and needs. Knowing the importance and joy that pets bring to families, she is excited to join SFAfA to help continue raising the organization's awareness and mission. In her free time, she loves traveling, exploring new coffee shops, and snuggling on the couch to read books or play board games.

Harriet Chiang is an award-winning journalist who spent almost 20 years as the legal affairs
writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, covering the O.J. Simpson trial, death penalty cases and
other news and feature stories. After the Chronicle, she was the marketing and communications writer for major law firms, writing and editing website content, newsletters and press releases.
She taught journalism at San Francisco State University and at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of
Journalism. As a lecturer at San Francisco State for almost 20 years, she helped students
develop and research sources and write stories for the general public. She received her law degree from UC’s Hastings College of the Law and her undergraduate degree from Berkeley.  Harriet is also a proud cat owner, with two cats named Toby and Pebbles.

Yuval Berenstein is a nonprofit professional and passionate advocate who began his career in political campaigns, public policy, and community-based organizing. Originally from Spokane, Washington, Yuval holds a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Washington and now works at the University of San Francisco, where he supports philanthropy and community engagement. Yuval has had dogs his entire life and deeply understands the unconditional love and devotion they bring. That bond drives his commitment to San Francisco Aid for Animals and its mission to ensure that no pet is denied life-saving veterinary care because of financial hardship. He is proud to support an organization that stands at the intersection of compassion, access, and animal welfare. In his free time, Yuval enjoys playing soccer and pickleball, watching almost any sporting event, exploring San Francisco’s food scene with his partner, and taking his dog on a hike or walk around the Bay Area. 
 

Joanne got her BS in Finance from CSU East Bay and her MBA from CSU Long Beach. She is an accountant by day, gym rat by night. She has loved dogs for as long as she can remember, but was never allowed to have them as a child since her mom and brother were allergic. As soon as she moved out, she got her first puppy, Bane, whom she had to put down just a few short months after adopting him because he got too sick, and his vet couldn’t catch it in time. She now has two wild, rambunctious Pitty mixes whom she adores and would kill for. In her downtime, she’s either doing things with her dogs, hitting the gym, studying for her CPA exams, or being a foodie with her fiancé.

Daniel was born and raised in the Bay Area and has always had a love for animals of all kinds. From an early age, he was taught to be compassionate and nurturing toward animals, which helped him foster deep bonds with his own pets. He is currently the butler to a 12-year-old Turkish Van cat named Yuki, whom he loves very much. Professionally, he is an accountant specializing in non-profits and grant accounting. He received his BA in Human Development from CSU East Bay and later completed his MBA at CSU Long Beach. He is truly excited to be part of this organization and looks forward to helping propel the San Francisco Aid for Animals mission forward for years to come.

A lifelong northern Californian, Sandra has a BS in Accounting from Cal Poly SLO and has worked for global companies across various industries including tech, hospitality and mental health tech. A life-long animal lover, Sandra’s childhood included a dog, cat, parakeet, guinea pig, rabbits, and fish!  She is the proud mom of a beautiful rescue pup, Blossom (@blossiebear) and an adorable rescue grand-kitty, Squiget (@bigsquigey)...and two amazing human daughters too!  As a deeply passionate mental health advocate, she knows firsthand that the connection between families and their companion animals has a profound impact on mental wellbeing.  She is inspired by the mission of SF Aid for Animals to provide life-saving veterinary care for families in need. In her spare time, you will find Sandra and her husband, Dave cheering on Bay Area sports teams (Go Dubs! Go Valks!), spending time with family & friends, and spoiling Blossom with toys, belly rubs & snuggles.