Board of Directors
Leslie Rugg
LESLIE RUGG has balanced a number of careers. As a publisher, she owned, wrote for, and was editor-in-chief of a collie breed magazine and a rare breed dog magazine. As a freelance writer, her articles have been published in major mass market and breed world animal magazines and on websites. She also co-authored five novels, published by Pocket Books. As a promoter and manager, she worked closely with Bob Weatherwax and his two last “Lassies.” As an educator, she has taught and tutored students from pre-school through graduate school, in subjects geared to enrichment and learning challenged. She has served on the Boards of many animal and school organizations. In her life to date, her animal kingdom has included two turtles, three parakeets, three cats, one Dutch hare, one hooded rat, one Cocker spaniel, three Poodles, one German Shepherd, one Golden retriever, and fourteen collies.
Erica Brege
Erica Brege is a proactive volunteer from her youngest participation at church events in her native Michigan to adult experiences with Alzheimer's Association, Relay for Life, and humane societies. Always a passionate animal lover and advocate, she dreamed of founding a dog rescue. Then she discovered captive pet parrots as a volunteer at an avian sanctuary in California. She was hooked by these hookbill species, learning as much as she could, and is now determined to put her love of parrots and her professional talents to work for The Plumery. With a BA in communication and graphic design, she established a career path in business management and human resources, working in senior and hospice care and then the printing industry. She loves to teach and mentor, using those skills in parenting her son along with her husband and their dog.
Megan Bay
Megan Bay is an experienced caregiver and impassioned advocate for parrots. Her many years of hands-on interaction, coupled with in-depth research, has led her to a holistic, empathic approach to improving avian welfare. She has experience leading wildlife enrichment programs for children and is passionate about sharing knowledge with others on proper bird care. Megan is a trained fine artist, a NCAA scholarship athlete, and a proud owner of four beautiful cockatiels.
Ellen Zissler
ELLEN ZISSLER was a business owner for 24 years in Minneapolis, MN. In 2003, she moved to Santa Barbara where she serves on two boards: American Scandinavian Foundation of SB and DAWG (of which she is a founder). Her husband is a retired Genetics and Microbiology professor from the University of Minnesota. They share life with a 33 year old Yellow-naped Amazon named Yo Yo. Ellen is interested in starting a long-term rescue for parrots, since so few facilities are available nationally or locally to care for long-lived birds.
Lynne Page
LYNNE PAGE is a retired attorney who most recently worked for Disability Rights California. She also has some experience in local government. For over 40 years she has shared her home with birds, from finches to araçaris to large macaws. Fascinated by parrots, she has written for publications including Bird Talk and The Companion Parrot Quarterly. She has witnessed the unending need for sanctuaries for companion parrots and is thrilled to contribute to the incubation of The Plumery.
Sally Lane DVM
SALLY LANE has made a career of integrating holistic veterinary medicine into the care of companion, exotic, farm, and wild animals. Her credentials include a veterinary diploma from University of Guelph/Ontario Veterinary College in Canada, two graduate diplomas in Chinese and Western veterinary herbal medicine from the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies in Australia, a fellowship in pain management, as well as certifications in acupuncture, rehabilitation therapy, herbal medicine, and food therapy. She has served as a Board Director or Advisor at exotic and wild animal sanctuaries and parks, where she treated a wide variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles. She has an equally distinguished career with companion animals and has also worked with many humane societies, parrot and rabbit rescue groups, along with wildlife centers and raptor rehabilitation facilities.
Geneva Page Esq
GENEVA PAGE is a partner at the law office of Evans & Page and an adjunct professor of Animal Law at Santa Clara University. She will be teaching an upcoming Animal Law course at Vermont Law School, her alma mater. She has worked at the Animal Protection Institute (API), now united with Born Free USA, in Sacramento as Government Affairs Coordinator. She also served as a Commissioner on San Francisco's Animal Control & Welfare Commission. Growing up, Geneva adored her parakeet and Jenday conure, which began her lifelong love and respect for parrots. She is excited to support The Plumery in its mission to provide a safe haven to parrots in need.
Advisory Panel
Maryam Morrison
MARYAM MORRISON is the founder/publisher/editor-in-chief of The Eden magazine and an animal rescuer/activist. She has a wealth of experience in publishing and communication outreach as well as a deep commitment in working with animals, from rescue to restoring health to training. She combines both passions by featuring the missions of animal and environmental organizations in her magazine, utilizing cause-related marketing, and donating a portion of magazine profits to a variety of these nonprofits. Maryam also created Eden Achievement Awards to honor people who make a difference and stand by their conviction to help others.
Cathy Parsons
CATHY PARSONS is a retired Registered Nurse and has owned parakeets, finches, and other animals since childhood. Her first parrot was a wild caught Half-moon conure. Thirty years ago she bought a 4 month old Umbrella cockatoo that she raised with her two children and other parrots adopted or rehomed in her home-based bird sitting/boarding business. Her current cockatoo companions include the 30 year old Umbrella, a 53 year old Triton adopted 27 years ago, and a 30 year old Lesser sulfur adopted 2 years ago. She started Bay Area Parrot Meetup in 2019-2020 and gives talks at schools, senior centers, and community groups about and with her birds. Her passion has always been parrots.
Lorraine McIntire CPA
Lorraine McIntire has extensive business expertise as a CPA, broad nonprofit Board level experience, deep connections in Carpinteria, and sincere commitment to animal welfare. Her skills and energy will help drive forward the vision and shared goals of The Plumery's inaugural Board of Directors. Her lifelong passion for birds started when visiting her grandmother, who would set up bird feeders and bird houses outside her big picture window overlooking the Tippecanoe River and call out the names of all the birds in the vicinity.
Hal Price
HAL PRICE is a 35-year Marketing & Branding expert, having run national campaigns for The Coca-Cola Company and Miller/Coors. As CEO of Heroic Hearts Media, he is an award-winning, 14-time international bestselling author, a motivational speaker, a stage and local improvisational actor. He is also a professional photographer, artist, poet, storyteller and champion of several local charities with his wife, Jodi. Together, they have adopted the adorable dog, Rescue Reilly, and the cat who knows she's beautiful, Kitty Chanel. Hal has served as a 7-year member on the annual Gold Ribbon Fundraising Committee for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, as a distinguished member of the Santa Barbara Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and as a member of the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club Fundraising Committee. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for Carpinteria Dog Owners Group as an activist for local dogs.
Patrick Rodgers
PATRICK RODGERS veered from his first career in the percussion industry, first to the healing arts as a certified massage therapist and then to avian and exotic animals through veterinary business management. As Manager/CEO of Dr. Sally Lane's veterinary practices, he later became Director of Business Development for a Colorado group of board-certified veterinary specialists. Returning to California with Dr. Lane to support her practice there, he expanded his skills in orthotics, prosthetics, supportive devices, and product development while also providing veterinary technician services for Dr. Lane's companion and exotic animals patients. In recent years, he served on the Board of Keepers of the Wild (an Arizona exotic and wild animal rescue and sanctuary) and later as Park Manager and interim sanctuary Director. When not working with animals, Patrick still plays a mean drum.
Virginia Scribner
VIRGINIA SCRIBNER has been passionate about exotic birds starting with her first budgie 30 years ago to her current trio of parrots - a 24 year old Meyers, a 22 year old Red-bellied, and a 34 year old Jenday conure. Having lived with a variety of avian species, she understands the special needs of parrots that don't make them ideal companions for most people. Caring for one, much less several parrots, is a challenge of time, energy, and commitment. Rising to the challenge, she has accepted the fact that her birds have shaped her life, career, and interests. Along with a career in nursing, she volunteered at the Peninsula Humane Society, specializing in wildlife rehabilitation, summer camp for kids, and teaching basic parrot care. Now retired, she works at the San Francisco Bird Hotel, experiencing a variety of bird species and the business of boarding birds.
