President
Kirk Geiger
Kirk rescued his first first dog at the age of ten and is a lifelong animal lover and advocate.
Since 2009 he and his wife Noelle have rescued hundreds of dogs from the streets, working with other local rescue organizations to find them all loving homes. The Pet Rescue Center in Coachella CA was usually the first stop to scan for a microchip. This is how he became friends with his rescue mentor Christine Madruga the founder of The Pet Rescue Center. Kirk would run the Center from time to time while learning from her 20 years of saving 10,000 dogs.
When Christine retired in 2018, Kirk vowed to continue the work of saving animals in need and founded The Animal Rescue Center of California in September of 2020.
Secretary
Bett Canning
Bett and her husband Terry began volunteering in January of 2020 at the Humane Society of the Desert in North Palm Springs. When Covid hit our nation and everything shut down, they were able to dedicate extra time at the shelter. It soon became obvious that even more than feeling good about helping the dogs, these wonderful animals gave them so much more in return.
Their volunteering continued at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus (CVAC) and eventually to the Animal Rescue Center of California. When in Chicago during the summer, Bett volunteers at PAWS.
Next they tried fostering. Happily, it was thru fostering two ARC dogs that they adopted the two best dogs in the world, Boo and Fang.
Witnessing the amazing and tireless efforts of Kirk and Noelle to help the many stray and abandoned dogs of the east Coachella Valley, Bett hopes to help them realize their goal of opening a “sheltuary” that will humanely care for these dogs until they find their forever homes.
Treasurer
Dan Graff
Dan graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. For over 30 years he has worked in the accounting profession, primarily in construction accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1997.
Over the years, Dan, and his wife Laura, have rescued several dogs and cats, many who became their own pets.
“The joy of the unconditional love provided by a being is awe inspiring and I hope to give back some of the joy I have received to the pets that are in need of a safe space.”
Vice Chair
Noelle Geiger
Noelle is the Co-Executive Director of The Animal Rescue Center Of California and is also on staff as the ARC’s Communications Director. She has been rescuing street dogs with her husband Kirk since 2008. What she loves most about rescue is helping street dogs transform into healthy and happy adoptable pets.
Noelle comes from a technical background in web design and virtual streaming, which has been instrumental in helping us tell each rescue’s story.
Director
Roger Tansey
A graduate of Case Western Reserve, Boston College School of Law, and Harvard, Roger is a trial attorney specializing in criminal law. For over 10 years, Roger served as the Executive Director of multi-million dollar nonprofits.
Roger and his fiancé, Ken, have 3 rescue dogs, ranging in size from a 10-pound chihuahua to a 105 mutt. The entire household reports to the chihuahua.
Director
Kate Weber
Kate graduated from the University of Redlands in 1986 with a degree in Political Science and Education. She moved to the Coachella Valley shortly after college to be closer to the polo community where she has competed for the last 38 years. As a ranch owner in Thermal, the stray dog problem in the eastern end of the Coachella Valley became immediately clear. Over the years, Kate and her neighbors have fostered and rehomed countless dogs. After recently discovering the Animal Rescue Center of California, Kate wanted to do what she could to support this incredible organization and improve the lives of as many dogs as possible.
Advisory Board
Advisory Board Member
Randy Foulds
Canadian by birth, Randy left Vancouver Island at age 20 to begin a career in broadcasting. He got his start here in the Coachella Valley as a writer and producer at KESQ then KMIR in the 1980’s. That led to a long career of over 20 years around the country in TV Production and Management.
In 2009, he left broadcasting to return to the Coachella Valley and take on a new career in Health Insurance. Now 13 years later, he is considered a preeminent expert in the field of Medicare and Health Insurance.
In 2013, Randy found a local website that listed dogs that needed to be rescued from local shelters, where he was drawn to a small poodle Bichon mix named Cooper. Little Cooper became the perfect first pet for Randy and his youngest son Tristan.
Married to his beautiful wife Lisa a few years later, Randy, Lisa and Tristan now enjoy traveling with Cooper and bringing him to their office in Old Town La Quinta where he happily checks out every new client to be sure they are Cooper approved.
Advisory Board Member
Paula Simonds
With over 20 years experience in the nonprofit field, I value, both personally and professionally, the time, effort and understanding required to support those involved. From those you assist to those you work alongside, it takes a dedicated group of individuals to implement and provide trusted, critical resources to achieve necessary outcomes. Nonprofit work is more than just a job, it is a passion and commitment to make a difference for those you strive to help. It takes a village, from team members to volunteers to the community to make an impact for those who need a hand up, not a hand out.