Heartland's Staff
Meet the dedicated team who carry out Heartland’s mission of inspiring compassion for animals, the earth and each other.
Staff Leadership
Alecia Torres
Shelter Director, she/herAlecia has lived in Wisconsin since 1993 when she left Illinois to attend UW-Madison. She fell in love with Madison and never wanted to leave, so her parents and brother followed her to the area to be together. Alecia earned her degree in social welfare, but her strongest love has always been animals. She has lived with animal companions her entire life and is passionate about animal rights issues, especially pertaining to the plight of animals used for food and other human purposes. She followed farm sanctuaries for years before finding out about Heartland and attending their very first fundraiser. Alecia started as an animal care volunteer, but her responsibilities grew until working for Heartland became a full time job. Her favorite friends at the sanctuary are the turkeys, hens and roosters. Alecia lives in Stoughton with her husband Rob, their Great Pyrenees Moses, and their cat Tuco.
Jen Korz
Executive Director, she/herJen has been dedicated to non-profit work for the entirety of her 25-year career. After earning her degree in Social Work, she advocated for a variety of vulnerable populations, eventually finding her ultimate passion working with and for the animals. After working many years in fundraising and advocacy for a nationally-recognized animal organization, she changed gears and served as part of the administration team at an arts-based early childhood education landmark in Madison, Wisconsin. Jen brings expertise and connections in development, project management and strategic planning, but considers her passion and conviction for the mission of Heartland as her most important assets. While Jen was raised on the east coast, her family has Midwestern roots and she has been a resident of Madison since 2005. In her spare time, she enjoys eating her partner’s vegan culinary offerings and spending time with their two daughters (both of whom are campers at Heartland) and their four spoiled rotten rescue dogs.
Steve Suleski
Administrative DirectorBefore his recent retirement, Steve was the Vice President – Board Relations and Corporate Secretary of CUNA Mutual Group. In this role, he was responsible for supporting CUNA Mutual’s board of directors and its subsidiary management processes. He received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin and, prior to joining CUNA Mutual, was a partner at Foley & Lardner, LLP and a senior attorney at Alliant Energy. Steve served on Heartland's Board of Directors before switching over to join our staff as Administrative Director in the summer of 2023. We're so excited to have Steve's business background and invaluable experience on board. When Steve isn't at the sanctuary, you'll find him hanging out with his wife, Jacqui, and their dog, Oliver, in Madison.
Shelter Staff
Alecia Torres
Shelter Director, she/herAlecia has lived in Wisconsin since 1993 when she left Illinois to attend UW-Madison. She fell in love with Madison and never wanted to leave, so her parents and brother followed her to the area to be together. Alecia earned her degree in social welfare, but her strongest love has always been animals. She has lived with animal companions her entire life and is passionate about animal rights issues, especially pertaining to the plight of animals used for food and other human purposes. She followed farm sanctuaries for years before finding out about Heartland and attending their very first fundraiser. Alecia started as an animal care volunteer, but her responsibilities grew until working for Heartland became a full time job. Her favorite friends at the sanctuary are the turkeys, hens and roosters. Alecia lives in Stoughton with her husband Rob, their Great Pyrenees Moses, and their cat Tuco.
Vickie Hoehn
Medical Supervisor, she/herVickie grew up spending summers and vacations on her grandparents’ farm where she was able to feed her love of animals and hard work! Combined with her twenty years of experience as a PA, she has found a great fit at Heartland. Vickie has worked in hospitals and clinics and has taken her skills on volunteer disaster relief trips to Myanmar, Belize and most recently New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina, where she learned construction skills. She now uses her medical and building skills at Heartland. She performs regular animal health checks, works closely with veterinarians, and manages medications and treatments for all of Heartland's rescued farm animal residents.
Tera Runde
Medical Assistant, she/herTera began volunteering at Heartland in February 2014 and her regular shift evolved into training and animal enrichment. She particularly loves working with the mini pigs and llamas, but is in the process of helping all the animals get comfortable being handled for veterinary care. She regularly assists our Medical Supervisor, Vickie, with vaccinations, hoof trimming, medications and more. Tera also serves as an Ambassador, leading private and public tours and representing HFS out in the community. Tera especially loves being known as “Percy’s human” (Percy is one of our rescued potbellied pigs) and taking him on field trips to businesses and schools. Tera lives with her husband, son, and her own herd of four rescued potbellied pigs.
Michelle Hogan
Animal Care Staff, she/herMichelle moved to Madison from the Chicagoland area in December 2013 and started volunteering at Heartland doing animal care the following April. Michelle lives with her fiancé and their three dogs. They also foster for several organizations so they usually have a few foster animals (dogs, cats, and birds) at home, as well. Outside of Heartland, Michelle spends most of her time with her dogs, but also enjoys baking vegan desserts, reading too many books at one time, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Carrie Richardson
Animal Care Staff, she/herCarrie was born and raised in Richland Center, Wisconsin. After earning her Associate’s in Arts and Sciences at UW-Richland, she transferred to UW-Platteville. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Social Science Comprehensive in 2008. Carrie always carried a deep concern for animal welfare and in March of 2014, began volunteering at Heartland. She is also a full-time Accounting Clerk for a non-profit healthcare organization.
Jenni Vance
Animal Care Staff + Assistant Medical Supervisor, she/herJenni lives in Madison with her wife, daughter, and their two dogs, Jack and Trudy. For the past 4 1/2 years, Jenni ran an in-home daycare, which she started after her daughter was born prematurely. This year, their daughter will start kindergarten and Jenni will return to healthcare, and hopefully spend more time at the sanctuary!
Ana Rudy
Shelter Coordinator, she/herAna grew up in Madison, just four miles from the fields that would later become Heartland. After various stints in the tech industry, Ana discovered Heartland by chance after following other farm sanctuaries on social media. Starting out as a volunteer in 2017, Ana immediately loved the messy work, like-minded people and amazing animals. She joined the Animal Care Staff in 2018 and later became our volunteer co-coordinator, and her latest role is Shelter Coordinator! She will tell anyone willing to listen how special Heartland is and how blessed she feels to have found her true purpose, passion and bliss.
Julie Sabo
Animal Care Staff, she/herJulie Sabo is an animator and illustrator who moved to Wisconsin in 2019. She started working with horses and in 2021, became a volunteer at Heartland Farm Sanctuary! We welcomed Julie to the team as an animal caretaker in May of 2022.
Thomas Gasper
Groundskeeping Assistant, he/hisThomas started volunteering at Heartland in February 2021 and loved spending time with the staff and animals. He is excited to join the Heartland team for the summer because he has always been intrigued by tractors and farm machinery. He is looking forward to caring for the grounds at Heartland and making friends with the animals and staff. Thomas loves biking, video games, and his dog named Bear.
Hannah Moore
Animal Care Staff, she/herHannah was born and raised in Madison, WI. She grew up in the city but has loved and cared for many feathered and furry companion animals her whole life and is an avid outdoors enthusiast. Driven by her love for animals, Hannah started volunteering at Heartland Farm Sanctuary in December of 2021 as part of the Animal Care team. Caring for the animals and ensuring their comfort, health and happiness has been incredibly rewarding for Hannah. She quickly began to realize the amazing mission, vision and values of HFS, and to appreciate the incredible humans involved. Hannah is honored to join the HFS staff and to contribute as much as she can to the organization! When not at Heartland, you may find Hannah glamping in the woods of central Wisconsin, exploring and appreciating nature, or putzing around her home in Stoughton with her wife, two dogs and three cats.
Gia Arciero
Animal Care Staff, she/herGia spent many of her childhood and early adult years on farms working with horses. She moved to Madison from Minnesota in 2015, and started volunteering at Heartland when she left her job in January 2021. She loved spending time with the animals so much that she decided to join the staff! She lives with her husband, dog, and cat in McFarland. When she's not out snuggling the chickens, she spends her time sewing, weaving, and trying any other fiber art that seems fun.
Julie Sammer
Animal Care Staff, she/herJulie moved to Madison in May 2018 and after learning about Heartland from a co-worker, knew she needed to get involved. After attending a barn tour, she was able to begin volunteering as part of the animal care team in June 2021 and she became a staff member in July 2022. While a lifelong city girl from Texas with no farm experience whatsoever, she has fallen in love with the animals, people, and mission of Heartland. She has enjoyed learning more about animal care and the farm work required to create an environment of loving inclusion for all. She lives in Middleton with her husband, Chris, French Bulldog, Napoleon, and cat, Greta.
Alyssa Salmon
Animal Care Staff, she/herAlyssa was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science. After graduation she moved to Madison in 2022 in order to be a Farm Animal Shelter Intern at Heartland. After the internship, she decided to stay in Madison and continue as an animal care volunteer, and soon after, an animal care staff member! Alyssa has always had a fondness for animals and their well-being, which is what led her to Heartland. Growing up, Alyssa spent time fostering kittens for her local animal shelter, volunteering in the community, and playing travel soccer. Alyssa lives in Madison with her rescue cat, Brody, and rescue goldfish, Figaro, Riley, and Rulu.
Josie Cooper
Animal Care Staff, she/herJosie is a Minnesota native who loves to spend time in wild places. When she isn't hugging sheep at Heartland, she spends her time raising orphaned neonatal kittens and puppies, coaching soccer, baking, reading, and attempting to play the piano and ukulele. She lives in Verona with her husband, two daughters, three cats, two Betta fish, six snails, and a rotating herd of foster animals.
Emily Dykstra
Animal Care Staff, she/herEmily grew up in a small town in Southern Wisconsin and has been an animal lover as far back as she can remember. She first learned of Heartland while in law school at UW, where she was involved with the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, when the group planned a workday at the sanctuary in 2018. She began volunteering weekly after her graduation from law school in May 2019. Emily was excited to step into the role of Animal Care Staff in Spring 2023. Outside of her work at Heartland, Emily is a personal injury attorney at Nowlan Law LLP in Janesville, WI. She spends as much time with animals as possible outside of work and has 13 animals of her own at home to care for.
Carol Lockard
Animal Care Staff + Community Outreach Team member, she/herCarol grew up surrounded by farm animals. Her family had a horse barn in her small hometown, and besides horses, they took in numerous goats, pigs, chickens & other species. Carol started volunteering at Heartland before she joined our staff in June of 2023. Carol is a member of our animal care staff as well as our Community Outreach Team, so you may see her if you take a tour of the sanctuary, or see us out tabling in the community! Carol lives with her long-time partner, Gabriel, her son, Asher, and their ever-growing family of adopted critters, which currently includes: dogs Donatello and Leonardo, cat Tororo, rabbit Aladdin, and 10 sweet rats!
Program Staff
Emma Rosera, LSW
Experiential Therapist, she/herEmma moved to the Madison area in 2017 from Minnesota. She earned her degree in social work and education, and has been practicing as a licensed social worker in child welfare for the past five years. Emma also teaches dog training classes at a local facility where she highlights using positive reinforcement techniques and teamwork. Heartland’s mission of inspiring compassion for all is close to Emma’s heart. Her current menagerie at home includes two cats, an ex-racing greyhound named Solomon, a leopard gecko, and a collection of fish. In her free time, Emma enjoys sipping coffee and reading on the couch with her pets, camping and hiking with her husband and dog, and playing board games. Emma is so excited to combine her love for animals with her passion for supporting families by being part of the experiential therapy program at Heartland!
Katelyn Becker, APSW
Experiential Therapist, she/herKatelyn joined our team after learning about Heartland's mission and was excited to combine her passions for supporting kids/families with her passion for animal compassion, healing and rescue. Katelyn is originally from central Wisconsin but moved to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed a Bachelor's and Master's of Social Work with a Child, Youth and Family Welfare focus. Katelyn has worked in after-school programs, nonprofits and currently in a school social work role providing crisis stabilization. She lives with her husband, two dogs and one cat...with hopes to expand when they have more space!
Solomon
Therapy Dog, he/hisSolomon is a seven-year-old, ex-racing greyhound who is elated to be joining the HFS therapy team in his retirement. Solomon hails from the South, but has learned to love the changing seasons in Wisconsin, and especially loves a good zoom in the snow. Since joining the team at Heartland, Sol has learned he's more than just the speed he can run, and has leaned (literally, if you've met him) into a role of dedicated comforter and supporter. In his free time, Solomon enjoys taking his human, Emma, on local adventures to breweries, coffee shops, and walking paths. His favorite thing about being part of the experiential therapy team is doing whatever it takes to make the kids laugh, and getting SO MANY snoot rubs.
Laura Marshall
Community Outreach Team member, she/herLaura is an instructional designer by day and an animal lover 24/7. As of spring 2022, she is also a Heartland Community Outreach Team member, leading public and private tours of the sanctuary and representing Heartland in the community. Laura is a Wisconsin native who grew up on a farm. Her passions in life are to teach, learn, and explore the world, especially its creatures and cultures. In her free time, you can find her walking in Madison's many parks with her husband and two dogs, growing flowers in her garden, or embarking on a variety of creative projects.
Madison Stanton, CTRS
Experiential Therapist, she/herMadison earned her degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Illinois State University and has practiced as a certified professional for the last two years at UnityPoint - Meriter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She currently lives in Madison with her boyfriend (Hunter) and their cat (Buddy). In her free time she enjoys taking dance classes, snuggling with her cat, hanging out with friends and family, and exploring new places/traveling. Madison is excited to combine working with animals and helping families by being an experiential therapist at Heartland!
Alissa Lemieux, CTRS
Experiential Therapist, she/herAlissa has lived in Madison for over three years and loves everything it has to offer! She lives with her fiancé, dog (Monty) and cat (Luna). She graduated from UW Milwaukee earning her degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. Alissa is a licensed Recreational Therapist, has a background working in nonprofits, and also currently works part-time in mental health services. In her free time, she loves snuggling up with her pets with a good book in hand, practicing yoga, getting outdoors, playing soccer and exploring new places! As a lifelong animal lover, Alissa is thrilled to be a part of the Heartland community. She is passionate about supporting the Heartland farm residents and clients in exploring their leisure interests while working towards their personal goals.
Katie Williams
Humane Education Manager, she/herKatie is beyond thrilled to join Heartland's community as the Humane Education Manager. She comes to Heartland with 15 years experience teaching kindergarten and early childhood education. Katie has a strong passion for teaching equity, compassion, inclusion and kindness. She loves all animals and the environment and is so excited to share that love with Heartland's campers. Katie spent summer 2021 volunteering at Heartland's camps and she fell in love with the residents (especially potbellied pig Jerry), the community and everything Heartland embodies. She quickly realized the positive effect Heartland can have on one's mental health. Katie lives in McFarland with her husband, their rescued basset hound, and their milk snake (who was also her class pet in her Kindergarten classroom). She feels the happiest when she is outside; especially camping, hiking or snowshoeing. Katie also loves watching The Office, eating french fries and playing board games.
Molly Linn-Miller, MS-ATR
Experiential Therapist, she/herMolly Linn-Miller has worked as a registered art therapist for 15 years. She provides art therapy support for a variety of ages and populations including children and young adults with autism, families living with cancer, and adults recovering from substance abuse. Molly also paints large scale children’s murals and likes to incorporate upcycled and natural materials into her artwork. She enjoys spending time with her two boys, her husband, and her rescue pup, a terrier-mix named Eddy. When not at the sanctuary or making art, you can find her cooking and eating with lady friends, hiking, or playing ultimate frisbee. Molly grew up in the country in a log cabin style home surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and a variety of wildlife that snuck into the home. She recently discovered Heartland, knowing it would be a perfect fit to combine her love of creative expression and animals to promote healing and wellness for all beings.
Rachel Leibovich
Community Outreach Coordinator, she/herRachel is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan where she got her Master’s degree in Environmental Justice. She’s passionate about working with her community to create creative ways to work for collective liberation - for all beings! When Rachel isn’t coordinating or hosting tours at Heartland, she’s running her small batch apothecary, Esperanza’s Acres, and hanging out with her (human & nonhuman) family!
Linda Sielaff
Community Outreach Team member, she/herLinda is a Wisconsin native and has always had a soft spot and passion for animals. In 2013, she learned of Heartland through a friend. Her first mucking shift was Thanksgiving 2013. She immediately fell in love with the animals, Heartland’s mission and values, and all the people she worked with. Linda recently joined Heartland’s staff as one of their Community Outreach Team members and is very excited to move into this new role.
Daniela Pincheira-Berthelon, APSW
Experiential TherapistDaniela is from the Madison area and loves Wisconsin. She earned her masters degree in social work from UW Madison. Daniela is an advanced practice social worker and has experiences with people across the lifespan. In her free time, she enjoys puzzles, reading, arts and crafts, playing volleyball, and hanging out with family and friends. Daniela also has a 16-year-old dog who she loves to cuddle with! Daniela is delighted to be part of the Heartland Farm Sanctuary community and support participants through therapy!
Jen Mrotek
Community Outreach Team MemberJen is a Wisconsin native who has had a deep love and respect for animals since childhood. She's been a practicing social worker in Dane County for the past 17 years, and resides on the east side of Madison with her two fur babies, Matthew and Hannah. During her free time, you can find Jen hiking with her pups, enjoying a concert, spending time with friends, or traveling. Jen is thrilled to be a part of the Heartland Farm Sanctuary team, and cannot wait to share her passion for animals as a member of the outreach team!
Carol Lockard
Animal Care Staff + Community Outreach Team member, she/herCarol grew up surrounded by farm animals. Her family had a horse barn in her small hometown, and besides horses, they took in numerous goats, pigs, chickens & other species. Carol started volunteering at Heartland before she joined our staff in June of 2023. Carol is a member of our animal care staff as well as our Community Outreach Team, so you may see her if you take a tour of the sanctuary, or see us out tabling in the community! Carol lives with her long-time partner, Gabriel, her son, Asher, and their ever-growing family of adopted critters, which currently includes: dogs Donatello and Leonardo, cat Tororo, rabbit Aladdin, and 10 sweet rats!
Administrative Staff
Jamie Monroe
Content Creator, she/herJamie started volunteering with Heartland Farm Sanctuary in 2011 as an animal caretaker, and has served in various part-time and full-time roles at HFS since then, finally settling into Heartland's Content Creator position in May 2023. She's originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and graduated from Northern Michigan University, earning a degree in writing & journalism. Jamie currently lives with her partner and their rescued animal friends (including rescued chickens adopted from Heartland!) on Madison’s north side. When she's not at the sanctuary, you'll find Jamie deploying out to animal rescue cases across the country as a Reserve Responder with the Humane Society of the United States.
Steve Suleski
Administrative DirectorBefore his recent retirement, Steve was the Vice President – Board Relations and Corporate Secretary of CUNA Mutual Group. In this role, he was responsible for supporting CUNA Mutual’s board of directors and its subsidiary management processes. He received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin and, prior to joining CUNA Mutual, was a partner at Foley & Lardner, LLP and a senior attorney at Alliant Energy. Steve served on Heartland's Board of Directors before switching over to join our staff as Administrative Director in the summer of 2023. We're so excited to have Steve's business background and invaluable experience on board. When Steve isn't at the sanctuary, you'll find him hanging out with his wife, Jacqui, and their dog, Oliver, in Madison.
Chrissy Watson
Special Projects Manager, she/herA native of McFarland, Chrissy studied psychology at UW-Madison and went on to receive her Master's degree in sport and exercise science. After her careers as a soccer player and coach, she worked as a nurse and medical assistant before discovering how much she loved volunteer work. In the last few years, she has volunteered tutoring within her local school district, serving as a committee member for environmental groups, and bringing therapy animals to local nursing homes and healthcare facilities. Chrissy began volunteering with Heartland in 2021 as an animal care volunteer. A lifelong animal lover, she was immediately drawn to chance to help all of the residents and get to know all of the wonderful people that take care of them. When the opportunity arose to pursue her position at Heartland, she knew this would be the ideal opportunity to combine her love for animals, her passions for environmental sustainability and veganism, and her love of problem-solving.
Kes Allen
Administrative Coordinator, they/themKes was most recently employed as an adoption counselor and merchandise coordinator at Dane County Humane Society, and currently volunteers with House Rabbit Society. Kes shares their home with two dogs, two cats, three rabbits and four chickens (and one spouse)! When Kes isn't working in the Heartland office, they love to knit, read, play video games, and participate in karate and theater.
Sharon West
Donor Database Coordinator, she/herSharon graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Conservation Biology. Her love of animals, the environment, and kindness led her to Heartland as an animal care and administrative volunteer before taking on the role of Donor Database Coordinator. She loves taking long walks with her husband, Brett, and enjoying all that nature has to offer. When not cuddling with the goats and sheep at the sanctuary, she can be found doing yoga with aromatherapy, reading, watercolor painting, sudoku, drinking iced chai lattes, gardening, and being distracted by ALL the dogs.
Direct Contacts
Planned giving, corporate and business partnerships, fundraising:
- Jen Korz | Executive Director
- Jen.Korz@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
Shelter management and donations of barn supplies including feed/hay/produce:
- Alecia Torres | Shelter Director
- Alecia.Torres@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
- 608-577-6795
Social media and website:
- Jamie Monroe | Content Creator
- Jamie.Monroe@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
Administrative inquiries:
- Kes Allen | Administrative Coordinator
- Kes.Allen@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
- 608-440-1118
Humane Education Programs & Tours:
- Katie Williams | Humane Education Manager
- Katie.Williams@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
- 608-466-6242
Experiential Therapy Programs:
Animal surrenders and rehoming requests:
- Rehoming@HeartlandFarmSanctuary.org
- 608-440-1118