michael sheldrake,

Chair

BIO:

Michael is an avid foster of cats and kittens specializing in pregnant mamas and delivery. With his family he’s fostered more than 140 cats and kittens. Michael Sheldrake has garnered esteem and a large following on social media worldwide from posting videos of his kitten fostering journeys from birth to adoption on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube including a 24/7 live stream in his kitten room.

Michael is a local RE/MAX agent in Greater Vancouver and has plenty of experience from building his business since 2009. He is also formally educated in sciences with a B.Sc from UBC. His strengths are innovation, problem-solving, transparency, and communication.

maria soroski, VICE CHAIR

Maria co-founded VOKRA with Karen Duncan in 2000, after years of volunteering with cats and kittens. While volunteering, Maria saw a desperate need to develop a specific approach to cat and kitten care, as well as a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program in order to keep the feral and homeless cat population down.

After VOKRA’s inception, Maria’s dream started coming true. Local shelters were seeing a dramatic drop in feral cat and kitten numbers in Vancouver – something Maria is proud to have helped with. She paved the way with VOKRA’s founding values and continues to ensure that, as a no-kill organization. The TNR program is one of the best in BC.

With a passion for giving homeless and feral cats a happy and healthy life, Maria always ensures VOKRA uses nutritious food for all cats. With VOKRA keeping her busy, the former prairie gal loves to reward herself with time spent at home relaxing with her cats.

shelley dowson, Director at large

diane miller, Director at large

Peggy Sulivan, Director at large

Experience with VOKRA - 15 Years of Dedication

Over the past 15 years, I have dedicated myself to volunteering with VOKRA, a journey that began as the sole Adoption Counselor. Interviewing potential adopters and matching the right cat to the purrfect adopter. A task that I approached with diligence and a deep sense of responsibility.

As the years progressed, I successfully grew my team, which now stands at 10 members, each bringing their unique strengths and passion to the adoption process. My daily interactions span across various key areas within VOKRA; collaborating closely with Foster Coordinators, Fosters, the Contracts team, and maintaining a liaison with the Medical and Behaviour team.

In addition to my primary role, I have actively participated in numerous fundraising events, such as Walk for the Kitties and other events.   My broad experience and extensive knowledge of VOKRA enable me to offer invaluable insights and strategies to support VOKRA's continued growth.

My background has been in the Music Industry, Event Coordinating, Catering, and Accounting in the film industry.