Dr. Sarah Reidenbach, DVM
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Sarah Reidenbach is a veterinarian and co-founder of Ruthless Kindness. Sarah’s vision is to work to prevent and heal trauma for the most vulnerable animals and people. Her work is grounded in the belief that empathy and justice are antidotes to violence and cruelty.
Dr. Reidenbach studied Brain and Behavior at Stanford University, Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, and Non-Profit Management at Duke University. She worked briefly in research at NASA Ames Research Center, and has since worked exclusively in the nonprofit sector. She has held positions as a veterinary fellow at San Francisco SPCA, Medical Director at Berkeley Humane, Veterinary Medical Director at the Humane Society of Sonoma County, and Executive Director of Sonoma Community Animal Response Team. She lives out by the coast in Sonoma County with her family, including many farm and companion animals. Her soul mate dog Buck is never too far away.
Dr. Kate Kuzminski, DVM
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Kate Kuzminski is a veterinarian and co-founder of Ruthless Kindness. Dr. Kuzminski has worked as Field Medical Director with the Humane Society of the United States, Shelter Medicine Director with San Francisco SPCA, and Medical Director with Guide Dogs for the Blind. She is a published veterinary author, has studied veterinary forensics, and received both her DVM and business degree in her native Canada.
Dr. Kuzminski is committed to improving the lives of both people and animals, especially the people and animals who are too often forgotten and unable to access services. Kate lost her soul mate dog, Maui, in 2020 and is waiting for her next soul mate dog to reveal itself.
Dr. Kim Henry, DVM
Board of Directors
Dr. Kim Henry is originally from Delaware, received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her Degree of Veterinary Medicine from University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Henry has been with VCA PetCare East since 1997, and she is currently Medical Director. She loves emergency medicine and general medicine, embracing the opportunity to get to know her patients and their owners.
She has a great respect for the human-animal bond. Her professional interests include emergency veterinary medicine and general veterinary medicine. When she isn't at the hospital or volunteering with Ruthless Kindness, Dr. Henry enjoys step aerobics, hiking, traveling, crafts and cooking. She has Kinzi, a Shepherd mix, and Amora, a Domestic Short Hair, both of whom are tripods (three-legged).
Brandy Kuentzel
Board of Directors
Brandy Kuentzel is an animal welfare professional redefining access to pet care. An entrepreneurial, results-oriented corporate attorney, Brandy has both top-tier law firm and in-house experience, and a proven ability to meaningfully contribute to business direction and growth. Most recently, Brandy served as Senior Vice President of Law and Public Policy, and General Counsel, for San Francisco SPCA, where she oversaw all legal affairs and advocacy campaigns.
In former roles, she has advised venture-financed start-ups by providing effective and pragmatic solutions, won NBC’s "The Apprentice" after conquering the boardroom, conceptualized and launched a business from the ground up, and counseled private equity funds and their portfolio companies. A grad of UCLA and University of Chicago Law School, Brandy now lives in the Bay Area with her family.
Melissa Dobar
Board of Directors
Melissa Dobar joins RK with an almost 30 year career in both large and small nonprofit organizations. Her work has included supporting missions focused on at-risk youth and families, arts, education, after school enrichment, access to healthcare and animal rescue. She has worked in a variety of roles including programs, fundraising, marketing, development and leadership. She is honored to contribute to the Ruthless Kindness mission and team.
Kaushik Roy
Board of Directors
Kaushik Roy is the CEO of Vivalon, the largest senior services nonprofit in Marin County, California. A respected Bay Area nonprofit and civic leader, he previously led one of San Francisco’s pioneering caregiving organizations, Shanti Project, for 15 years. During his tenure, Shanti grew in size by over 450%. He also served as board president of the San Francisco Interfaith Council for four years and was appointed by Mayor Ed Lee to the City and County of San Francisco’s Aging and Adult Services Commission, where he oversaw budgeting and policy recommendations for the $350M agency.
He has also been appointed to numerous civic bodies by the City and County’s Board of Supervisors and Department of Public Health. These include the Palliative Care Taskforce and the Aging LGBTQ+ Policy Task Force. Kaushik’s other appointments include the Presidio Trust, where he helped develop innovative strategies to increase the presence of historically underrepresented communities in national parks, and serving as an Executive Officer of San Francisco’s HIV/AIDS Providers Network. Kaushik enjoys volunteering for local, grassroots nonprofits. In addition to serving on the board of Ruthless Kindness, he is an advisor to the Petaluma Health District, Amor Para Todos, and Compass Parents. Kaushik holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley and is a graduate of the Metta Institute’s End-of-Life Care Practitioner Program and the Bay Area’s Leaderspring Executive Director Fellowship Program.
He resides in Petaluma, California, with his very patient wife, thoughtful and spirited pre-teen, two rambunctious dogs, and perpetually annoyed cat.
Angela Struckmann
Board of Directors
Angela Struckmann brings three decades of leadership and service in public and nonprofit social service systems. Angela currently serves as Director of the Sonoma County Human Services Department, where she leads over 1,000 staff to provide safety net services to 1 in 3 Sonoma County residents. Her career spans both the nonprofit sector and county government, with early experience in the Midwest prior to moving to California in 2004. Angela has worked for multiple nonprofit organizations, as well as administering social services programs for both Marin and Solano Counties.
Angela is deeply committed to advancing programs that support health, safety, and opportunity for all residents—especially the most vulnerable. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.
A lifelong advocate for animals as well as people, Angela shares her home with a joyful pack of senior rescue dogs, barn cats and a pig. She volunteers regularly with Ruthless Kindness veterinary clinics, supporting pets and their people in crisis.