About Us
The Pet Project Midwest came together in August 2009 when five women, each passionate about animal welfare, began a conversation about our dreams for making Iowa a better place for animals. We soon realized there was a need for action and that by working together we could make our dreams a reality.Today, The Pet Project Midwest is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals in Iowa and surrounding states. We receive financial support through private donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Our management team is an unsalaried board of directors.
Prior to starting her current business, Sara worked in legal support, business management, investment banking, construction, real estate development and sales. An LA native, she moved to Des Moines in the late 90s. Since then she's wiped off most of the items on her bucket list, and is now in the process of building and completing a new bucket list, which includes helping animals. Sara serves as a master gardener for Polk County, is communications & PR chair for the National Association of Women Business Owners Central Iowa, and an active member of her neighborhood association. All of her pets were found either in shelters or abandoned on the street and have various controllable but costly health issues.
A former reporter and editor and constant multitasker, Courtney Tompkins doesn't think it's rude to greet a pet first and is unapologetic for the dog hair on her clothes. If she smells funny, rest assured it's probably just treats in her pocket or a rawhide in her purse. By day Courtney is a writer-designer-photographer-public relations sort-of-gal at Des Moines University, a medical & health science graduate school. She is proud to be community outreach chair for TPPM and is delighted to work with other pet-loving people. The rest of the time she freelances, assists her husband Tyler with the couple's businesses and strives to be the best wife, sister, daughter and friend possible. Ultimately she'd prefer to spend the day snuggling with her three furbabies, Tucker, Tank & Tonka, and rescuing pets in need of good homes. Her friends and family know resistance is futile once Courtney has found "the perfect pet for them" in need of a home.
In her professional life, Becky worked as a reporter at a daily newspaper, a marketing coordinator for a non-profit educational organization, and an editor for several national magazines. For the last five years, she has run her own marketing and communications business, providing content and counsel to a variety of magazines and businesses. She has a BA in Journalism from Webster University and an MA in Mass Communications from Drake University. Becky has raised four dogs, three cats, and a rabbit over the years, and fostered or help rescue a litter of kittens and at least a dozen dogs. She lives in Clive, with her husband and two fur kids, Milo, a long-hair Chihuahua, and Piper, a Bichon Frise.
With nearly a decade of experience in the banking industry, Karla has worked in retail and commercial banking as a manager and a sales coach. She received a B.A. in Special Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Karla and her husband have two dogs and two cats. She devotes much of her free time to volunteer activities, including committee work for American Diabetes Association, National Association of Women Business Owners, Young Professional's Connection and Women's Chamber Alliance.
Monica has worked in the legal profession for 11 years and currently serves as a paralegal at an intellectual property firm in downtown Des Moines. She has a legal clerical diploma from Hamilton Business College. The mother of two grown children, Monica now lives with Charlie, an English Setter/Chocolate Lab mix, and Abbie, a Australian Blue Healer/Lab mix from an area shelter. She is also a regular volunteer at a local no-kill shelter for animals that have been injured or abandoned.
Rachael grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and moved to Iowa in 2005 to attend Drake University. Never did she think that she would stay in Iowa or have anything to do with corn, but ever since graduating in 2008 she has worked at Pioneer Hi-Bred, where she is now a Research Associate. She is currently taking classes at Iowa State and hopes to pursue an M.S. in an agronomy-related field. In her spare time she participates in the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship program and volunteers with the Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae group. She lives in West Des Moines with her husband Chris and her spoiled rotten pets, Garfield the orange tabby cat and Mack the black lab mutt. She also fosters cats for a local no-kill organization.
Justin has lived/worked in Des Moines since 2008 after graduating from Buena Vista University with a double major in Marketing and Management Information Systems. He is a web developer for Dealer Impact Systems in Urbandale but also does freelancing on the side for his company HTML Marketing. Justin grew up with a cat as a child but currently has a golden retreiver, Buffy, at his parents' house back in Fort Dodge. In his free time Justin enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, and playing/watching sports.
Amanda is from Minnetonka, Minnesota but moved to Des Moines, Iowa to attend Drake University. She is a senior majoring in Accounting/Management and General Business. She stays busy with classes, however also makes time for Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity, and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and Colleges Against Cancer. In her free time, she loves to travel. Having spent a semester abroad in Austria, Amanda now has the "travel bug." At home, Amanda has an adorable black lab named Magic, who loves to play Frisbee and swim up at the cabin.
The Pet Project Midwest © 2010
