About Us
Ohio Pet Charities, Inc. has a group of dedicated and caring members who are passionate about the welfare of animals.
Meet our team
Elizabeth McClain
President, Board Member
Elizabeth has a desire to make a change in her community and that began when she adopted her first rescue dog and continues through the rescue of four more dogs. Making a meaningful change in her community and in the lives of animals and the people that benefit from their unconditional love is key to her work as the president of Ohio Pet Charities.
Elizabeth specializes in project management and business resiliency and has successfully managed projects for private, public and non-profit companies. Her expertise in relationship building and networking supports the goals of the charity to increase animal education and wellness activities in the Central Ohio area.
Elizabeth is a Columbus native and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Western Governors University. She is active in her community through her work on the Dublin Community Services Advisory Commission and volunteering with other rescue organizations. She enjoys spending time with her husband and sons and genealogical research.
Matt McClain
Board Member
Growing up, Matt was never without a pet, mostly dogs, but always understood the enrichment a pet brought to the household. Around 15 years ago he and his wife Elizabeth started rescuing dogs over purchasing from pet stores or breeders. This started our journey advocating for rescue animals, which has expanded into a passion leading to our involvement with Ohio Pet Charities.
Matt, a retired Information Technologies Professional, spent most of his 38 career years at Honda. Since then he has worked as a certified veterinary assistant, and is also working on becoming a certified dog trainer.
Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, three boys, and the McClain pack of rescue dogs. He does sometimes lose the blanket battle with their youngest rescue.
Todd Mannix
Treasurer, Board Member
Todd has always believed in creating a culture of giving back and has a passion to improve the community in which he resides. This has been demonstrated through his involvement with Alpha Phi Omega, a nationally recognized service fraternity, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and most recently with Ohio Pet Charities.
He brings over 15 years of experience in financial planning & analysis from two Fortune 100 companies. His financial management background will align well with his responsibility as Treasurer, he will oversee all aspects of the charities finances, including the development and management of budgets, preparation of financial statements and reporting to the Board.
He holds a B.S., in Finance and Marketing from The University of Dayton and an M.B.A. from Ohio Dominican University. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and following UD basketball.
Sharon Daehler
Secretary, Board Member
Sharon has always felt good about helping others and has donated her time, effort and support to many charitable causes around Central Ohio. When she discovered Ohio Pet Charities, she realized she could help both two-legged and four-legged others at the same time and was happy to bring her love of event planning and fundraising for nonprofit groups to the organization.
Sharon holds a B.S. Degree in Accounting from Franklin University, and as a Senior Compliance Analyst she is well-aware of the importance of detailed record keeping and adherence to rules and laws. She relies on this awareness to currently serve as the Secretary for Ohio Pet Charities.
Sharon was born in Cleveland, but has lived in the Columbus area for most of her life. Her love of animals makes her a respectable human parent to two rescue dogs and one very energetic kitten. Any remaining free time is spent with her family, walking, reading and being a fan of many Ohio sports teams.
Dr. Michael Henricks, DVM
Medical Advisor
Growing up in Southern Ohio, Dr. Henricks learned very early in life the enjoyment and fulfillment that comes from the relationships we have with our pets. Since graduating from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008, Dr. Henricks has built his professional career on providing high quality medicine to pets, connecting with his clients, and community involvement. Dr. Henricks and his wife Ashlie live in the area with their two children, Madeline and Mason, and their dog, cat, and rabbit. Outside the office, Dr. Henricks enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and exploring the outdoors.
Lily Herreid
Junior Board Member
Lily is a current junior at Ohio Wesleyan University majoring in pre-professional zoology and pre-medicine with a minor in chemistry. Growing up as a girl scout, she learned the importance of helping the community and her passion for animal welfare. This passion was further solidified after working as a veterinary assistant in an emergency department and seeing the need for education and support in the pet industry. Becoming involved with Ohio Pet Charities gives Lily an opportunity to begin making a lasting impact on this community, including helping other students get involved in charity activities. She hopes to bring new perspectives and connections to younger audiences.
At her school, Lily is also a member of the biology board, participating in student research on sailfin mollies and working at the campus zoology museum preparing specimens. Her future goals include going to veterinary school and specializing in emergency or exotic animal medicine.
When not at school, Lily enjoys the company of her dog, two cats, and a uromastyx lizard.
Christen King
Board Member at Large
From a young age, Christen had a love for animals. She understands how strong connections can grow with a pet and how animals can bring happiness to people’s lives. Bringing joy to others is one of the main reasons why she joined the amazing team at Ohio Pet Charities. She is passionate about bringing hope and happiness to the community and it is her honor to support such a good cause.
Christen was born and raised in Dublin, OH and graduated from The Ohio State University with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Since graduation, she has worked as an Engineer at Honda. During her time there, she has held multiple engineering positions and leadership roles. She enjoys creating memories with her amazing husband and two incredible daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys designing and creating in her craft area or with a 3d printer.
Ireland McLaughlin
Board Member
Ireland has held a passion and deep respect for animals for as long as she can remember. Her passion for dogs was born from a family history in AKC conformation shows that has evolved into a love for training, animal behavior, and rescue. She hopes to now be able to give back to the community by helping rescue dogs through her work at OPC.
She has lived in Ohio for most of her life and currently resides on a small homestead with her husband, Jake, her dog, Kona, and a large flock of ducks, chickens, quail and peafowl. In her spare time, she loves to spend time outdoors with her husband and dog hiking, kayaking, and traveling.