PAWS Officers and Directors

In memory of Pat Derby
PAWS founder and former president
Pat Derby’s advocacy for animals developed more than 35 years ago when she began working with captive wildlife in movies and television commercials. While working on television series such as Gunsmoke, Lassie, Daktari, and Flipper, she witnessed the neglect and abuse prevalent in animal training. Determined to initiate better standards of care and handling for performing animals, Pat chronicled her adventures in a Book-of-the-Month Club autobiography, The Lady and Her Tiger.  The first exposé of the treatment of performing animals, The Lady and Her Tiger won an American Library Association Award in 1976. More»

"Pat Derby: Celebrating A Remarkable Life"

View slideshow.

PAT DERBY, THE EARLY YEARS
1973: "What's My Line" with special guest, Pat Derby. View Video

Ed Stewart*

President/PAWS Co-founder

After graduating from the University of Tennessee’s College of Communications, Ed Stewart worked in marketing and advertising until he met Pat Derby in 1976 when he managed the Auto Show in Cleveland,Ohio. Pat Derby was the national representative for Lincoln Mercury and trainer of the live cougars used in the car commercials. Ed joined Pat as a representative for Lincoln Mercury at national auto shows and later became book promotions coordinator for the national book tour of The Lady and Her Tiger. 

In 1978 he and Ms. Derby opened and operated the Howling Wolf Lodge and Wild Animal Sanctuary in Leggett, California. Ed soon became involved with captive wildlife management and quickly developed his skills in design and construction of large-animal enclosures. He also became a tireless advocate for animal welfare at the California State Legislature and the Department of Fish and Game — working to ensure better care for exotic animals for entertainment.

In 1984 Mr. Stewart and Ms. Derby founded the Performing Animal Welfare Society — PAWS. As leaders of PAWS, they introduced legislation to set higher standards for the care and handling of captive wildlife.  The bill was signed into law in 1985. More»

Ed Minghelli**
Vice President
Ed Minghelli has served on the PAWS Board for more than a decade. Utilizing his skills as a financial planner, his strategic approach to organizational development has been instrumental to PAWS’ growth, plans for future funding and long-range financial viability. His executive oversight provides important leadership to the organization.

Ed and his wife Cindy are the founders and directors of Fat Kitty City, a non-profit organization that rescues, spays, neuters and adopts out cats and dogs, and also provides a home for more than 200 feral cats at their 25 acre sanctuary in Northern California.

Carol Haft**
Treasurer
Carol Haft retired from the California Department of Justice in 2005, after 28 years of public service where she served as an Administrator. Prior to her appointment as Administrator, she was a Latent Print Analyst, processing crime scene fingerprints for law enforcement agencies throughout the state and for the US Treasury Department and the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. Carol has testified as an expert witness in criminal cases in Superior Court for the State of California.

Carol has been volunteering for PAWS for more than two decades, and has served on the board of directors since 2003.

Debbie Morrow**

Secretary

Debbie Morrow has been part of the PAWS family for more than 14 years — as a volunteer, and later as an employee trained to work as an elephant keeper. As a PAWS volunteer she has worked on building projects, repaired fences, participated in fundraising events, handled security, organized landscaping projects and worked as a docent at the Amanda Blake museum.

In 2007, after 25 years of service, Debbie retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. After her retirement she accepted a position working at ARK 2000, where she was trained as an elephant keeper — still volunteering for PAWS in her spare time. She resigned from her keeping job a year later to care for her elderly parents, but continued her volunteer work. She was elected to PAWS' board in May 2013.

Debbie has a therapy dog named Winston. The two of them regularly volunteer their time at Hospice of San Joaquin, Stanislaus Special Olympics and several assisted living facilities. 

Steven Pape**

Director

Steven Pape was a staff accountant with CalPERS Investments before his retirement in 2013. He was responsible for ensuring that all investment income was received and that all security transactions were properly recorded and settled for several billion dollars worth of investments.

Steven previously worked for the State of California in other, mostly audit-oriented positions, beginning with the Office of the Auditor General where he obtained his C.P.A. certification. That was followed by positions as an internal auditor at CalTrans, and the Department of Consumer Affairs, before joining CalPERS in 1998. He holds a B.A. in Physics from Franklin and Marshall College and an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona.

Steven’s involvement with PAWS began in 1992 when he met Pat Derby at Miss Kitty’s Attic in Sacramento. He immediately began volunteering on a regular basis at the PAWS facility in Galt and has helped with many of the fundraising events that have been held during the last 20+ years.

Katia Bagatta**

Director

Katia Bagatta was a sales executive for a large corporation before joining her family's restaurant and catering businesses where she has proven herself in business leadership.

Katia is a long-time PAWS supporter. Her philanthropic efforts have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for PAWS at events she has hosted at her restaurants. In addition, she is a creative and driven animal protection activist and has presented testimony at public meetings held in her city and county on bullhook bans and exotic animal circus bans.

Katia was elected to PAWS' board in November 2015.

*Compensated board member

**Independent voting rights