Leadership Staff

Sharon Harmon has been a professional in the field of animal care and welfare for 42 years. She has helped lead Oregon Humane Society, the state’s largest and oldest animal protection organization, for 34 years and has served as its President and CEO since 1998.

Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology (Pre-Vet Med) from Oregon State University, a Certificate in Nonprofit Business and Management from Johns Hopkins University, and is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).

She has served on the Banfield Shelter Advisory Committee and the Board of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, and she has chaired the National Federation of Humane Societies Board of Directors. She is currently on the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine Advisory Council.

She is also the recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award, the Public Relations Society of America’s Community Involvement Award and Executive Leadership Award, and the Portland Business Journal’s Woman of Influence Award.

Jessica brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as a people & culture executive, particularly within the non-profit sector. Her background reflects a strong commitment to guiding organizations through challenges, fostering authentic and inclusive environments, and establishing cross-functional partnerships to enhance the well-being of the organization’s people.

Jessica’s previous leadership at an international non-governmental organization, further underscore her dedication to making a positive impact on a global scale. Her experience suggests a broad understanding of the complexities and challenges that organizations, especially those operating in diverse and dynamic environments, may face.

One notable aspect of Jessica’s approach is her emphasis on utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, along with people demographics. This approach not only facilitates deep conversations within the organization but also contributes to a thorough organizational examination. By leveraging data, Jessica aims to strengthen the organization’s ability to achieve its objectives, with a specific focus on promoting greater diversity, equity, and inclusion across all functions.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Jessica prioritizes her personal life. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and engages in activities such as reading and exploring farmer’s markets. Jessica is also a devoted pet owner, spoiling her Dachshund Yogi and OHS Alumni kittens, Hank and Nala.

Dr. Kochis has served for nearly 25 years in various positions in veterinary medicine, including Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital and VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists. His veterinary specialties include infectious diseases, immunology and emergency medicine.

As Chief Medical Officer at OHS, Dr. Kochis oversees a team of more than 100 veterinary professionals who serve pets and people at the Community Veterinary Hospital, and care for shelter pets in the medical centers at the Portland and Salem Campus.

Dr. Kochis received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences and DVM from Cornell University. He served on the OHS Board of Directors for three years until he joined the staff. He has served as President of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) and currently serves on its Executive Board.

Tim brings more than 30 years of financial and accounting expertise to his role as Chief Financial Offer. He earned his CPA license in 1998 and has served in leadership roles in animal welfare for close to a decade.

As OHS Chief Financial Officer, Tim and his team oversee an annual operating budget of more than $30 million and manage all accounting, financial reporting, and year-end compliance and financial statement audit.

Tim’s connection to OHS’ mission extends beyond the business office. In his spare time, he serves as a Boy Scouts of America leader which often include service projects at OHS to enhance the dog walking path and constructing play structures.

Tim also believes that volunteering, being a lifelong learner, and dad humor make life great.

A native Portlander, Tim and his family share their home with two dogs and one cat – Bella, a husky/shepherd mix from OHS; and Tilly, a chocolate lab from Humane Society of Southwest Washington; and Bagheera, a feisty feline adopted from OHS in 2010.

Tiffini has been a transformational leader in local nonprofits since 2004, after a career shift from broadcast news. Her passion for mission-driven organizations has drawn her to causes including animals, health care and people with disabilities. She’s led major organizational change efforts including brand and culture overhauls, health tech start-ups, and new fundraising strategy implementations. She brings an empathetic and trauma-informed approach to change management which she likes to call “change with care.”

In her role as Chief Advancement Officer, Tiffini leads the team responsible all fundraising-related activities including annual giving, major gifts, grants, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, events, and fundraising programs. Tiffini and her team are also responsible for all OHS marketing, communications, and creative work.

Outside of her work at OHS, Tiffini is on the Board of Directors for Unitus Community Credit Union, where she leads the Governance Committee and supports financial well-being and education for communities who need it most.

Tiffini is a life-long Oregonian who loves to travel and explore the world, and is also a big fan of spending as much time as possible in the Columbia River Gorge with friends, family and her rescue dog, Abby, who she adopted from Willamette Humane Society in 2011.

At OHS, Gary leads a team whose members are committed to ensuring financial stability and providing exceptional donor stewardship. Gary has implemented a broad and diverse array of programs including planned giving, direct mail, monthly giving, a retail store, vehicle donation program and other strategies that have created a very stable, private donation funding base. During his tenure at OHS the donor base has grown from 2,500 contributors to more than 88,000.

In response to the needs of pet owners, Gary founded the OHS Friends Forever care-of-surviving-pets program in 1995. The program has evolved as OHS championed the passage of two Oregon laws which facilitate including pets in estate plans. Gary has assisted hundreds of people in creating plans for their pets.

In his role at Oregon Humane Society, Chase oversees a staff of close to 150 animal welfare professionals in four departments at the Portland and Salem campuses – Admissions, Animal Care, Customer Care, and Training & Behavior. Collectively, these programs serve close to 25,000 pets each year. Operations focuses on lifesaving efforts locally and nationally, via collaboration, education and compassion for the animals and people in need.

Prior to OHS, Chase served in a senior management role with Wells Fargo Bank managing cross functional initiatives in a financial and sales environment.