Board of Directors

Meg McAdam, Founder and President

Meg spent over 20 years in the tech industry before transitioning to nonprofit work. After raising her son and daughter with her husband, Meg found her true calling in animal welfare.

Her journey in animal welfare began when her kids were younger, volunteering in rescue organizations and realizing her deep passion for the cause. She later worked as the Adoption Coordinator at Oakland Animal Services, where she loved matching pets with people. However, she began wondering what happened to pets before they ended up in the shelter and whether there could have been a way to prevent them from being lost or surrendered in the first place.

It was during her time at OAS that Meg realized her true mission: to prevent animals from ever needing to enter the shelter system. She saw firsthand the heartbreaking situations where families were forced to surrender their pets due to financial or other barriers or the lost pet that ended up in the system instead of being reunited with its family. Driven by a desire to keep pets with their families, Meg founded HAPI to provide resources to underserved pet owners and help animals stay in their homes.

Meg’s vision for HAPI is to offer essential services such as microchipping, vaccinations, food, and personalized identification tags to pet families in need. Her leadership and deep commitment to the cause drive HAPI’s mission to alleviate the stress that comes with pet ownership for low-income families and ensure that pets remain with the people who love them.

When she’s not working with HAPI, Meg enjoys spending time with her husband, her friends, and her own pets. Two things that feed her soul in her free time are volunteering for dog playgroups at OAS and listening to live music. She continues to advocate for animals in need across Oakland.

Pam Stewart, Founding Board Member, Vice President, and Treasurer
Pam is a Bay Area native and UC Berkeley alumna with a Master’s degree from John F. Kennedy University. She has dedicated over 35 years to the field of behavioral health and has been with her current program—a long-term care facility serving individuals with Major Neurocognitive Disorders—since its inception in 2000. Guided by a deep commitment to dignity and quality of life for those with complex needs, Pam helped build the program and now serves as its Clinical Director.

Outside of her professional role, Pam is a lifelong animal lover with experience in animal rescue. She brings her strength in building systems and providing behind-the-scenes operational support, offering both structure and heart to every initiative. She has volunteered in event support for Oakland Animal Services since 2021, where she helps potential adopters navigate the excitement and occasional anxiety that can come with finding a new companion. Pam was the first official volunteer for HAPI when Meg founded the organization in 2023, serves as its Vice President and Treasurer, and continues to be a dedicated part of its mission. 

Outside of work and volunteering, Pam enjoys life at home and makes time to explore the Bay Area’s many hidden gems with her husband and their beloved senior rescue dogs, Luigi and Beba. She loves to cook, tend to her garden, and continues to work on making time to express her creativity through art.

Briana Alex Bush, Secretary
Briana has been working and volunteering with animals for the better part of the last 30 years and is thrilled to have recently started working with HAPI. 

In her time volunteering with a dog rescue group and working at a veterinary hospital, Briana saw first-hand how frequently people had to make hard decisions about their pets' care and how often pets wound up separated from a loving family due to financial barriers. In her time with both a dog daycare and service dog organization, she had the privilege of seeing countless dogs live wonderful lives when that barrier was nonexistent. 

When Briana began working and volunteering with local harm reduction groups, both of which often work with low-income and unhoused community members, she was constantly fielding questions about local pet resources. She was introduced to HAPI while helping to organize a pop-up event that connects community members to local organizations and individuals interested in providing free services to their neighbors. She was beyond excited to find out the long list of services HAPI provides and to meet the amazing volunteers helping to keep pets with their families and out of the shelter each and every week. 

Briana spends her free time with her loved ones, rotating between being out and taking advantage of the many restaurants, concert venues, museums, and hiking trails around the bay, and staying in and reading, hosting movies nights, and watching TV with her dog and partner.

Sharon Brown, Board Member
Sharon brings over 30 years of experience as an intensive care nurse to her role as a board member at HAPI. A lifelong animal advocate, she began volunteering with Bay Area dog rescues long before the rise of websites and social media. After taking a step back to raise her son, Sharon returned to animal rescue work with another local organization, furthering her commitment to helping pets in need find loving homes.

Sharon’s passion for animal welfare and her dedication to both the animals and their owners is evident in everything she does. She goes above and beyond the parameters set by HAPI, often taking extra steps to ensure that both the people and pets we serve receive the support they need. Her natural inclination to care for others — a trait honed in her career as an intensive care nurse — shines through in her volunteer work.

Sharon was drawn to HAPI because its mission — supporting low-income and unhoused community members and their pets in Oakland — aligns deeply with her personal values. She finds inspiration in getting to know the animals and people HAPI serves, and enjoys working alongside the passionate and dedicated volunteers who share her vision.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Sharon enjoys traveling, gardening, spending time with friends, and doting on her beloved rescue dog, Peach.