Board Members

Joe is an acknowledged expert in the field of corporate governance with more than 12 years experience as a member/chair of numerous corporate and non-profit boards. He is currently a Senior Fellow for The Governance Center at The Conference Board and previously served as Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the Guardian Life Insurance Co. Joe was a founding member of CCPT and has provided therapy for more than ten years with his dogs.

Erick is a Licensed Certified Public Accountant in NJ and PA. He is the owner and manager of ESCA Tax Services, providing income tax preparation to the general public and a sister company, Spring Woods Accounting Services, which provides accounting services to small businesses. Erick was been an active therapy team for many years and has had several certified therapy dogs through CCPT. He has also raised puppies for Canine Companions for Independence.

Julie is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience as a management consultant, in-house counsel for international Fortune 500 corporations and firm attorney. She is currently Vice President, Lead Real Estate & Construction Counsel at Summit Medical Group / CityMD. She was a board member for Bike/Walk Morristown and continues to volunteer for the organization by leading the weekly open dog walk. She provides pet therapy with her 2nd CCPT certified pet therapy Labrador Retriever, Gabe.

Peter received his degree in Veterinary Medicine from Ohio State in 1978 and began practicing in New Jersey in 1979. In 1997 he formed Murray Hill Veterinary Associates in New Providence with two partners and continues to practice there. Peter lives in Gillette with his wife and enjoys traveling. They have two grown sons. As a founding Board member of CCPT, Peter and his CCPT certified Border Terrier, Kevin, provided many years of pet therapy visits. Peter is continuing his CCPT therapy work with Tucker, a Golden Retriever.

Jan is a seasoned business executive with over 40 years of operational experience at Fortune 500 companies in the hospital supply and retail industries. With her leadership and communication skills, she brings creativity and positive energy, while focusing on achieving results and moving the organization forward. Jan is currently retired and dedicating her time to volunteering. She, and her husband George, along with their two Golden Retrievers, Misty Belle and Chase, are active therapy teams supporting the work of Creature Comfort Pet Therapy. Their visits are a true family passion.

Christina is an employment attorney practicing law with dedication and enthusiasm, helping clients navigate the complexities of the legal system. She is recognized for excellence in initiative, collaboration, efficiency improvements, project execution and developing business strategies. She is currently Vice President, Employment and Independent Contractor Relations law, at Anywhere Real Estate Inc., headquartered in Madison, New Jersey.  She lives with her wonderful family and two energetic dogs, Ripley and Little Bear, in Morris County. Her home is filled with love, laughter, and lots of barking, making life truly special.

Tim is a Management Consultant and Program Manager for the Pharmaceutical Industry. Using time proven organizational theory and 35 years of management consulting experience, Tim has helped organizations meet and exceed their targets. Tim brings experience as a volunteer Board Chair and President, focused on the organization’s charter, mission and objectives. He holds an English BA from Rutgers University with honors. He has always had a passion for pets, and is proud to have Dani Menzel and Maggie as a therapy team.

Kristin is a Product Manager specializing in digital products across various industries such as Finance, Retail, Media and Education. She is currently Principal Product Manager, Customer Care, at Walmart, working out of the Hoboken office.  Kristin has enjoyed spending her time volunteering with several organizations and is excited to be part of CCPT to promote the emotional connection between animals and humans. Kristin lives in Randolph with her husband and two goldendoodle fur babies, Ollie and Charli. She is in the process of training them to become therapy dogs so that others can benefit from their unconditional love, comfort and healing.

Edward is an accomplished senior biopharma executive, board member and corporate and securities lawyer. He currently serves as a board member of Orcosa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and as the General Counsel and executive officer of Immatics, N.V. He has navigated leadership, governance and oversight matters for numerous non-profits. The mission-based leadership of the CCPT Board of Directors aligns well with his love of dogs and continued desire to help others. His wife and Yorkshire Terrier, Ricky, are a CCPT-certified therapy team providing therapy throughout New Jersey.

Amie currently serves as the President and Chief Hospital Executive for JFK University Medical Center in Edison, where CCPT provides daily pet visits that bring comfort and joy to staff, physicians, patients, and their loved ones. Amie and her husband Craig were part of the inaugural class of foster families for the Penn Vet Working Dog Center where, over ten years, they raised four future working dogs.  She has also been an active community volunteer, serving as President of the Junior League of Greater Princeton and on several non-profit boards.  Her current canine partner, Scout, is a retired working dog trained in both drug and stolen antiquities detection.

Mary Beth is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management, event planning, volunteer facilitation and fundraising. With her skills and experience, Mary Beth is carrying on the vision of our co-founders, Annie Murphy and Joan Baer. She is furthering the growth of Creature Comfort Pet Therapy to continue and expand the work of their living legacy.  Mary Beth is certified as a CCPT therapy team with Coby, her family Shih Tzu.  Her favorite activities include hiking, gardening and walking Coby and his mom, Maggie.

Joan Baer co-founded Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in 2011 along with Annie Murphy. She began her business career in IT, working for IBM and Silverline Building Products Corp, but later turned to raising her family and volunteering in many areas, including 13 years on the Board of Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, NJ.  Along with her husband, Sandy, she raised 10 puppies for Canine Companions for Independence (service dogs for people with disabilities other than sight). She started CCPT doing visits with her Labrador Retriever mix Konar. In the end, Joan was certified for pet therapy with her Golden Retrievers, Sweet P and Samson. Joan's vision for Creature Comfort will continue on while helping thousands more people.