Staff
Mary Beth Cooney - Executive Director
mbcooney@ccpettherapy.org
ext. 205
Mary Beth is a seasoned administrator with more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management, event planning, volunteer facilitation, and fundraising. She has always been interested in holistic healing and is an active volunteer herself for her local Rotary Club. With her skills and experience, Mary Beth is carrying on the excellent work begun by our co-founders, Annie Murphy and Joan Baer, and furthering the growth of Creature Comfort Pet Therapy. Mary Beth is certified for pet therapy with Coby, her family Shih Tzu. Her favorite activities include hiking, biking, gardening and walking Coby and his mom, Maggie.
Karen Clark - Volunteer Manager
kclark@ccpettherapy.org
ext. 202
Before jumping into animal-related fields, Karen worked as a Project Manager on large-scale web application projects. She always knew she wanted to work with animals and left the corporate world to follow her passion and work as a Veterinary Technician and started a pet-sitting/dog training business. She also volunteered with local rescues as a foster for bully breeds and "difficult dogs" all while raising service dog prospects. Her detail-oriented nature and experience working with animals make her a perfect fit for Creature Comfort as the Volunteer Manager. Karen has been certified for therapy work with four different pets over the years and mostly visits nursing homes and facilities for special needs. Karen loves getting out on visits or anything related to the outdoors.
Nancy Fernandez - Scheduling Coordinator
nfernandez@ccpettherapy.org
ext. 203
Nancy became a Certified Pet Therapy team with Creature Comfort in October of 2014 with her dog Daisy. In January of 2015 she took on the role of Scheduling all of the CCPT team visits as well as onboarding all of the many new facilities. Nancy recently rescued an American Bulldog, Snuggles from a Newark, New Jersey kill shelter, rehabilitated him and he too is a Certified Pet Therapy dog with Creature Comfort.
Carly Luciano - Community Relations & Event Coordinator
cluciano@ccpettherapy.org
ext. 206
Carly spent much of her early career working with children as a first-grade teacher and an early intervention specialist. She became active in the community, particularly the local elementary school, where she organized and ran a multitude of events to help raise money for the school district. Carly is also the proud owner of her own company, that focuses on making personalized gifts and home décor. She decided to expand her horizons and work for a non- profit organization where she could showcase her creativity, organizational skills, love for planning events, and love of animals. Carly enjoys taking walks with her family and their adorable Cavapoo, Lucy. She also enjoys traveling, exercising, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Amy Pagano - Member Support Specialist
apagano@ccpettherapy.org
ext. 204
Amy has more than ten years of experience in Human Resources with a focus on Talent Acquisition. After spending much of her career in the corporate world, mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, she decided to make a change and work for a non-profit organization where she feels she can help make a difference. She‘s very excited to be part of an organization that shares the comfort and healing power of animals with others. Amy holds a bachelor‘s degree in English and a master‘s degree in Human Resources Management from Rutgers University. You can often find her walking her dog, Gracie, around the neighborhood. Gracie is a very energetic and snuggly Cockapoo. Amy also enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time outdoors.