Board Elections

Dixie loves BVAS and volunteers for just about everything the shelter asks her for. She is looking forward to helping with the administration, planning and fundraising portion from the Board. 

Her experience with rescue, fostering and volunteering as well as management, computer and event planning skills will make an excellent addition to the BVAS board.  

Kathy Griffith grew up in Iowa in a family of pet lov- ers. She spent 22 years in Texas before moving to Bella Vista in 2005 to continue her 30-year career in corporate architecture, design, construction, real es- tate and project management with Walmart Corpo- rate Real Estate. After retiring in 2019, Kathy excit- edly joined the Bella Vista Animal Shelter Board to help the homeless and abandoned fur babies of our community live their best lives until they find the forever loving homes they all deserve. She has pro- vided a loving home for many rescues, 3 dogs and 4 cats, and is most recently a new mom to BVAS res- cue pup Gracie. When not supporting the shelter, she enjoys golf, music, art, theater and spending time with family and friends.

Jayson Heberlein is a General Manager with Republic Services, bringing over twenty years of leadership experience in waste management, shipping, and operational oversight. He resides in Galena, Kansas, but is connected locally through his professional work with the Bella Vista transfer station. Jayson is interested in serving on the board to support animal welfare and contribute his expertise in organizational development, people leadership, safety culture, and business transformation. His resume highlights accomplishments such as achieving top employee experience scores, driving revenue and profit growth, and leading major operational improvements across multiple regions. His background also reflects strong collaboration skills and a commitment to community engagement.

Brandon is a real go getter. A local small business’ owner dedicated to helping the animals of Bella Vista.  He has volunteered for multiple shelter community events, and helps at BVAS weekly cleaning and walking animals. His background in sales and knowledge in construction will benefit the shelter as we build a new facility to house more animals. 

Brandon  is looking to make an impact, in the best possible way, for the employees, animals and the overall success of our shared mission, to help the animals of Bella Vista. 

Dana Ponczek holds a dual degree in Chemistry and Forensic Science from Alvernia College (now
known as Alvernia University), as well as a Masters in Marketing. Dana began her career as a
formulation chemist and transitioned to the retail sector 10 years ago. Throughout her career, Dana
has received numerous industry recognitions for her contributions in the diabetic space.
In 2022, Dana was honored with the prestigious Sam Walton Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the
visionary and cost-effective launch of ReliOn Analog Insulin, a project that has had significant
financial and life-saving impacts. Recognized as a respected leader and mentor, Dana consistently
excels both individually and as part of a team to achieve successful outcomes.
Dana has been a lifelong animal owner and maintains a deep passion for pets, adopting her
beloved fur babies from the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. Her dedication to animal welfare extends
beyond her professional life, as she actively works to help animals through various initiatives.
In 2014, Dana co-founded a 5013C organization with friends, aimed at assisting the elderly in their
community. Additionally, she has been a devoted volunteer for the NWA Big Brother Big Sister
Program, maintaining a lasting relationship with her “little”. Dana also supports NWA Equality as an
Ally, contributing wherever and whenever possible. Driven by a purpose to make a meaningful
difference in the community, Dana’s efforts continue to positively impact those around her

Tayler Smith is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer–Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) with more than a decade of hands-on experience in animal welfare, behavior, and community education. She recently relocated to Northwest Arkansas, where she serves as Director of Training & Growth for All Paws Training, overseeing behavior programs, staff development, and client education for training services.

Before moving to Arkansas, Tayler led the behavior department for Santa Barbara County Animal Services in California. In that role, she worked closely with all shelter departments to improve communication, reduce kennel stress, support foster and rescue transfers, and make behaviorally sound adoption decisions. She also founded TaylerMade Rescues, a small but dedicated 501(c)(3) that focuses primarily on parrots and occasionally other species in need of specialized care and rehabilitation.

Tayler is the owner of TaylerMade Training & Pet Supplies, a behavior-focused training business that has helped hundreds of dogs and their families through private lessons, group classes, and behavior modification plans. She is particularly passionate about helping “behaviorally complicated” animals stay in their homes through realistic, science-based training, clear communication with pet parents, and ongoing support.

In addition to her work in training and rescue, Tayler is the author of the children’s book My Best Friend Bailey, which uses the story of a service dog to teach empathy, safety, and responsible handling to kids and families. She is excited about the opportunity to support Bella Vista Animal Shelter as a board member—bringing a behavior-first perspective, a collaborative mindset, and a strong commitment to connecting shelter pets with the right people, resources, and lifelong homes.

Kerri Thomson resides in Bella Vista and has spent the past decade working in guest experience and development roles for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary. She recently left the museum and is seeking opportunities to support her community more directly, including through service with the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. Kerri has a desire to become more involved locally and to specifically support the shelter’s mission. She brings strong customer-facing experience, service expertise, and community engagement skills. Her references highlight her professionalism and commitment to meaningful volunteer involvement.

Cassondra Treib, who has been residing in Bella Vista, Arkansas, since October 2017, is the National Sales Representative of Galil Brands, a family-owned and operated company that has been importing, marketing, and distributing delicious foods from around the world since 1985.

Cassondra is an experienced Merchandising Professional with progressive experience in cost of goods and negotiation, profit and loss oversight, data analysis, buying and merchandising, presentations, project management, training, and cross-functional team development. She utilizes strong communication and leadership to effectively manage complex projects and empower teams to meet business goals and objectives.

At the beginning of Cassondra’s buying career with Walmart, she was responsible for 200 Supercenters and grew with the company over a 20+year period to over 3600 Supercenters. Her P&L responsibility increased from approximately $500,000,000 to over $4,000,000,000. She collaborated and negotiated with many global companies such as Nestle, Proctor& Gamble, PepsiCo, Unilever, Kraft, Coca-Cola, and Tyson Foods. Cassondra’s passion to develop and train buyers and cross-functional team members allowed her to create dynamic teams that overcome many obstacles to achieve sales and profitability. Her enthusiasm for Store of the Community was influenced as the company grew across the US providing products to people for all walks of life, religious backgrounds, and cultures.

Cassondra earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas. Throughout her career, she engaged in professional development as a Dale Carnegie graduate including: Dale Carnegie High-Impact Presentations, Leadership Development and 360/Behavioral Assessment, Advanced Leadership Development, Leadership Foundations, and Walton Institute of Retailing.

Cassondra has earned many professional awards throughout her career including: Walmart Buyer of the Year 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007; Walmart Buyer of the Quarter 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009; Walmart Department of the Year—Strategy Award 2008; Professional Candy Buyer of the Year 2002. “Buyer of the Year” award recipients are honored by achieving sales, profit and turn goals in conjunction with the collaboration internally with cross functional team members as well as externally with the supplier partners. This award is such an honor and privilege, receiving it not just once, but five times was a wonderful experience for Cassondra.

Cassondra is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Bentonville is currently serving on the Congregational Care Team.

Jewel Williams grew up in Texas and moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas
in 2021 upon retirement. Jewel holds a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree in Accounting from Texas A & M University.
Jewel has over 30 years of healthcare experience both financially as
well as operationally, and was a contract negotiator for the past 8
years of employment. She enjoys keeping up her computer skills and
working with spreadsheets. She currently volunteers at the animal
shelter where her love of animals and heart for service to her
community are seen. She is also the current president of the Bella
Vista Hill N Dale hiking club. Jewel also provides a loving home to
two dogs, Bolt and Trixie, as well as four pet chickens. Jewel enjoys
hiking, golf, traveling, kayaking, working out, and learning new things.
She loves the outdoors and being surrounded by nature. She is also
the mother of two sons and 3 grandchildren.