President Tammi Barrick has been on the AWASA Board for six years. She began as a member-at-large, then filled the seat as secretary. Tammi also currently volunteers her time and talents for Pima Paws For Life (PPFL) both as a Board member and Medical Director. She has been a past president of FAIR. She sits on the Pima Animal Care Center Advisory Committee and Pima Alliance for Animal Welfare (PAAW).

Through her day to day work with PPFL, Tammi sees a great need for more public education about pet sterilization. She hopes that AWASA’s contract for PetFix may continue as well as to receive public and private funding and grants. In the coming year, she would like AWASA to be present at more events, disburse more educational materials, and provide structured seminars in order to gain a greater community presence.

Tammi lives with two dogs, one cat, and one bird. Breck is an 8-year-old Shiba Inu/Shepherd mix and the old man of the family. Oliver is a 5-year-old West Highland White Terrier, fondly called a terrorist; he’s fearless. She has gone from great danes to chihuahuas and currently owns two, Paco and Harley.    Lalani is a 15-year-old blue and gold Macaw who loves attention, has a vocabulary -- her favorite word being her Pop.

Tammi’s favorite quotation is: “Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France

Jennifer Serling - Member at Large

I have worked in the Veterinary Medical field since 1989. I have a BS in Veterinary Science from the University of Arizona and have been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 1992. While I have extensive small animal experience, my real passion is large animal medicine. I have owned horses and competed in show jumping since the age of 14. I have experience working with cattle, sheep, goats and pigs as well.

I started working at Pima Medical Institute in 2007 as an instructor for their Veterinary Assistant Program. I love working with students and teaching them about the career I am so passionate about. I am a huge supporter of vocational training and take pride in giving students an education and a career where there may not have been other options. I was promoted in 2011 to Veterinary Program Director when the company decided to start a Veterinary Technician Program in Tucson.

One of the things I try to instill in my students is contributing back to the community. I have volunteered at St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center since 2006. I also am currently serving on the board for Hoofs and Horns Large Animal Rescue. I look forward to working with AWASA as a board member as well.

Katie Foust - Member at Large

Katie is a certified veterinary technician who graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science in 2008.  She has worked as a veterinary technician since 2001. 

Katie left working in veterinary practices to teach the Veterinary Assistant Program at Pima Medical Institute in 2011.  She became clinical director of the Veterinary Assistant & Technician Program in September of 2013.

The first six years of her veterinary career were spent working in animal shelters and low-cost spay and neuter clinics, where she assisted with over 10,000 spays and neuters. Many of those procedures were done with the help of non-profit organizations such as AWASA.  Even though she has moved on to work in other areas of the veterinary field, animal welfare and population control will always be her biggest passions.  It is for this reason she is honored to be a member AWASA’s board of directors.