BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mitchell Clark is the President and Board Member of the Gulf Coast Humane Society.  This is a volunteer position. Mitchell recently adopted a pet from the GCHS.  He has been serving the GCHS for over 3 years.  Mitchell is dedicated to making sure all pets at the GCHS are well taken care of and placed in loving adopted homes.

Mitchell’s lifelong dedication to public service is evident in his law enforcement and military service. He has been a police officer in Nueces County Constable operations since 1981.  Mitchell is the Constable emeritus of Pct. 2 in Nueces County.  Mitchell served in the United States Marine Corps as an MP/Correctional Specialist. He also saw duty as a highly-prestigious USMC Drill Instructor in San Diego. Mitchell was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.

Mitchell Clark has 35 years of experience in civil trial law with emphasis on commercial litigation, business litigation, business formations and contracts. He has litigated cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars and has extensive experience in class action litigation, contract law, fiduciary litigation and oil & gas cases.  Mitchell is licensed by the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of Tennessee, and is also admitted to practice before the US District Courts for the Southern and Western districts of Texas, and the United States Supreme Court.

Mark is a lifelong resident of Corpus Christi, married to his wife Debbie for 47 years, they have three children, six grandchildren, Maggie the family pet, and ruler of the laird. He is a Board Member of the Gulf Coast Humane Society, a voluntary position.  Mark has spent most of his career in the Refining and Industrial Construction business, holding managerial positions with several large companies in the coastal bend, and currently Operations Manager for Repcon Inc. Mark has volunteered his time with school and church functions, coached little league sports, and volunteered with community outreach programs.

Mark is an avid golfer. He has always had a lead by example philosophy, been a team player treating everyone with dignity and respect. Mark assisted and supported his wife Debbie when she managed the first Tom Keller Memorial Golf Tournament raising funds for GCHS. His intent as a Board Member of the Gulf Coast Humane Society is to represent the shelter with the highest regard, make positive contribution, support the activities of the shelter, and care for the animals in the best possible atmosphere.

Kallia Shook Kainer is the Chief Financial Officer at CC Distributors located in Corpus Christi, Texas. Prior to this role, she was the Financial Controller of SecureCare Technologies in Austin, Texas.  Her focus has been on business leadership as well as finance and accounting report analysis and preparation. Kallia has a master's in business administration and is a proud alumnus of Texas A&M Corpus Christi.  

As a dedicated member of the community, she has served on the Board of Directors for The Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, The YMCA of Corpus Christi, Paws and Claws of the Coastal Bend, and FUNdraiser Club.  Her passion lies in community service and animal rescue, she is a foster for rescues and a true

animal advocate.  She is dedicated to the boards she serves on, the rescues she works with, her family, fur family, and friends.

Kent Nielsen is a proud graduate of Carroll High School, class of 1980. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Pat, for 39 happy years.  Kent and Pat have raised two daughters; Chelsea (27) and Lindsey (25).

Kent is a true entrepreneur owning several businesses over the years including but not limited to, 3 Blind Mice Blind Cleaning, Moonlite Lighting Design, Champion Seamless Gutter, Paradigm Homes, and Paradigm Roofing. Kent has been the president and owner of Pest Patrol, Inc. for the last 33 years and a co-owner of Armstrong Lumber since 2015.

Kent and his family are supporters of The American Cancer Society, Triumph Over Kid Cancer, Halo Flight, Driscoll Children’s Hospital, and Nueces Country Junior Livestock Show.

Kent has previously served as a board member of the Texas Pest Control Association, Corpus Christi Country Club, Corpus Christi Estates Association, and the National Pest Control Association.

Ali has been a lover of all creatures from a very young age, thanks to her mother, Ada Weil Fish. Her passion for helping animals in need runs deep as the granddaughter of GCHS founder, Frances Weil. Ali spent many days on the grounds of GCHS as a child and young adult, loving on all of the animals awaiting their forever home. She was also present when her mother, and a group of fellow animal lovers, created Paws and Claws, an auxiliary group for GCHS. Growing up, Ali’s home was always occupied by at least one rescue animal, usually more.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Ali focused on caring for creatures of the human variety at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, as well as Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi. She also spent a great deal of time volunteering with an equine therapy facility in Spring, TX. She worked directly with riders in lessons as well as helped organize fundraising events. Drawing from her artistic roots from college, she then went on to become the traffic manager for MDR Advertising Agency in Corpus Christi.

A mother of two toddlers, a German Shepherd named Eve, and a rescue border collie/ Bernese mountain dog mix named Boomer, Ali is grateful for the opportunity to serve her community and strive for the best treatment of animals in the Coastal Bend.

Minesh J. Patel is president and principal attorney of The Patel Law Firm. Minesh’s legal practice is predominantly focused on personal injury and personal injury litigation. He has represented countless injury victims in a wide array of cases, including commercial trucking accidents, workplace accidents, oilfield accidents, insurance disputes, and premise liability accidents. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys in America, and has been recognized as 40 best under 40 by The National Trial Lawyers Association.

When Minesh is not in the office, he is either on the golf course or relaxing with his family which includes Penny the French Bulldog, and Gizmo the Japanese Chin. Minesh is excited to for the opportunity to contribute to GCHS and looks forward to helping GCHS serve the Coastal Bend community!

Kendra Williams is from Corpus Christi, graduating from Calallen High school and receiving her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.

Kendra worked in the multifamily housing industry for over 28 years. Her focus as a Regional Director was repositioning assets in Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Louisiana. She has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of managing these assets including budgeting, financial review, marketing, training, renovation and due diligence for acquisitions and dispositions. Building teams and relationships were the highlight of the industry.

Kendra’s passion has always been animals. Although she loves all animals, her current family consists of three rescue basset hounds: Belle (her princess who really rules the roost), Bo and Winston.

Kendra is excited to expand her dedication to animals by serving on the board of directors of GCHS.

Chuck Anastos is a registered architect with over 44 years’ experience in the construction industry. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1979 and later co-founded Chuck Anastos Associates, LLC with his wife, Tina Bryan Anastos in 1985. Their firm projects have been published in Texas Architect; Southern Living; Design Texas; Luxe Austin + San Antonio; Dallas Style & Design; and numerous local publications. Between 2014 – 2022, their architecture / interior design firm has won 31 design awards.

Prior to CAA, Chuck was a partner and principal architect in Turner, Anastos & Associates; an estimator / project manager with Marshall Construction Company; and performed his architectural training internship starting in 1979 with Turner, Rome, Boultinghouse Inc. He has served as a past board member and vice chairman of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (a Governor appointment to two 6-year terms) and on numerous local / municipal boards and commissions.

Married in 1983, Chuck and Tina immediately discovered their calling- rescuing dogs and cats. It started with a family of feral felines and quickly grew to many household pets. Since 1983, they have brought 23 loved family members into their home, sometimes having as many as six dogs and three cats in one crew. In the last 40 years, they have also spayed, neutered and found homes for another 50 underprivileged dogs and cats.

Amy is a REALTOR® working throughout the Coastal Bend and is delighted to serve her clients and their fur babies. She is a member of the Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society, the Board of Directors of the Corpus Christi Association of REALTORS® and local Chair of the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee. She is a 5th generation Texan and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University.

Amy and her husband, John, have two sons. Their home is brighter and funnier because of a rescued Fox Terrier mix named Scout. It has been her pleasure to serve GCHS clients as a volunteer in the nursery, during Camp Happy Tails and pet food distribution, in school outreach and education and as a puppy foster parent.

Amy’s love of pets started as a young child in a home with hunting dogs and a Chihuahua. Through the years, she’s been blessed with a couple of Golden Retrievers and a Lab mix. She understands that life is not as sweet without a pet and is committed to helping GCHS complete families.