Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
The Cozy Cat Cottage Board of Directors is comprised of an Executive Director and six volunteers who are driven by their passion for animal welfare. Its members are involved in all facets of the organization from day-to-day cleaning to running off-site events. The Board meets regularly to discuss the direction and management of the organization's mission.
Amy Smerecky
Tiffany Kinzer
Beth Hinkle
Executive Director
President
Vice President
Amy has been affiliated with Cozy Cat Cottage for over 15 years. Amy began volunteering in October 2010 after she moved to Ohio from Georgia. A lifelong lover of cats, she knew she had found her happy place immediately. In 2011 she became a member of the medical team and fostered hundreds of cats and kittens. A few years later, she became the medical team lead, foster home coordinator, and supervised the placement of cats into 3 partner pet stores. February 1, 2025 Amy became the Executive Director of Cozy Cat Cottage. Amy resides in New Albany with her husband Joe and their 5 cats Sam, Holleigh, Owen, Finnegan, and Willow who is totally blind. In her spare time, Amy enjoys watching football, binging TV series, travelling, and going to concerts.
Tiffany works as acting Director on Monday nights. Originally from Lima, she moved to Columbus in 1998 and has nine cats: Toby (FIV+), Frankie, Roman, Paris, Stormy, CeCe, Henry, Niko, Henry, Mary and Tommy. Tiffany also works full time for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a Philanthropic Advisor.
Beth serves as Secretary and as an adoption counselor on Saturdays and Thursdays. She is also one of the Grant writers for Cozy Cat Cottage. She, most recently moved here from Pittsburgh, PA in 2013 and since then she has lived in the Columbus area. She has 3 cats, all from CCC. When not at the shelter, she spends her time crafting for her LLC, friends
Becky Sprang
Treasurer
Becky lives on the island of misfit toys as she calls her devils rejects of animals. She is not fazed when she gets squirted in the face with an abscess and pulling ticks off of cats to set them on fire brings her joy.
Jeannie Beyer
Secretary
Jeannie serves as a Trustee and works with the medical team on Tuesdays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she currently resides in Dublin with 4 cats: Scarlett Grace, Batman, Yoda and Chloe Belle.
Ali Galbraith
Trustee
Ali started volunteering at Cozy Cat Cottage in 2014. She is a Trustee and works as an adoption counselor on Sundays. She also helps with events and other fundraising efforts. When she's not working as an adoption counselor, she enjoys spending time with the shelter's resident cats, taking pictures of them, and applying her design skills to various endeavors around the shelter. At home, she lives with 2 cats, both grumpy old men, one of which was adopted from Cozy Cat. She enjoys watching true crime and crafting with them in her personal time.
Our Medical Team
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Madison Bell
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Tracy Craine
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Meryl Lu
Marla Leblanc
In Memorium
Marla dedicated her life to the rescue, care, and protection of cats throughout Central Ohio. Prior to becoming President of Cozy Cat Cottage in 1998, she worked with Save A Pet and spent decades helping animals in need. Over the years, Marla gave countless hours of her time to the thousands of cats and kittens who came through our doors. She served on numerous committees, led major fundraising efforts, and helped shape Cozy Cat Cottage into the organization it is today.
Marla's love for cats was evident in everything she did. She had a special place in her heart for tabbies, and her home was affectionately known as “Tabby Township.”
Many knew Marla as “the chicken lady” because of the weekly chicken treats she lovingly prepared for the cats at Cozy Cat. She also had a gift for caring for the most fragile residents, often making special goat milkshakes for cats and kittens needing extra nourishment and comfort.
Marla's compassion, dedication, and tireless work changed the lives of thousands of animals and touched the hearts of everyone who knew her. Her legacy will live on through the mission of Cozy
Cat Cottage and in every cat that finds safety, love, and a forever home.
Though our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing Marla is now reunited with all the cats who went before her.
Her memory will forever remain a part of Cozy Cat Cottage.
Rebbecca Kirby
Trustee
Becca is new to the board. Learn more about her soon!