Howard T Petrie
Trustor and Trustee
Howard is a native of suburban Pittsburgh, PA, where he developed a deep appreciation for animals and nature. He received his Bachelor’s (1978) and Master’s (1981) degrees from the Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD degree (1988) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Following post-doctoral fellowships at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, and then at the Yale University School of Medicine, he spent eleven years on the faculty at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In 2005, he became one of the founding faculty members at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, FL in 2005, where he retired in 2020 as Professor Emeritus. He has held numerous editorial positions on scientific journals and was a regular consultant for the U.S. Public Health Service (National Institutes of Health) as well as various pharmaceutical and biotech companies. He was co-Founder and President of ThymUS Inc, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on science education, from 2001-2013, before vacating that position to focus solely on animal care and welfare. In 2018 he established the Howard T Petrie Charitable Trust, which aims to provide long-term financial support to animal welfare organizations.
Bivian Leganoa
Successor Trustee
Bivian is a true Florida native. She earned her BS in chemistry with a minor in business administration from Florida Atlantic University, following which she was the flow cytometry core manager at The Scripps Research Institute for over a decade, also as an active volunteer in their science outreach program. She currently works at Beckman Coulter as Lab Coordinator, where she has spearheaded several laboratory sustainability programs aimed at reducing waste and conserving resources. She is a devotee of long term conservation and an animal enthusiast. Her values are fully meshed with the mission of the The Trust, and she is committed to its mission. She is also the legal successor to the Trust.
Joanne Toller
Advisor
Joanne Toller has dedicated over 30 years to the nonprofit sector, specializing in fundraising, strategic planning, and digital marketing. A former Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), she has helped countless organizations grow their impact through innovative and sustainable development strategies. Now semi-retired, Joanne continues to support nonprofits through coaching and education while enjoying life as a devoted parrot and doggie mom. Her passion for animal welfare aligns perfectly with The Howard T Petrie Charitable Trust's mission, and she is honored to contribute her expertise to support the organization's growth and success.