The Heart of Our Mission

Our dedicated staff and volunteers are the backbone of Eastwood Ranch,
providing 24/7 care and love to every animal that comes through our doors.

Lance Hunter
General Manager

Raquel Kegley
Office & Social Media Manager

Emmanuel Jefferson
Animal Care Manager

A few of our great team members

Alison Eastwood

CHAIR & FOUNDER

Alison Eastwood’s love of animals took root early, shaped by her family and the natural beauty of growing up on California’s Central Coast. She built a career as an actor and director before discovering her true calling in 2011, when she co-created and executive produced Animal Intervention on Nat Geo Wild.

The series opened her eyes to the scale of animal suffering nationwide, but Alison knew she wanted to make a difference closer to home. As she learned how urgent the crisis was in Southern California’s shelter system, she found her focus. In 2012, she co-founded Eastwood Ranch Foundation to give vulnerable shelter animals a second chance.

For more than a decade, Alison has helped grow ERF from a grassroots rescue effort into a full-service animal welfare organization. In 2024, ERF opened its Rescue & Adoption Center in Agoura Hills, creating a permanent place where animals can receive care, recover, and meet the families and volunteers who help change their lives. The Ranch also serves as a welcoming community hub, bringing people together through education, volunteerism, adoption, and programs that strengthen the connection between animals and the people who care for them.

As Chair and Founder, Alison continues to lead ERF’s mission with hands-on dedication, guiding the organization’s growth in rescue, adoption, foster care, spay and neuter access, and community education. She remains a dedicated advocate and a voice for animals who cannot speak for themselves.

Stacy Poitras

SECRETARY & TREASURER

Stacy Poitras is a longtime Los Angeles resident, sculptor, and co-founder of Eastwood Ranch Foundation,
established in 2012 alongside Alison Eastwood. His work with ERF spans every stage of the organization’s growth, from early concept development to the realization of its permanent rescue facility in Agoura Hills.

He plays an active, hands-on role across the organization, contributing to business strategy, onsite construction, and the daily well-being of the animals. As Secretary and Treasurer, he supports ERF’s operations with both creative vision and practical execution, helping bring the foundation’s mission to life.

Cindy Landon

BOARD MEMBER

Cindy Landon is a producer and dedicated advocate whose work is rooted in compassion and purpose. Over the years, she has been involved in producing impactful documentaries that bring awareness to issues surrounding health, sustainability, and humanitarian efforts, reflecting her belief in the power of storytelling to inspire meaningful change.

Her commitment to advocacy extends across decades of involvement in animal welfare and humanitarian causes. She serves on the board of the Eastwood Ranch Foundation, where she supports the rescue, rehabilitation, and protection of animals, helping to further the organization’s mission with both care and quiet dedication.

Bobi Leonard

BOARD MEMBER

Bobi Leonard is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with nearly three decades of experience building and scaling successful ventures across multiple industries. She founded and grew one of the largest interior design companies in the United States, developing a multi-million dollar enterprise with seven showrooms and a team of over 300 employees, and played a key role in the revitalization of Santa Monica by restoring and preserving more than twenty buildings along the Main Street district.

She has since expanded into skincare, real estate, and business consulting, where she focuses on mentoring entrepreneurs and supporting emerging businesses. She is also the founder of Women Helping Women in the World Foundation, an initiative dedicated to empowering women in business through mentorship and community. Bobi is deeply committed to philanthropy and supports a range of charitable organizations. She brings that same commitment to Eastwood Ranch Foundation, with a strong dedication to the rescue and care of animals in need.

Michael Essrig

BOARD MEMBER

Michael Essrig is a California native, entrepreneur, and business leader who founded his seismic retrofitting and hospital construction company in 1993, launching the business from his garage in Agoura Hills. Over the past three decades, the company has grown into a trusted partner for hospitals throughout California, providing specialized seismic retrofitting and construction services that protect critical healthcare facilities, while its earthquake fastening products are distributed worldwide to support safer structures in earthquake-prone regions.

Beyond his business success, Michael has dedicated his life to philanthropy. Since the mid-1980s, he has supported nonprofit organizations serving children with disabilities throughout California and led international efforts providing housing, healthcare, and education for children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda, along with healthcare clinics and anti-poaching work in South Africa. That same generosity shines through at Eastwood Ranch Foundation, where his company’s construction services helped bring a major facility beautification project to life.

Matthew Felker

BOARD MEMBER

Matthew Felker is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, film producer, and media executive with a background spanning real estate, venture capital, and entertainment. After building his career in front of and behind the camera, he co-created Midwest Movies with director Penelope Spheeris and went on to self-finance, write, direct, and produce the four-part documentary series After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, distributed by Hulu and Disney+.

He is the founder of AntiSocial Hero LLC, a media company focused on producing and distributing podcasts, short-form content, and documentaries. A longtime supporter of Eastwood Ranch Foundation, Matt has consistently shown up with both his time and resources long before joining the board, making him one of ERF’s most dedicated advocates for animal rescue and welfare.

William “Billy” McNamara

BOARD MEMBER

William “Billy” McNamara is an accomplished film and television actor known for roles in Copycat and Chasers. A dedicated animal advocate, he served as a crew member with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society during the Taiji dolphin campaign, an effort that helped inspire the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. He collaborated with Alison Eastwood on Animal Intervention for National Geographic and most recently was recognized for his frontline rescue efforts during the Palisades fires. He brings that same hands-on commitment to his role on the ERF Board of Directors.

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