Meet The Team
HOLLY CAREY
Executive Director​
​Holly Carey joined the Cat Haven team as the Executive Director on November 1, 2021. Holly brings to Cat Haven more than 30 years of experience as a registered veterinary technician from both the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and private veterinary practice in Baton Rouge. Although she has worked with many species of animals in her career, Holly has a special passion for cats and has three of her own, along with two dogs, a leopard gecko, and two teenage boys. Holly is an active member of the animal welfare community, having previously served other local non-profits on the board of directors and in a volunteer capacity. Holly enjoys live music, relaxing at the beach, and time with her two sons and their menagerie of pets.
AMBER HARRELL
Development Director​
Amber Harrell, a Baton Rouge native, has never known a life without cats around.
She has two kitties of her own at home and, currently, shares an office with Corey (Coriander). Amber is very passionate about cats and hopes to lead Cat Haven to a larger facility that includes a Cat Cafe (she's also very passionate about coffee).
In her "free" time, Amber is a part of Forum225 and serves on the board of Mid City Merchants as president.
MARY RUBENSTEIN
Shelter Manager
MJ, a native of New Orleans, is a LSU student who is working towards an undergraduate degree in psychology. She has a 4-year-old cat at home named Nova. She was a rescue from Cat Haven! When MJ isn't working, she enjoys playing the piano and ukulele, reading, and playing video games. Her favorite thing about working at Cat Haven is that she gets to help make a difference in the lives of so many cats who are in unfortunate situations.
BRIANA TUMMINELLO
Operations Director
Briana is a Louisiana native who cares deeply for animals. She recently graduated from LSU with a degree in Animal Science. She has her own rescue cat at home named Stella. Briana came to Cat Haven to learn more about felines and to advocate for those who don't have an owner to advocate for them! Briana started working for Cat Haven as an Animal Care Specialist and was then promoted to Shelter Manager. Briana will also be taking over as Volunteer Coordinator.
KYRSTIN LEBOUEF
Adoption Manager
Kyrstin LeBouef is from Lafourche Parish and moved here to Baton Rouge in 2023. She has over five years of experience working in animal care, both canine and feline, but has a special place in her heart for cats. She is very passionate about neonatal kitten care, spay/neuter, and cat behavior. Kyrstin has three cats and two dogs at home and loves to spend time with her animals. In Kyrstin’s spare time, she enjoys clay sculpting, photography, and collecting trinkets/oddities!
ABBY SANTINI
Operations Assistant
Abby is originally from South Carolina, where she received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of South Carolina. In 2012 she moved to Louisiana and has made a life here with her 2 young kids and dog and cat. She has worked in the animal rescue field for over 15 years, 4 of those years being with Cat Haven as the Operations Director previously and another 3 years with Project Purr. She even helped start up the only feline-only veterinary hospital here in Baton Rouge, Cat Care Center. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors in nature, live music and eating good food.
LAUREN CHEMIN
Animal Care Specialist
Lauren Chemin wants to ensure that every cat receives the love and attention they deserve until they find their family. She is a proud cat mom to two rescue cats, both of whom unexpectedly wandered into her life after living on the streets. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys polymer clay sculpting, and playing video games.
LAUREN BECKER
Animal Care Specialist
Lauren is a New Orleans native who holds a Bachelor’s of Science from LSU and a degree in Practical Nursing, and worked caring for humans for years before coming to care for our kitties. She is a cat lover who is passionate about making sure every kitten and cat gets the best love and care possible here at Cat Haven. Lauren is mom to her adopted senior cat, Aimee, and also a mom to a little human of her own. She’s an avid runner and active in handful of community service organizations in Baton Rouge for humans and cats alike.