Kendra Janssen
Kendra is the founder and President of Chester’s Barn. She is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with a Business Degree. She started rescuing animals at a very young age, but her first real rescue was a cat named Chester in 1998. Thus started the trend of taking in critters big and small. She’s been doing this for several decades on her own before founding Chester’s Barn.
Helping helpless animals in need helped her. She is a survivor from decades of Domestic Abuse. It was helping animals and focusing attention on them that kept her going. Animals can give you a sense of security and someone to share the day with. Caring for them can help you feel wanted and needed. She knew they deserved better and at the same time they healed her with their unconditional love. When she isn’t working her 4 jobs she can be found running, biking, kayaking, hiking, or enjoying company with friends, traveling with family and her 7 “foster boys”.
Kayla Deats
Kayla is the Vice President of Chester’s Barn. She was born and raised in Schoharie County where she rescued cats starting in her teenage years. Kendra and Kayla met over a decade ago and have been friends since.
Kayla currently has two rescues, a cat named Shadow who was dropped off and locked in a storage unit in the dead of winter and a dog named Gizmo who’s mom was rescued of the streets down South and his first family sent him back to the shelter as a puppy while having him roughly one month.
She has also travelled to Thailand to help out at elephant sanctuaries and welcome newly rescued circus and logging elephants to freedom. Her most heartbreaking story is of an old logging elephant who was new to the sanctuary. She took the elephant on her first Freedom Walk and the elephant did not understand that she could walk freely in the woods and it was ok to eat the pineapples found along the way.
Whether big or small, she realizes that all animals need love and care and strives to help all those without a voice!
Trish Howland
Trish is the treasurer of Chester’s Barn. She is a graduate of SUNY Cortland with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She now finds herself a stay-at-home mom/wife, homeschooling her own two growing boys and caring for her 3 rescue dogs and 1 rescued bearded dragon. Her passion for animals as well as mental health awareness and how the two correlate is what brings her to Chester’s Barn. Cats, dogs and horses have especially helped her in her own healing journey from trauma. Its hard to choose favorites but if she has to choose one (or three) from Chester’s Barn, she’d say Chessie the goat as well as Ian and Aiden the mini horses. They hold a special place in her heart and she thoroughly enjoys bringing them to community events. When she’s not busy caring for her family or volunteering at the barn, you can find her reading a book (preferably outside by a body of water), walking her dogs or spending time with beloved family and friends.
Jenn Troy
Jenn Troy is secretary of Chester’s Barn. Bio coming soon!
Mikayla Sterling
Mikayla is a board member of Chester’s Barn. Mikayla is an aspiring accountant. She is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with a Masters in Accounting.
Her strengths in finance and accounting are invaluable to the not for profit. Mikayla is an animal lover and often volunteers at Chester’s Barn. She can be found stacking hay, cleaning stalls, brushing animals. Her favorite resident is Sammy! Sammy is the barn clown and Mikayla can always be found giving him treats and laughing at his silliness.
Mikayla enjoys baking, hiking, spending time with her dogs, family, and friends.
Jan Kirshenbaum
Jan Kirshenbaum is a board member of Chester’s Barn. Jan is a license social worker. that loves cars and all animals. She can be found stopping traffic to save a turtle. Jan is the one that saved Chessie the goat from euthanasia and drove her from Eastern NY to Chester’s Barn. Jan brings her knowledge of Human Mental Health to Chester’s Barn to help create the best possible therapy program.
Jennifer Gulliver
Jennifer Gulliver is a board member of Chester’s Barn. Bio coming soon!!
Dr. Bill Prokop
Dr. Bill Prokop is a board member of Chester’s Barn. Dr Bill Prokop a graduate of CALS, and a 1979 graduate of the NYSCVM at Cornell University. He has worked as a dairy practitioner for over 35 years, with a focus on prevention pf clinical disease through ration formulation, and best management practices, with an emphasis on animal welfare. In this capacity, he has been part of Operations Management as one of two veterinarians overseeing five, 3000 cow dairies. He provides management and nutritional services to dairies and allied industries throughout the US, and internationally. Dr. Bill loves travel, outdoors, and cats!