House Rabbit Network

HRN Board of Directors and Officers

	Suzanne Trayhan, President, Board of Directors Suzanne Trayhan is one of the original founders of the House Rabbit Network and has been working tirelessly for the organization ever since. She is involved in just about all aspects of the organization from being a foster home, handling medical cases, running fundraisers, assisting with the newsletter, the web site and more. She is always promoting HRN and is passionate about rescuing rabbits. Suzanne lives with her diva bun Tess (a.k.a. The Tessinator or the Wildebeast), several foster bunnies, and her husband, Gary. Suzanne holds a bachelor’s degree in Math and is a retired Software Engineer.
	Rachel Minnie, Ph.D., Board of Directors Rachel began volunteering for House Rabbit Network in 2014 as an adoption counselor, before transitioning to the social media team in 2015 and becoming the Associate Director in 2022. Additionally, she enjoys designing and maintaining the organization’s websites and participating in both fundraising and marketing efforts, designing shirts, flyers, and other materials. With two Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Delaware, she works as an Online Learning Facilitator for Harvard Business School. She lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband, son, cats, rabbit, gecko, snails, and chinchilla.
	Rich Whelan, Board of Directors Rich adopted his first rabbit in 2010 and discovered the joys of being a pet parent. He has opened his home to many foster buns for HRN and somehow managed not to have any “foster fails” – but a couple did come close! Rich has also taken part in aiding with the rescue of buns that have been “set free,” and he and his wife did take a bow after capturing a bun that had been loose for a week in a parking lot in Medford, MA. Outside of his rabbits, Rich is an avid rower and is involved with the management of his rowing club as well as being on the planning committees for the Head of the Charles and CRASH-B Sprints. Rich lives in Somerville, MA with his wife, Celia, four rabbits, and two parakeets.
	Pam Chatis, Board of Directors Pam grew up with rabbits, beagles, and parakeets and any number of other small animals who made their way into her household. She began volunteering with House Rabbit Network in 2020 as a nail trimmer for rabbits in the community for a donation to HRN. She volunteered at the MSPCA for over 7 years as an advocate and ally for small animals, shy cats, and dogs. Pam received her Ph.D. In Molecular Virology and had a long career as a scientist before changing careers to become a teacher naturalist at the Mass Audubon Blue Hills Trailside Museum working with non-releasable wildlife. Pam lives in the Boston area with her two cats and rabbit, HRN alum Morrigan.
	Bonnie Courtemanche, PE, CWI, Board of Directors Bonnie began volunteering for House Rabbit Network in 2016, helping with cleaning cages and snuggling bunnies. She transitioned to helping with bunny transport, fostering, and bunsitting. She enjoys volunteering for bunny spa days and assisting with transport for vet appointments. Bonnie has her bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston. She is bringing her technical skills and work experience with complex projects to the organization. She is originally from Rhode Island, where her folks still reside, and currently lives in Worcester with her rabbits and dog.
	Sharon Dennehy, Secretary, Board of Directors Sharon became acquainted with the House Rabbit Network just last year when she, her husband, and two daughters, adopted a special little bun named Magdalena. Sharon decided that she wanted to contribute her time and skills in the service of the organization that brought so much joy to her home through Maggie. Sharon has Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Fine Art from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and an M.B.A. From Boston University. She lives in Quincy, Massachusetts.
	Nikki LaRoche, Board of Directors Nikki began her tenure at House Rabbit Network in 2018 as a shelter volunteer. As she became more involved in HRN, Nikki fell down the proverbial (and literal) rabbit hole, and found her life’s passion in rabbit rescue. She now volunteers with HRN as the Volunteer & Outreach Event Coordinator, and wears an assortment of other hats, such as adoption counselor, spa day groomer, and foster mom. Nikki’s main areas of interest are bunny behavior/body language, bonding, and education. In her professional life, Nikki works as an estate planning & probate paralegal, and in her free time she enjoys playing video games, Dungeons & Dragons, and writing. She currently lives in MetroWest Mass. with her spouse and their two rabbits, Nick and Josie.
	Kari Hamilton, Treasurer Kari became acquainted with HRN in 2009 when she adopted Starbuck. Since that time, she and her husband, Gary, have adopted 5 additional bunnies (4 from HRN and 1 from MSPCA). Just recently they became first-time foster parents for Noble. In 2020, Kari took on the responsibility of paying the vet bills and some other bookkeeping responsibilities. She and her husband have also enjoyed attending the many fundraisers over the years that help HRN continue to provide good homes for these cute bunnies. Kari has spent the last 15 years in the biotech industry and is a licensed CPA in the state of Massachusetts.