board of directors

Melissa Hardy is a certified High School Teacher specializing in Special Education and a former licensed Social Worker. She is an avid animal lover and President/Founder of Kingdom Rescue. Before the rescue was  established, Melissa was a dedicated animal advocate and foster for  many high-kill shelters in the Central Texas region. She is the "heart" and spirit that leads our rescue every day with a spirit of compassion.

Christina "Ari" Arias began her animal welfare journey in 2018 when Melissa shared the opportunity to foster cats for the Gonzales Municipal Cat Shelter (FOGAS). She grew up an animal lover, but never realized the need until she fully immersed herself in rescue. Like carnosine to fire, she mobilized herself to be the "body" and "bronze" of the organization to bring accessible help. As co-founder of Kingdom Rescue, she is dedicated to finding grant opportunities to aid the communities we serve with low-cost veterinary services, handling the financial responsibilities, and immersing herself in municipal and county governments to strengthen animal welfare support. She seizes every opportunity provided by God to care for animals, recognizing them as a means to assist the individuals we encounter along the Way. 

Jessica Dersen has always been an animal lover but did not understand the disparities of animal welfare in Texas until meeting Melissa Hardy (our President). After learning of the common issues in the animal welfare space, Jessica was determined to address the issues head on through our organization. As co-founder of Kingdom Rescue, she is dedicated to building programs that provide accessibility to low-cost services such as spay/neuter and animal care education to people with pets. She helps us with grant writing, social media, donor relations, and program operations. She is the "mind" behind our rescue!

Tracie Chase joined the Kingdom Rescue team in 2022. She started by donating and fostering kittens and then as the organization grew, she began supporting the rescue through data management. She ensures that all of our adoptable pets are documented and that their shots and records are up to date. Tracie is also a teacher and dedicated mother of three. She has two rescue dogs, cats, and chickens of her own.