Board of Directors
Erin Benskin, Chair
Erin is a Cheyenne native. She is a CPA with 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Erin grew up with rescue dogs and has always had a passion for animals' well-being. She started volunteering in the community at a young age and is excited to be able to volunteer as a board member at BDAR. Her financial expertise as well as her overall knowledge of the non-profit sector will contribute to the continued success of the organization. In her free time, Erin enjoys spending time with her two dogs, cooking for friends and traveling.
ROB KILIAN, Vice Chair
Rob has enjoyed working in banking for the past 30 years; 14 years with Community First Bank/Bank of the West and 15 years with First Interstate Bank and most recently now at Banner Capital as the Cheyenne Market President for the past 8 months. When he’s not hard at work, Rob can be found spending quality time with his family camping, fishing, and boating during the summer months and hibernating during the long winter. Rob is an active community member and is involved with Kiwanis Club of Cheyenne, the South East Wyoming Builders Association, Meals on Wheels, and is the chair of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Chuckwagon pancake Breakfast.
Layna Officer, Secretary
Born and raised in Wyoming, Layna has always had a passion for the outdoors, animals, and the environment. Her goal in life is to help make an impact to people’s and animal’s lives to help everyone in their pursuit of happiness. UW alumni with a bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and received my Masters of Science in Forensic Science from Southern Utah University.
Layna works at Blue Federal Credit Union as the Director of Member Experience. She currently serves as a Credit Union for Kids Advocate and is focused on creating a national collaboration forum for all advocates to meet, network, and gain fundraising ideas benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Ernie (left) and Khaleesi (right) are her two BDAR dogs that helped her see how truly great this organization is!
Pat Rudd, treasurer
Originally from Green River, Pat Rudd attended college at the University of Wyoming, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in both Architectural and Petroleum Engineering. Pat’s main passion is Real Estate. He helps people Buy and Sell real estate here in Cheyenne. Pat is also a licensed Structural Engineer in Wyoming. Pat enjoys giving back to the community; he is currently a Vice Chair for the Downtown Development Authority Design Committee, a Vice Chair for the Wyoming Young Contractors Association, and an active board member in Kiwanis. When Pat isn't building his real estate business, he loves spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoys soccer, basketball, travelling, reading, cooking & baking (Pat makes a mean Strawberry-Rhurbarb Cobbler!), camping, water activities, summer barbecues and bingeing on Netflix! (His favorite shows are Game of Thrones and The Office).
Jenessa Dame
Jenessa moved to Cheyenne in 2014 and began volunteering with local rescues to become part of the community. She worked for a commercial airline and Wyoming Highway Patrol before landing at Cheyenne Dog Food Company as an intended short term position. Temporary became permanent as she realized her passion for helping people do the best for their pets. After the loss of her mentor, Leonard Bowman, Jenessa purchased Cheyenne Dog Food Company in February 2020 to continue his legacy and continue to do more to help the community of pets and their human companions. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and lounging in the sun with her 6 dogs.
Mat Brost
Mat has spent the majority of his life in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. He moved to Cheyenne in 2022 when he joined Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Products as their Head of Marketing and Pet Food Formulation/Production. Prior to this, Mat spent over 10 years in Sidney, NE at Cabela’s Corporate Headquarters. Mat, his wife, Jodie, and two kids, Kourtney and Cael, love fostering dogs and currently have two rescue dogs of their own, Hennah and Lucky. When a spot on BDAR’s board become available, it was an obvious opportunity to support the community, foster parents and pets looking for their forever home that Mat couldn’t pass up. He looks forward to bringing his experience and dedication to pets to help continue BDAR’s legacy.
Kristen Blume
Kristen is a third generation Cheyenne native. She is deeply passionate about animal welfare and has dedicated her life to advocating for our furry friends. She has actively contributed to animal rescue efforts for over 40 years. Kristen has fostered and volunteered at the local shelter, witnessing firsthand the impact of compassionate care on animals. Firmly believing that every animal deserves love, care, and a second chance, Kristen is excited to help support BDAR and its mission. With a background in law and mediation, Kristen has served on multiple boards and brings a wealth of experience and commitment to BDAR. When not at work as a local attorney, Kristen can be found hiking with her dog and otherwise enjoying Wyoming’s beautiful outdoors
