Nancy S. Diehl
President
Nancy Diehl, a co-founder, is a native San Antonian who has shared the companionship of dogs and cats most of her life. Living in both other cities and other areas of San Antonio, she never quite realized the seriousness of the stray dog and feral cat situation in our fair city until she moved to King William. Despite the efforts of many caring residents, the number of animals in need is still very high. Nancy has helped to control many neighborhood feral colonies via the trap/neuter/return strategy, but much work lies ahead. She is pleased to lead The Cannoli Fund in this effort. A retired freelance editor and writer, Nancy lives in the craftsman bungalow that she and her late husband, Andy (an animal lover, as well), moved to in 2003. She’s shared the house with rescue dogs, Margie, Jack, and Muppie, the cat who followed her home from the Riverwalk, Derby; and three outdoor community cats.
Syeira Budd
Treasurer
Syeira Budd was born and raised on California’s Central Coast and moved to San Antonio in 2002. She has lived in an 1870s limestone house in Lavaca since 2005. Syeira is pleased to support the important work of The Cannoli Fund. Providing neighbors with the education and resources to spay and neuter animals is necessary to improve the health and safety of our cat and dog friends. Syeira enjoyed the companionship of many cats during childhood, including Ivan the First, Chauncey Buster Budd, Marmalade, and Earl Grey. Although her current landlord does not allow pets, she is a friend to dozens of cats and dogs in Lavaca and King William. Syeira returned to the board in summer 2015 after serving previously during The Cannoli Fund’s founding phase in 2011-2012.
Suzanne Ohlmann
Secretary
Suzanne Ohlmann has called Southtown home for over thirteen years. A writer, nurse, and musician, she lives with her husband, son, and a jubilee of adopted pets from the neighborhood, many of whom passed through the loving attention of The Cannoli Fund. Her role as secretary began shortly after the early summer of 2017 when, together with the Tenacious Diehl Women, she worked to trap, neuter, and return over forty cats on her block alone. From that throng of neutering and vaccination, her first official Cannoli adoption occurred, a mustachioed cat, Chapo, named for the narco kingpin himself, as the kitten had the same, clipped stache and was born underneath her neighbor’s porch, surely having emerged from the tunnels of El Chapo lore. Her current count of Cannoli family members includes a backyard feral group called The Junkyard Gang, three indoor tyrants lead by Chapo, her elder Westie, Fu ManChu, found at Taco Haven, and Manchego, a whippet-esque deer-horse-cat-dog who leaps and prances through their home as if driving Santa’s sleigh.
Marley Diehl
Marley Diehl, a San Antonio native and co-founder of The Cannoli Fund, moved back to her hometown in 2005. Even though she grew up in another San Antonio neighborhood, her first childhood cat, a King William stray, was adopted as a kitten at the King William Fair in the 1980s. After being fortunate enough to be owned by some very sweet stray cats in Austin, Atlanta, and New Orleans, Marley became aware of the plight of urban feral cats. In her adult life, she’s been mom to five formerly stray dogs including a Bichon Frise/Dachshund mix teenager dumped with her puppies, to a Springer Spaniel with a broken leg rescued from euthanasia at ACS, to a tick-covered fluffy blonde puppy she found sitting in a busy intersection on the south side. Today she lives in King William with a tightly knit family of felines and a former Southtown stray Great Dane mix with heart issues. She cares for a small group of community cats and is a frequent kitten foster. A graphic designer, Marley developed and designed The Cannoli Fund’s logo and identity.
Avery Crenshaw
Avery grew up in the Texas Hill Country and has lived in Southtown for more than six years. The Cannoli Fund came to her attention after she noticed the number of community cats on her block. She’s also the proud companion to Archie, a puro San Antonio street mutt rescued by another neighbor. As friendly and outgoing as he is handsome, Archie was our 2020 dog Fiesta Medal model!