Jameson Humane Appoints Maral Papakhian as Director of Marketing and Communications

NAPA, Calif.Aug. 6, 2021PRLog — Jameson Humane (formerly, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch), wine country’s leading impact-driven, animal welfare organization, is excited to announce the appointment of Maral Papakhian as Director of Marketing and Communications. Papakhian was previously PR and Marketing Manager at Three Sticks Wines in Sonoma.

“Since our inception in 2014, we have grown from a local animal rescue and sanctuary to a holistic, educational, and collaborative resource hub in the valley and beyond. Our work is guided by how animals, the environment, and the community are all inextricably connected and we are excited to have Maral, a communications and PR specialist from the wine industry, join our team to amplify and spread our message both within the Bay Area and to the community at large,” says Monica Stevens, Co-Founder and President of Jameson Humane.

Papakhian will oversee the Marketing and Communications team, PR and media relations, and initiatives to build, grow, and strengthen community and public support of the mission and the organization.

“I am ecstatic to join Jameson Humane,” says Papakhian. “I have known and admired Monica since she first established Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch (JARR) and have seen firsthand Jameson’s impact and growth both within the organization and our community. I am in awe of their fearless efforts leading the charge throughout the wildfires and after, when we all so needed them. I am humbled and honored to join such a truly incredible team of tireless and selfless animal advocates and collaborators and I cannot wait to share the good work Jameson Humane is doing everyday with our wine country family and our friends around the globe.”

Papakhian, a Midwest native and lifelong animal devotee, began her career in wine as a Harvest Intern at Owl Ridge Wine Services in Sebastopol, where she worked under the industry’s leading winemakers, such as, Merry Edwards, Greg La Follete, James MacPhail, Russell Bevan, and others. Her career in wine accelerated over five years managing marketing, sales and hospitality at Barnett Vineyards, followed by a four year tenure at Three Sticks Wines in Sonoma. Additionally, Papakhian’s ongoing work with Miyoko’s Creamery’s, Wine Country 2.0, a campaign to foster collaboration in wine country and increase visitation by offering sustainable epicurean, compassionate and inclusive experiences, is an organic segue and intersection between the wine world and animal welfare.

Prior to Papakhian’s love affair with wine, her longest and strongest held passion is that for animals. A vegetarian from the age of 11 and later, vegan, her compassionate lifestyle has demonstrated and encompassed her love of animals and the planet. Papakhian holds a bachelor’s degree with Honors in Animal Behavior from Indiana University, a natural path after years of volunteering and working with animals. Locally, Papakhian owned and operated a pet care franchise, Fetch! Pet Care of Napa, from 2013-2018.

“Maral’s background, from her many years in the wine industry, to her degree in Animal Behavior, owning and managing her pet care business locally, and her personal vegan ethos and lifestyle, makes her a uniquely ideal fit and advocate for Jameson Humane. It’s not typical that one would see the worlds of animal advocacy and the wine industry collide in such a way that encapsulates what’s needed in this role so perfectly for us and our community,” says Stevens. “We are thrilled and excited to see what the future holds!”

Jameson Humane’s ties to the wine industry are not limited to animal care, welfare and community programs. Their annual fundraiser, WineaPAWlooza, was ranked in the top 10 wine auctions by Wine Spectator and has included high value auction lots from cult producers like Scarecrow, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle’s Maya, Pott Wines, and exclusive experiences including, meals at Michelin starred restaurants hosted by celebrities, and stays in luxury resorts, both locally and nationally. 2021’s virtually-held WineaPAWlooza raised $1.3M, $300k of which from the Fund-A-Need was donated to the Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Community Animal Response Teams (CART).

www.jamesonhumane.org (https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/)