Who We Are
Joe Bourdeau
President and Founder of RSO Foundation
Joe Bourdeau was a banker for over 36 years in Incline Village, Nevada.. He was a President and Board member of 10 local non-profit organizations, Joe is also the Founder of Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Community Trust.
Joe met Shirley Otto in 2000. Joe has served as a trustee for 5 families and was named trustee and Executor for Shirley Otto and her husband Richard Otto’s Trust. Upon Shirley Otto’s death in 2021 Joe became Trustee and President of the Richard and Shirley Otto (RSO) Foundation..
Mirna Esquivel Bourdeau
Executive Director and Founder of RSO Foundation
Before working for the RSO Foundation, Mirna worked for Shirley Otto as household management/caregiver for 18 years. Mirna was her close companion for those 18 years and took care so many of Shirley’s Great Danes and cats, over time. She saw how much Shirley loved her pets and how much joy they brought to her life.
After Shirley passed, Joe and Mirna started working hard to honor her wishes to help animals in need. Mirna organizes request and makes decisions on all funding.
Our Story
Richard and Shirley Otto recognized the importance of the human/animal bond. They were strongly connected to their own pets and recognized the agony experienced by pet owners who were forced to relinquish pets because of financial limitations. Because of their dedication to animals, their charitable nature and exceptional generosity, the RSO Foundation was formed.
What We Do
Through the Foundation, we strive to honor Richard and Shirley’s legacy by funding programs that increase access to affordable veterinary care, provide education and training to animal rescues and improve collaboration between animal rescues, animal welfare organizations, veterinarians and pet owners. We support programs that find new and innovative ways to improve animal welfare in all of these areas.
Location
While we are a Nevada based foundation with a current focus on programs in California, our initiatives have the potential to impact animal welfare nationwide.