Dr. Azalia Boyd, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, Urban CAC Program & Chairperson, CARE Veterinary Advisory Committee

The Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, Urban Community Animal CARE  is a community solution-based leadership role in the veterinary field on a national level. This position works closely with CAC (Community Animal CARE) and CARE Centers team members to establish a new model for a community-based Veterinary CARE Clinic (VCC).

Dr. Boyd also serves as the committee’s first chair and is a double graduate of the Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Tuskegee University. There, she received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Animal and Poultry Science. After earning her degrees, Dr. Boyd completed an emergency, surgery, and internal medicine internship, strengthening her medical skills. Once getting out into the work field, she has served as a valued associate at multiple clinics and hospitals within metro Atlanta, held leadership positions as medical director and mentor, and continues to provide high-quality veterinary care day to day. 

Dr. Boyd has enrolled and completed courses in leadership, positive psychology, and cultural competence, all of which she uses to help her connect with the people of the pets she serves.  “Every day, I have the opportunity to touch a very small part of the world and make a difference- the importance of my position extends outside of the clinic setting but affects the lives and happiness of people, pets, and the individual relationships with each other,” says Dr. Boyd. Dr. Boyd has been a longtime supporter of CARE and shares the same mission within the field and, most importantly, outside within the community. Her unwavering compassion is evident, and we are excited to build a positive and lasting effect on the world. 

Marilou Chanrasmi, Executive Director, CARE Centers

Marilou has been collaborating and partnering with Minnesota tribal communities since 2008. She has deep connections and relationships with proximate leaders at Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation and Little Earth of United Tribes. Collaborating with her Anishinaabe friends in Minnesota, she has been building an expanding circle of indigenous proximate leaders and trusted partners committed to animal and human well being. She is deeply committed to honoring the wisdom within the community, building authentic relationships, and elevating the voices of indigenous people and those from marginalized communities. She has served as a liaison, mentor and guide to trusted allies wanting to learn a new way of listening and being in their work with tribal communities. 

Marilou is a somatics coach and an experienced facilitator of circles with a process that creates space that is participatory, experiential, healing, reflective, equitable and meets people where they are, and also challenges them to see with more than eyes and hear with more than ears.

Marilou is a founding member of Deep Listening for Social Change/DLSC. DLSC is a peaceful action that members of the Twin Cities BIPOC mindfulness community initiated  in response to the murder of George Floyd. DLSC uses the practice of Deep Listening as an anti-racist tool for having difficult conversations, healing from the wounds of systemic and community-specific racism, and creating a greater sense of interconnection in order to facilitate sustained social change. 

Marilou shares her home with her 3 dogs: Legacy and Ishkode (from Leech Lake Nation) and Migizi (from Mille Lacs Nation). Marilou continues to be guided by her spirit dog, Ahnung (a Red Lake Nation dog) who crossed over to the spirit world in 2013. She has a daily meditation, nature hiking, qigong, and centering practice.

Zoraida Cordero, Chief of Staff

Zoraida Cordero, a dedicated Latina Social Impact Leader, was born and raised in the streets of New York City and now calls the vibrant city of Philadelphia her home. Her passion lies in making a positive impact on the world around her.

As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Zoraida finds strength in her identity and shares her life with a wonderful partner. The presence of her two beloved German Shepherd fur babies fills her days with joy and companionship.

Her educational journey reflects her drive to understand human behavior and drive change. Zoraida holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Muhlenberg College and a Master’s Degree in Social Work, focusing on Macro Practices and Human Services Management, from Temple University.

Her unwavering dedication characterizes Zoraida’s leadership style. Throughout her career, she has led and guided numerous teams, programs, and projects with a passionate commitment to transforming the lives of vulnerable youth, families, and communities.

Having served in the Army for a decade, Zoraida skillfully combines her military, professional, educational, and personal experiences to shape her leadership and engagement strategies.

As an advocate for knowledge-sharing and empowerment, Zoraida firmly believes in providing equal opportunities for all communities and individuals to have their voices heard and valued. Principles of equity, justice, inclusion, and representation guide her leadership.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Zoraida actively volunteers and supports local organizations, dedicating her time and expertise to foster success within local coalitions and boards.

Her diverse background has cultivated an open-minded and transformative perspective, where hope, love, and inclusivity inspire her actions. This drive led her to establish her Impactful Solutions business to create enduring positive change.

Confident in her abilities, Zoraida’s impact has been instrumental in driving positive change for those she serves and the communities she engages with.

DDm, Secretary of Shade

With a style that is as eccentric as it is welcoming, Dapper Dan Midas a.k.a. DDm is one of the most idiosyncratic new voices in entertainment. The Baltimore native made his name in the local rap scene establishing himself as a premier live act and songwriter. He has played shows nationally alongside the likes of Dan Deacon, Future Islands, Beach House, and Big Freedia . DDm’s ‘Secretary Of Shade’ YouTube channel where he does live book readings and discusses politics and pop culture has over 21,000 subscribers to date. He has been featured on Netflix, BET, ‘The Hill’ and is considered a rising star in music and pop culture commentary. He currently stars in the short film ‘F^¢k ‘€m R!ght B@¢k’ which was featured at the Sundance Film Festival and Outfest. 

Akisha Townsend Eaton, Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division

Akisha brings over a decade of animal law and policy experience to her current role as Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division at CARE. Prior to joining CARE, she worked as a managing attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and as legislative attorney and policy advisor at various other national and international animal protection organizations. Akisha is an AmeriCorps alumni and is currently an active contributor to the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) as well as the legal redress, environmental justice, and economic development committees of her local NAACP chapter, which recently awarded her the Prince and Cora Mack Humanitarian Award. 

Akisha has contributed to numerous publications. Her most recent chapters have appeared in the Palgrave Handbook of Animal Ethics, Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists and People, Pets, and Policies: Towards Community Supported Animal Sheltering.  She served as a consultant editor and contributor to the Journal of Animal Ethics and associate editor for the Journal of Animal Law.  Akisha has been an instructor, guest lecturer and speaker at numerous law schools, including Georgetown, Duke, Harvard, Lewis and Clark and Tulane University’s International Legislative Drafting Institute.  Her publications have been included in the courses of international law schools.  She has presented at multiple national, state and local animal welfare conferences on recent developments in animal law and advocacy.  She is a former contributor for the Huffington Post and the Dodo and former Diversity Vice-Chair for the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee within the Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section. She is a Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.

Akisha received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was recognized as a Law Center Scholar and her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University where she graduated with distinction. 

James Evans, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

James is a multi-awarding winning creative strategist and leader with 25+ years of experience developing relationships between organizations and their constituents. His expertise has been utilized across a diverse group of brands, both non for profit, and for profit. Specific brand experience includes: Timberland, Disney, The Mills Corporation, NAACP, Baltimore Health Department, Maryland Health Department, Kennedy Krieger Institute, CVS Caremark’s Project Health, Safe Streets Baltimore and many other brands.

James and his team have initiated several programs, including the groundbreaking Gulf Spay/Neuter Campaign and HSUS’ Pets for Life. He has also played an integral role in HSUS’ Adopters Welcome, Outdoor Cats Research, Stop Puppy Mills, and HSUS’ Spayathon, as well as Best Friends Animal Society’s Outreach Action Team.

In 2019, inspired by Chetana Mirle and supported by Spring Point’s Life of Riley, James founded Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity [C.A.R.E.].

James is a husband, a proud father of five children [two four-legged], a brother, and part of a great group of friends, family, and colleagues.

Winner of the 2022 Maddie’s Fund Avanzino Leadership Award

Jennifer Evans, Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer Evans studied studio art in school and has over 20 years experience in marketing and publishing as both a designer and Art Director. She is the COO and Art Director for Illume Communications and is a wardrobe stylist. 

Jennifer is also the Chief Operating Officer for CARE. As a highly organized logistics expert, she manages CARE’s staff and workflow. Aside from her visual communications and organizational skills, Jen brings an in-depth knowledge of social media marketing strategies and narrative production. Much of her recent work within the animal welfare field has included innovative campaign strategies and production for large scale projects such as Breaking Bias for HSUS Expo 2019, Stop Puppy Mills Video campaign, Petstablished, Let’s Fix This, HSUS’ Spayathon, and HSUS’ Adopter’s Welcome toolkit.

Michelle George, Director, Community Animal CARE (CAC)

Michelle has over 10 years of working experience in an open-intake county animal shelter with services contracted for shelter operations as well as field enforcement operations. While working in most departments within the shelter, the majority of her work experience was gained within Field Services. In the pursuit of the next opportunity or new challenge, she has been able to learn many facets (kennel, adoptions, client care, dispatch, field support, rescue through transport, and more) within animal welfare, never shying from the chance to be a source of information to anyone she meets. Awareness and empowerment are key.  

When away from work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, pets, and friends, traveling, and shopping.   

Janel Griffieth, Senior Director, CARE Centers

Janel is a passionate non-profit leader who has dedicated almost a decade to human and animal well-being. She is committed to ending the racial inequities that have plagued the animal care industry and is devoted to elevating diverse voices in the movement. She is excited to join the CARE team and continue the work of creating more inclusive spaces.
 
Janel is a first-generation college graduate that achieved a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of South Florida. Her interests included viral and bacterial diseases and epidemiology. She was active in a social justice organization that focused on ending/preventing domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. With the organization, she brought awareness to the cause, created campus safety changes, and provided support to survivors.
 
In 2014, Janel started her professional animal care career at a doggy daycare. While she was there, she quickly learned the nuances of dog body language to keep pets and people safe (overseeing a big pack of dogs has been her greatest lesson in dog behavior). In 2015, Janel began working at the Oklahoma Humane Society – the largest animal non-profit in the state – as a Pet Adoption Specialist, where she also began fostering. She found her niche in neonatal animal care. This led her to become the Neonatal Volunteer Coordinator, where she grew a volunteer and foster training program for neonatal kittens and puppies. From the success of the training program and the dire need from the shelter and community, she was tasked with creating a more comprehensive neonatal program. As the Neonatal Nursery Program Manager, Janel created a kitten nursery that housed 2to 6-week-old orphan kittens and queens with litter, expanded the neonatal fostering program to increase puppy and mom dog lifesaving, provided lifesaving medical care, and managed a six-figure program budget. 

Under her leadership, the neonatal program saved thousands of neonatal kittens and puppies, and hundreds of moms. She represented OK Humane on the local news, to donors, and to the community to bring more awareness to the needs of neonatal animals. Janel has assisted in the transport of hundreds of dogs to other states, consulted on the behavioral panel for the organization, and was awarded two Maddie’s Funds apprenticeships. 
After relocating back to Florida, she pivoted to her other passion in life-ending domestic violence. Hired as an education coordinator at CASA Pinellas, she was quickly moved into a role created for her, Community Engagement Manager. She revamped and oversaw the adult community education and volunteer programs in this role. She developed relationships with local businesses and community partners (first responders, social workers, nurses/doctors). Janel created and facilitated impactful presentations across Pinellas County in an engaging, inclusive, and thought-provoking manner. She shifted the narrative to focus on holding abusers accountable and that survivors cannot just leave – they must escape.
 
Before coming to CARE Janel was the Manager of Grassroots Advocacy at Best Friends Animal Society. She enjoys hanging with her dogs and continues to foster in her free time. To date, she has fostered over 190+ animals, mainly neonatal animals, and behavioral rehabilitation dogs. Janel loves to remind herself and others that everything is temporary, but the Wu-Tang is forever.

Sloane Hawes, Chief of Research & Development

Sloane Hawes, MSW (she/her) is a scholar-activist who is deeply committed to addressing inequities in human and animal well-being by elevating the wisdom and resilience of marginalized communities. She brings nearly a decade of social work and research experience to her role as the Chief of Research and Development at CARE.

Sloane earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Sustainable Development and Global Practice from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work and received a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Psychology from the University of San Diego. She also holds certificates in Community Consensus Organizing, Animal-Assisted Social Work, and Animal Shelter Management. 

Throughout her career, Sloane has prioritized opportunities to advance social justice, health equity, and belonging in non-profit, human services, and higher education spaces. This has included volunteering with the All Nations Institute for Community Achievement in San Diego, CA, working as a first-year student housing Resident Assistant, co-leading the Social Justice Living Learning Community at USD, serving as the Vice Chair of Programming for the Panhellenic Council of USD, founding the Restorative Justice interest group at USD, and serving on the Board of Directors for Bergen Spay & Neuter Alliance in CO. Sloane is currently serving on the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Social Work leadership committee, the American Society for Prevention to Animals (ASPCA)’s Access to Veterinary Care Community of Practice’s Advisory Committee, and is the Vice Chair of the Milliken Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.  

Prior to joining CARE, Sloane was the Assistant Director of Research at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, located within the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, where she led a research agenda using community-based participatory research methods to examine the intersections of animal welfare, social justice, and ecological justice issues. Sloane also has work experience in direct care and advocacy roles that include community organizing, case management for unhoused people, and supporting families in crisis at an open-admission animal shelter. 

Sloane’s research interests include mutual aid, coalition-building, One Health (Indigenous Knowledge), cultural humility, trauma-informed care, decolonization, and restorative justice. She has contributed to numerous publications. Her most recent publications have appeared in high-impact peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine, and the Animal Law Review. She is a sought-after public speaker and has presented at multiple national, state, and local social work, public health, and animal welfare conferences on her research. 

In her free time, Sloane enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and interior design. She lives in Colorado with her spouse, their two children, and their English Mastiff, Penny.

Johnny Jenkins, Chief of Program Strategies

Johnny Jenkins has twenty-five years of experience in grassroots community engagement and professional non-profit experience. His talents have been used to support mission-driven efforts across movements ranging from animal welfare and LGBTQ+ equality to racial equity, diversity and inclusion. He has had had the opportunity to provide leadership as an organizer, a non-profit board and program director, and a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio manager. As an experienced strategic grant-maker, Johnny has led philanthropic initiatives that support racial and economic Justice while also advancing social justice inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. Recently, he served as the adoption grants manager responsible for PetSmart Charities’ U.S. East Region to support shelters and rescues in finding homes for homeless pets.

Mr. Jenkins holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Western Michigan University, and is currently pursuing a graduate level degree from Arizona State University. His research interest includes organizing strategies, coalition-building, cooperative economics, leadership development (community wisdom), racial equity and social justice. He draws from lived experiences to engage people and communities to promote equity and access to opportunities that improve the quality of life for marginalized families and their pets.

Johnny has an extensive record of service in the LGBTQ+ and Detroit communities which has resulted in multiple community awards. In addition to his many community accomplishments, Johnny is also an accomplished spoken word artist who has produced and served as Slam Master for two national Detroit Poetry Slam Teams. In addition, he is a proud co-founder and former producer of one the oldest Black LGBT pride celebrations in North America – Detroit’s Hotter Than July (1996) which continues to operate today.

He is grateful for the opportunity to share his lived experiences and expertise to increase racial equity, diversity and inclusion in animal welfare. This is shared through his service as Co-Lead of PetSmart Charities’ Racial Equity Advisory, Steering Committee Member of PetSmart’s MOSAIC Associate Resource Group, Vice President of PetSmart’s Pride At Work (PAW) Associate Resource Group, and as a Co-Chair of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) DEI Committee. 

Sheila Donya Kouhkan, Chief of Engagement

Sheila Donya Kouhkan is the Chief Engagement Officer for C.A.R.E. (Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity). As an Iranian-American born to two revolutionary activists, social justice and compassion have been guiding principles throughout her life, solidifying her desire to be a Changemaker for good. 

Sheila has been part of the animal well-being industry since 2003 when she was a 15-year-old volunteer at her local shelter. She started her professional career in 2009 while simultaneously attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and working on legislation for the City of Los Angeles. She was instrumental in developing groundbreaking policies for animal well-being, including the bans on the commercial sale of puppy mill dogs, cat declawing, and the use of bullhooks on elephants in traveling shows. Since then, she has continued to devote her time to finding opportunities to help pets and the people who love them, working with many national organizations including Best Friends Animal Society, Austin Pets Alive!, and Pethealth. Sheila is committed to using her diverse background to cultivate and promote Human and Animal Well-Being and adamantly believes that inclusivity equals lifesaving. 

Sheila lives in Southern California with her Husky mix, Ziba, and enjoys fostering for local shelter partners.

Alina M. Luna, Ph.D., Dean, Circle of Learning & Leadership

Alina is an Emeritus Professor of English with twenty-five years of experience in higher education. The first-born American citizen in her Filipino family, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York, and her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the State University of New York at Albany. Prior to her departure from Western Colorado University, she was the most senior tenured faculty member of color.

Alina values the importance of helping to maintain others’ integrity and pride; aspects that can be so thoughtlessly dismissed, taken away, or (worse yet), perceived to be non-existent among the marginalized by those in power. She has been dedicated to the well-being and success of her students and honored with seven awards in teaching and mentoring.  She has served as advisor to student groups; coordinator of scholarships and academic curricula; evaluator of faculty performance reviews; Chair of the Communication Arts, Languages and Literature Department; panelist in DEI discussions; and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee. She was also appointed to Colorado’s 2020-2021 Water Equity Task Force by Governor Jared Polis.

Alina’s teaching record includes the delivery of 40+ different courses within English studies ranging from Greek Drama to Postcolonial Literatures, as well as the creation of the Humanities and Diversity Minor which promoted the study of literature and related disciplines in the liberal arts through perspectives and representations primarily informed by diversity, identity, and lived realities.  She has little patience for performative activism especially in the area of racial equity as it can allow institutions to think that those who are BIPOC fail to see how disingenuous their “actions” are.  The leadership of such organizations are deluded since BIPOC are intimately experienced with the machinations of power, in addition to the means and extent to which they have been denied power and paths to efficacy.

A baker and photographer, Alina has been an animal lover since childhood and had regularly volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. She lives with her husband and their wiggly pup, Ivy, in Colorado.  Alina is deeply honored to be joining the proudly-led BIPOC team that is C.A.R.E. and looks forward to assisting in its comprehensive approach to companion and animal well-being.

Stephen Parker, Assistant Director, Narrative Division

Stephen Parker is a Musician, A/V tech, and Community leader with 15+ years of experience that has allowed him to build relationships with artists, and organizations worldwide. Stephen is also the founder and CEO of E Way Productions. The E Way started out as a program to reach young scholars in High School and teach them the fundamentals of music and art. E Way eventually transformed into a city-wide school tour where local artists, Musicians, and entrepreneurs came together to mentor children and performed. E Way helped reignite the interest in the arts and music programs across Philadelphia public schools, helping to generate thousands in funding and help keep music and art in school. “After touring the world with music what better way to give back !” 

Stephen continued his work in the community by joining the Humane Society Pets For Life Program in 2012 as a community organizer and dog trainer. Stephen’s role was to organize door-to-door outreach, host weekly training classes, as well as organize the community for our spay and neuter events in Hunting park. Those events serviced over 700 people and their pets with free shots, free pet food, and free spay and neuter appointments. Stephen then went on to help develop the community outreach toolkit and several PSAs that would help reach communities worldwide. 

Stephens’s expertise as a Musician & A/V tech allowed him to work for artists like John Legend, Jasmin Sullivan, Mc LYTE, and many more. Stephen has used these skills to help his local community, churches, and schools achieve their goals. Stephen currently serves as a mentor to Esperanza Academy training the students in the field of production in dance, theater, and live Concerts. 

While serving as a Production manager, and Audio Engineer since 2011, Stephen has been certified as an engineer through Full Sail University, as well as several certifications in Software such as Logic, Davinci, and other DAWS. Stephen received awards from the National Science Achievement Academy for his accomplishments in Computer Science in 2002. 

Stephen is now continuing his journey by joining CARE as the Assistant Director, Narrative Division in which he plans to use his love for pets, community, and audio-visual technology to help produce stories that celebrate diverse companion humans and their pets. Stephen’s goal is to help shape the narrative; BIPOC love their pets too. “There is no catch, continue to love your animals and I’ll be here to continue to help you do that.”

Miguel Ruelas, Director, Community Animal Care (CAC)

Miguel Ruelas (he/they) is a parent to one human and three non-human creatures. Born and raised on unceded Tongva land in so-called Los Angeles, they are a queer, Trans, working class, child of Mexican immigrants and bring a wealth of expertise stemming from a lifetime of navigating the intersections of these identities. He works to build connections and uplift communities who have been historically marginalized and systematically oppressed. 

Miguel has had a passion for animals his entire life and spent the last 7 years in animal well being developing programming and working directly in and with communities. He is a certified community counselor and mediator and is excited to bring their whole self to his position as Director of Community Animal Care and continue supporting the human-animal bond through partnerships with the communities CARE serves and the other organizations and agencies uplifting those communities.

Hakeem Ruiz, Director of CARE Centers Philly/Camden

Hakeem Ruiz is a 29 year old born and raised in Philadelphia. While attending Lincoln High School, Hakeem and other friends started a group called The Block. Years later that friend group went on to become a very successful non-profit called ” The Block Gives Back”. Hakeem became the Vice President and was given the task of hosting block parties, street cleaning events, and networking with the adults and youth of the community. In 2019 the group was recognized by KYW radio as a winner of the Black History Month “GameChangers” award, for the continued efforts in minority communities. 

Aside from community volunteering Hakeem formerly worked in the social work field as a Case Manager before joining the CARE team. Spending parts of 3 years working with at risk youth from ages 13-17 to earn expungement of permanent charges. Hakeem will now be the CARE Center Director of Camden/Philly. He looks forward to being able to continue to create and build connections for more organizations along with CARE and being able to assist an unaddressed need in a forgotten area. Having raised a 13 year old stray dog, Gucci, Hakeem has seen the low points of the animal care system locally and is determined to change it for the better of the community. 

Dr. Raye Taylor, Senior Veterinary Medical Officer, Rural Community Animal CARE

Dr. Raye Taylor is a Red Lake Nation descendant and is the first in her family to go to college. She has worked with many animals from insects to birds and fish; however, she has spent most of her career working with dogs, cats, and horses. For education, Dr. Taylor has degrees from Iowa State University in Animal Ecology/Zoology and Microbiology, then left her PhD track to attend veterinary school at St. George’s University. She has certificates from University of Minnesota (Veterinary Medicine), and Cornell University (Leadership); and carries certifications in the Human-Animal Bond and Hospice and Palliative Care. With years in general practice, regulation, and teaching, she has always maintained a relationship with community work. This has extended from mentorship and leadership at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine; in veterinary clinics, on mobile services, and at the racetrack. She met CARE while volunteering with a student-led community service group, where primarily her focus has been to collaborate with indigenous communities and student mentorship. Her mantras are partnership with pet parents and empowerment through knowledge.

“CARE creates creative and inspiring opportunities to repair a broken system and broken hearts. I am excited to witness and facilitate the magic of empowerment through knowledge in our culture keepers, change makers, animal families, and community members & leaders. The way to repair the power dynamic is to give it to the people–and advancing that with CARE is going to be an honor.”

– Dr. Raye Taylor

Rachel ‘Rae’ Williams, Senior Director, Community Animal CARE (CAC)

Rachel ‘Rae’ Williams, is CARE’s Senior Director of Community Animal CARE. Community Animal CARE (CAC) is CARE’s innovative community solution-based “animal care and control” model focused on prevention. The division is centered on community care capacity building, critical resource distribution, and Human and Animal Well-Being (HAW) support. This is something Rae has been working on her entire career. She will help design and implement a national strategy that cultivates well-informed communities to strengthen their capacity to make good choices for themselves and their pets. 

Rae is an experienced animal welfare professional that fosters a culture of community centered solutions. She is passionate about pets, people, public safety and pioneering innovative lifesaving practices and strategies. Rae has served as an Operations Manager for Dallas Animal Services Field and Shelter and LA County Animal Care and Control. Rae is a Board Member Spay Neuter Network and has received recognition from the University of the Pacific (Certified Animal Shelter Manager, 2019),  Southern Utah University (Best Friends Executive Leadership Certification, 2021), Fear Free Certified Professional (2020) and contributed to Ecosystems – Human Animal Support Services (2020). Rae enjoys spending her free time with family and being a pet foster parent.