THE TEAM
[In alphabetical order by last name]

Marilou Chanrasmi, CARE Center Chief – Northern Tier

Morgan Chynoweth, Executive Administrative Assistant

Akisha Townsend Eaton, Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division

Sheila Donya Kouhkan, Chief of Engagement

James Evans, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Jennifer Evans, Chief Operating Officer

Janel Griffieth, CARE Center Senior Director – Southeast Tier

Johnny Jenkins, Chief of Staff and Research & Development

Stephen Parker, Assistant Director, Narrative Division

Mueni Rudd, Senior Director of Research & Development

Hakeem Ruiz, Director of CARE Centers Philly/Camden

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

Marilou Chanrasmi, CARE Center Chief – Northern Tier
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.
Email:marilou@careawo.org

Morgan Chynoweth, Executive Administrative Assistant
Morgan grew up in the quaint town of Rising Sun, Maryland. After graduating high school, she moved across the world to Sydney, Australia, where she was an au pair for 9 children and studied early childhood education. After nearly 4 years overseas, Morgan returned to Baltimore City, Maryland and found a passion working in the field of substance use disorders. She started working as a Clinical Technician at Ashley Addiction Treatment Center where she became aware of the lack of resources, not only for women in recovery, but specifically in the BIPOC community. Morgan soon thereafter trained to become a Certified Peer Recovery Coach. This enabled her to better support the patient community by running process groups, meeting patients for individual sessions, and connecting women with resources to ensure they had a solid support network post-treatment.
After 2 years in this role, Morgan transitioned into a Clinical Case Manager, where her main focus was to establish patient aftercare plans. By providing resources to psychiatrists, psychotherapists and primary care physicians, as well as securing sober living environments, Morgan was able to set her patients up for the highest chance of success. She coordinated with her patients’ families and loved ones to ensure the maximum amount of support and security following their discharge from inpatient treatment. During this time, Morgan continued to battle against the lacking resources for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. She has advocated for these underserved communities by locating financial housing scholarships as well as work opportunities. Morgan’s primary goal is to now utilize her experience to support the CARE mission and continue to learn how to best advocate for these communities.
Email:morgan@careawo.org

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.
Email:akisha@careawo.org

Sheila Donya Kouhkan, Chief of Engagement
Sheila started her professional career in animal welfare in 2009, working on compassionate legislation for the City of Los Angeles. She assisted with the passage of such measures as the bans on the commercial sale of puppy mill dogs, cat declawing, and the use of bull hooks on elephants in traveling shows. She began working in the world of animal welfare nonprofits in 2015 when she joined the team at Best Friends Animal Society, collaborating with local rescues to make Los Angeles a no-kill city. In 2017, Sheila accepted the Maddie’s® Fund Executive Leadership Fellowship and joined the teams at Austin Pets Alive! and Austin Animal Center in Texas, where she learned the ins and outs of animal welfare leadership and gained a passion for disaster response. Sheila is committed to using her diverse background and the resources available in her current role to bring vitality to lives furry and otherwise.
Sheila is thrilled to be a member of NACA and finds that it is a great way to connect with partners across the country. Through this organization, Sheila has been able to connect with leaders who have been in the industry for many years. These connections are extremely valuable when understanding how and why the industry has evolved into what it is today. Animal welfare is a dynamic industry and being a part of this group is like having a lifeline to the realities of our society and where we are headed. Gaining a deeper understanding of animal welfare through NACA has facilitated Sheila and the Pethealth team to ensure a focus on tools and resources to support shelter partners with their lifesaving goals and to keep pets with their families.
Sheila lives in San Diego, CA with her Husky mix, Ziba, and enjoys fostering for local shelter partners.
Email:shelia@careawo.org

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
Email:james@careawo.org

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.
Email:jen@careawo.org

Janel Griffieth, CARE Center Senior Director – Southeast Tier
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.
Email:janel@careawo.org

Johnny Jenkins, Chief of Staff and Research & Development
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.
Email:johnny@careawo.org

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.”
Email:stephen@careawo.org

Mueni Rudd, Senior Director of Research & Development
Mueni is a Kenyan American scholar advocate with years of experience in racial justice, social activism, and evaluative research. She graduated from Huston-Tillotson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Then went on to earn a Master of Social Work graduate degree from Texas State University. She has a consistent history of membership and participation in professional academic associations and service organizations. She is a published writer and proud TEDx speaker committed to filling the gaps of current Western training and approaches that avoid issues of racial diversity and ethnic cultural differences. She prioritizes Black and other historically marginalized group liberation in all her professional and community contributions. Her focus on accountability can be seen in her efforts to acknowledge systemic and institutional oppression by centering these populations. Mueni is always willing to dive deeply into literature and lived experiences to suggest equity centered and research informed recommendations. Her work amplifies historically oppressed communities, promotes authentic multicultural dialogue, and creates cross-cultural communication which fosters awareness and healing.
Email:Mueni@careawo.org

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.
Email:hakeem@careawo.org

Alina M. Luna, Ph.D., Chief, 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.
Email:alina@careawo.org
CARE Veterinary Advisory Committee (VAC)

Dr. Azalia Boyd, Chairperson, CARE Veterinary Advisory Committee

Dr. Azalia Boyd, Chairperson, CARE Veterinary Advisory Committee
Dr. Boyd will serve 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.
In the interest of human and animal well-being, the CARE Veterinary Advisory Committee (VAC) provides thought leadership for CARE’s access to care and preventative initiatives. We recognize that to achieve our goal to cultivate the human-animal bond among Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the United States, we must devise strategies that support the design of programs that address animal well-being in communities underserved by the current systems in place.
In doing so, the advisory committee is tasked with tackling this challenge directly by providing guidance in the development and implementation of several planned CARE Community Clinics and support for the annual Dr. Jodie G Blackwell Scholarship Fund. Major initiatives aside, the advisory Committee will also provide insight and expertise across all aspects of CARE’s comprehensive well-being programming.
In addition to the clinics and scholarship fund, the advisory committee will guide future efforts to further advance CARE’s mission-driven work, which will include organizing student-led veterinary clubs, and access to preventive animal well-being programming, while also supporting the design of resource guides for communities, students, and companion pet parents.
CARE’s Veterinary Advisory Committee is an invitation-only, volunteer-based committee that will meet once a quarter. All members are required to take CARE’s Oath which prioritizes the interest of human and animal well-being.
Board of Directors

Shafonda D. Allen, Board Member

Kara Beverly, Board Secretary

Cat Small, Board Chair

Janet Reich Elsbach, Board Member

Amy Mills, Board Treasurer

Zach Skow, Board Member

Shafonda D. Allen, Board Member
Executive Director at Animal Protection Society of Durham/Durham County Animal Shelter
Shafonda D. Allen is a CAWA (Certified Animal Welfare Administrator) who has worked in Animal Welfare for over twenty years. She is the current Executive Director of the Animal Protection Society of Durham in Durham North Carolina. She serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement and is a former Board Member of the North Carolina Animal Federation.
Shafonda feels privileged to work in a diverse community in the South with a diverse staff that work together to create a better world for animals through sheltering, outreach and spay neuter assistance.
Having started in Animal Welfare with very few people that resembled herself, Shafonda is hoping to contribute to a future where all of Animal Welfare is accepting and inclusive.
When Shafonda is not working she spends time with her large family, loving pets, and animal welfare friends.

Kara Beverly, Board Secretary
Johns Hopkins University, Equity Compliance Investigator
An experienced labor & employment attorney, Kara D. Beverly is an Equity Compliance Investigator in Johns Hopkins University’s Office of Institutional Equity, where she is responsible for investigating reports of discrimination and sexual misconduct, as well as training University community members on how to prevent all forms of discrimination in professional and academic environments.
Kara is committed to serving her community and is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Housing Coalition, Parliamentarian of the Psi Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Junior League of Baltimore, and a member of the Young Hearts Board of the American Heart Association. A Prince George’s County, MD native, Kara Lives in Towson and enjoys spending time with her rescue dog.

Cat Small, Board Chair
Cat Small is the Purina Shelter Champions Lead and Petfinder Engagement Specialist. For eight years Cat has been the liaison for many animal welfare non-profit organizations. Including 47 through Purina Shelter Champions program, which provides food and support to shelters, and Petfinder platform powered by Purina that connects adopters with available pets from more than 10,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada. In times of natural disaster, Cat provides helpful support to pet shelters and pet owners in need and to assist with rescue efforts and supplies where possible. Previously, Cat worked on Purina Brand marketing and Market Development teams. Cat’s has been a dedicated professional with heartfelt PASSION and genuine love of pets and people to become her life’s purpose. People think of Cat as a go to resource who’s reliable, hardworking and compassionate. Cat’s energy comes from making a positive change with everything she touches and everyone she meets. Cat resides in Saint Louis, Missouri. She holds a BA in Marketing and minor in Communication from Saint Louis University. In her free time, Cat enjoys hikes, wine, connecting with friends and dog Mr. Carrot.

Janet Reich Elsbach, Board Member
Janet Reich Elsbach writes about how all the numerous things going on in the average life collide with making dinner on her blog a Raisin & a Porpoise. A home cook inspired by seasonal food, the particular cravings of those she loves to feed, and the idea of bringing people together at the table, her book, Extra Helping: Recipes for Caring, Connecting, and Building Community One Dish at a Time, was recently published by Roost, and addresses the most fundamental building block of mutual aid: nourishing the people near us.
Janet has a master’s degree in education and now teaches writing to adults with disabilities, a position she has loved for over ten years. She has been working in non-profit organizations for decades in various capacities, as a founder, an employee, a board member and a funder. She has spent a lot of time on both sides (seeker and giver) of development work, which she sees as a narrative exercise with the challenge of helping people identify across what they perceive as barriers and expand their sense of common humanity. She has leaned hard into justice work in recent years, seeking out under-resourced Black- and BIPOC-led organizations and working to amplify both their visibility and their capacity.
She has been around animals all her life. She grew up with a horse-loving sister and ran a small sheep farm and kept chickens for ten years. A life-long dog lover, she has always had the company of at least one dog, and has trained two as therapy animals to visit children and the elderly. She began fostering in earnest three years ago and has fostered and placed over 60 dogs. Working with half a dozen different rescue organizations over this time, it has become increasingly clear that the glaring whiteness of rescue critically impedes the soul mission that drew her into the work–greater freedom, safety and joy for all beings—and is beyond excited to discover Care’s work just as she realized there was no longer any room to compartmentalize her animal welfare work and her justice work.

Amy Mills, Board Treasurer
Chief Executive Officer, Emancipet
Amy Mills is passionate about solving tough social problems, both professionally and through service as a board member, volunteer, and consultant to non-profits. Since 2006, Amy has served as CEO of Emancipet, a non-profit building a national affordable veterinary care system to serve the underserved. Under her leadership, Emancipet has opened seven low-cost pet health clinics in five cities — Austin, Pflugerville, Killeen, and Houston, Texas and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and launched a national social change training program. Emancipet’s low-cost clinics provide care to over 100,000 pets living in underserved areas every year, keeping those pets healthy, happy, and safe with their families.
Amy works with a staff of 140+ brilliant, dedicated, and optimistic veterinary and non-profit management professionals to build a national low-cost veterinary clinic system for the underserved. Emancipet drives social change by listening to and serving their clients — low-income pet owners who have been economically excluded from accessing veterinary care.
Emancipet is scaling through two primary strategies — opening new clinics in areas historically underserved by veterinarians, and by offering training and consulting to equip and inspire change makers working in the animal welfare, veterinary, and public health industries to take action to improve the health of animals and the people who love them.
Emancipet’s network of clinics currently includes one mobile and six brick & mortar clinics that provide direct services in 20 cities in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Zach Skow, Board Member
Senior Program Manager at Pawsitive Change Inmate-Canine Training
Zach’s life has been dedicated to the service of man and mutt. He is a sober liver disease survivor, dedicated to rescuing dogs, so they may help rescue people.
Zach founded Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue (a 501-(c)(3) org) in 2009 while still battling to receive a liver transplant. His dogs and his people helped save Zach’s life, putting him on a trajectory of service. They have saved over 5,000 dogs since then and have spearheaded countless community programs to better both human and canine lives. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue spay and neuter program renders aid to vulnerable populations, providing 1,600 per year. Their miracle mutts program has teamed with nearly 100 local non profits to bring the power and magic of the human canine bond to those in need.
Zach Skow’s focus is growing out organizations and it’s program so they may reach a No Kill Kern County (less than 5%). Since their inception, kill rates have gone from near 80% to now below 40%. Over the last two years, Zach’s focus is healing men and mutts in prison through the Pawsitive Change inmate canine training program. “This program has breathed new purpose into my life and, I believe, is what I was put on this earth to establish and grow.” Pawsitive Change began at California City State Prison with 25 inmates and 8 dogs and has quickly expanded to over 100 men, 40 dogs, in 4 state prisons, including level 4, MAX Corcoran State Prison. Their programs exist because of support from the public and they are always looking for assistance and support.
In 2011, Zach Skow was awarded the American Red Cross Real Hero Award.
In 2017, Zach Skow was earned Leukemia and Lymphoma Man of the Year Award.
Zach resides in California with his equally mission driven and animal loving wife Heather Skow and is a father to Shiloh and a new one on the way!
Board of Directors Emeritus

Dr. Michael J Blackwell, Board Chair Emeritus

Ivy Collier, Board Member Emeritus

Clare Callison, Board Member Emeritus

Dr. Michael J Blackwell, Board Chair Emeritus
Dr. Michael J Blackwell, DVM, MPHDirector, Program for Pet Health Equity, University of TennesseeAssistant Surgeon General, USPHS (Ret.)
A life of public service is what exemplifies Dr. Michael Blackwell. Like his father, he earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Tuskegee University. He also earned a Master of Public Health degree from Loma Linda University. Dr. Blackwell’s career has been anything but traditional. He currently serves as the Director of the Program for Pet Health Equity, College of Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His mission is to improve access to veterinary care, especially for families with limited means. He chairs the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition.
Previously, Dr. Blackwell served as chief of staff, Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S., chief veterinary officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, and chief veterinary officer of the Humane Society of the United States. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General during 23 years on active duty with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. In addition, he has served on many national boards and committees Dr. Blackwell has received numerous awards and recognitions, most notably, the U.S. Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal (which is the highest personal honor award), and the Meritorious Service Medal (the second highest personal honor award). He also twice received the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal.

Ivy Collier, Board Member Emeritus
Executive Director at the Animals and Society Institute
Ivy Collier earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology and a Masters of Public Affairs focusing on fundraising and nonprofit management. She also earned the title of Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).
Ivy is the Executive Director at the Animals and Society Institute, a human-animal relationship think tank that promotes scholarly work in the human-animal studies and policy fields. Ivy has worked in the animal protection field for more than a decade. She also brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, program development and fundraising and has served in key roles with animal welfare and conservation organizations. Ivy is committed to serving in the animal welfare community and is working to make it more inclusive.
Ivy resides in Delaware and enjoys spending time with her husband, three cats and dog.

Clare Callison, Board Member Emeritus
Clare Callison is the Maddie’s Canine Lifesaving Advisor for American Pets Alive in Austin, TX. She provides guidance and hands-on support to animal welfare organizations all over the country. Her focus is helping organizations increase their live release rate through proactive adoptions, rescue partnerships, innovative marketing, and embracing a foster-centric sheltering model. Before coming to Austin, she was the Director of Operations for San Antonio Pets Alive for 5 years. While in San Antonio, she helped develop one of the largest northern transport programs in Texas which targets the most at risk population in the municipal shelter – large dogs. Because of her heavy involvement, San Antonio has gone from a 28 percent save rate to 90 percent over three years. Clare enjoys helping others seek lifesaving solutions to common challenges that exist in working in a high-volume, fast-paced rescue environment.
