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. 

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.

Sloane Hawes, Senior Director 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 a Senior Director 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.