The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Learning Center

1 pm - 2:30 pm ET, Tuesday, July 15

1:00 - 1:30  Stress First Aid: The 7Cs of Caring for Yourself and Others 

Keynote speaker: Jessica Dolce

Working in animal welfare means non-stop demands, tough decisions, and emotional highs and lows. As a leader, you're often holding it all together for everyone else. But what about you?  Stress First Aid is a practical, evidence-informed framework developed by the National Center for PTSD to help individuals in high-stress professions recognize and respond to stress reactions before they develop into more severe or long-term problems. Originally designed for the military, first responders, and healthcare workers, this model is a great fit for the fast-paced, trauma-exposed field of animal welfare. 

In this session, we’ll focus on how you, as a leader, can recognize and address your stress reactions. You'll walk away with seven concrete actions to help you more effectively care for yourself in the workplace and, by extension, better support your teams and mission.

1:30 – 1:50  Roundtable Discussion about Self-Care and Peer Support in Animal Welfare

The Roundtable Panel, moderated by Jessica Dolce

• Kelly Bremken, Veterinary Social Worker, MSSW, VSW, Oregon Humane Society    
• Kristi Mack, Senior Director, HR and Community Engagement, Humane Society Silicon Valley   
• Angie Arora, Veterinary Social Workers, Arora Wellness 

1:50 – 2:30  Small Group Discussions

Talk in very small groups of your peers about how you might apply ideas from the past hour into your own life, team, and organization. The full group will come together at the end to "report out" on ideas. What a great way to build your network and use the hive mind to brainstorm solutions to big challenges.

Note: the recordings of the keynote and the roundtable will be available through December 31, 2025.

1 pm - 2:30 pm ET, Wednesday, July 16

1:00 - 1:30  The Art of Professional Trust 

Keynote speakers: Maria Morukian and Jasmin Robinson

Trust is the foundation of any successful workplace: trust fosters collaboration, innovation, and overall job satisfaction. However, leaders often struggle with building and maintaining trust among their teams.  How do you build trust? More importantly, how do you maintain trust in the workplace?  

We will explore the critical role trust plays in professional team dynamics, leadership effectiveness, and organizational success. The presenters will discuss how trust influences employee engagement, decision-making, and workplace culture, while addressing common challenges and strategies for building and maintaining trust. 

Leaders, don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to enhance your teams and boost job satisfaction. 

1:30 – 1:50  Roundtable Discussion about Building Trust in Animal Welfare

The Roundtable Panel, moderated by Jasmin Robinson

• Christina Avila, Animal Control Supervisor, City of Perris Animal Control, CA
• Kathy Duncan, Director, National Programs, Humane Canada                                 
• Anna Payton, Administrator, Will County Animal Protection Services, IL

1:50 – 2:30  Small Group Discussions

Talk in very small groups of your peers about how you might apply ideas from the past hour into your own life, team, and organization. The full group will come together at the end to "report out" on ideas. What a great way to build your network and use the hive mind to brainstorm solutions to big challenges.

Note: the recordings of the keynote and the roundtable will be available through December 31, 2025.

1 pm - 2:30 pm ET, Thursday, July 17

1:00 - 1:30  How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in A Short-Term World

Keynote speaker: Dorie Clark

It's no secret that today's leaders and professionals feel pulled in too many directions. We want to be long-term thinkers, but we're constantly putting out fires and dealing with short-term challenges. In this talk, Dorie Clark, Harvard Business Review author and Columbia Business School executive education professor, will share concrete strategies to help you sharpen your strategic thinking and balance competing short- and long-term priorities.  You will learn how to:  

• Identify areas with unique potential for leverage
• Understand what we're optimizing for  
• Make the right kind of tradeoffs  
• Achieve 'strategic patience'  
• Place little bets to find promising leads and emergent possibilities

1:30 – 1:50  Roundtable Discussion about Strategic Thinking in Animal Welfare

The Roundtable Panel, moderated by Jim Tedford, CAWA, President & CEO, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

• Christopher Agostino, Executive Director, Humane Society of Broward County 
• Raissa Allaire, Executive Director, Tree House Humane Society 
• Shelly Moore, CAWA, CEO, Humane Society of Charlotte

1:50 – 2:30  Small Group Discussions

Talk in very small groups of your peers about how you might apply ideas from the past hour into your own life, team, and organization. The full group will come together at the end to "report out" on ideas. What a great way to build your network and use the hive mind to brainstorm solutions to big challenges.

Note: the recordings of the keynote and the roundtable will be available through December 31, 2025.