Ira, our Siamese yoga co-instructor, is one of the first alums of the ASPCA Kitten Nursery. A born mover, he began deepening his studies during the pandemic in daily online meditation, yoga, and dance classes. He is a regular participant in The Association’s online weekly editorial planning meetings, as well as classes at CUNY Graduate Center; this semester he’s learning the history and culture of hip hop in New York City, and has recently incorporated some b-boy moves into his yoga practice.

Pune Dracker, MA, MFA, RYT-200, teaches hatha yoga and dance, and writes, edits and strategizes digital communications for The Association.

Raissa Allaire joined Tree House Humane Society in May 2018. Raissa has been a nonprofit leader for the past 20 years, including as COO of a social services organization and as a vice president/Chief of Staff for a Chicago museum. Raissa is also a member of the board of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

Morgan Davis is the East Campus Manager and Culture Liaison for The Kentucky Humane Society. Morgan focuses professionally on caring for and developing the humans doing the work, encouraging Continuing Education efforts on all levels and leading the DEI strategic plan for the organization. 

Judith Dumont has over 15 years of experience in servant-based leadership and supervision, strategic planning, organizational development, learning design, performance management, and employee engagement and relations. She has concentrated experience in cultivating people and culture on non-profit and educational platforms that evoke regard for social good and philanthropy. Her true passion lies in motivating and leading others, building trust within work groups, guiding complex problem-solving, developing strategic initiatives, and coaching highly effective teams. She has a strong commitment to ensuring organizational priorities, policies, and practices through generating a productive environment where growth, communication, creativity, and responsible risk-taking are encouraged.

Shonyae Johnson's career has spanned over a decade, with a heavy focus on animal shelter behavior. She has served in positions such as volunteer, attendant, technician, trainer, coordinator, manager, and director, giving her a full scope of animal sheltering and the experiences of the staff at every level. She is the new Director of Virtual Behavior Programming at  Humane Rescue Alliance.

In her role as Division Manager at Grand Prairie Animal Services in Texas, Lily Yap brings a strong background in open admission, municipal shelter operations, and lifesaving programs, Building on experience from over a decade in animal sheltering and knowledge of corporate business fundamentals gained from one of the top 10 professional MBA programs in the nation, she strives to support teams that will promote a future in which animals and the families that love them thrive together. Lily is a member of the board of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

Sarah Javier is the visionary President and CEO of the Animal Protective Association (APA) of Missouri. With over two decades of impactful leadership, since 2016 she has led the APA to achieve remarkable strides in advancing its mission, doubling its size, and expanding its reach to serve over 10,000 pets annually across two locations. Sarah is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and equity in both her organization and the broader community; she serves as a DEI Ambassador and is a member of The Association’s DEI Council, driving initiatives to ensure diverse representation and equitable practices in animal welfare.

Jasmin M. Robinson is The Association's Director of DEI Initiatives. She is also the CEO and Founder of I.D.E.A.L. Education, LLC., and a consultant with MSM Global Consulting. She has over 10 years of experience leading efforts to foster and maintain inclusive work environments that welcome, embrace, empower, and celebrate people. She is actively pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Indiana State University.

Sarah Aguilar is the Director for Santa Barbara County Animal Services, serving a 6,000 pets annually and a half million people over 2,700 square miles. Prior to her current role, Aguilar served as the Senior Director of Operations at Austin Pets Alive! in Austin, Texas, where she played a pivotal role in advancing lifesaving initiatives. Before that, she served as the National Foster Programs Manager at Greater Good Charities and as the Deputy Director for Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, Arizona. Aguilar's journey in animal welfare began as the Foster Care Coordinator for Ventura County Animal Services, placing over 3,000 pets annually into foster.

Meshia Burrell has more than 25 years of human resources experience with non-profits in health care and broadcasting with 15 of those years being in animal welfare at Anti-Cruelty. Meshia holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management with a concentration in Human Resources, PHR (Professional Human Resources) certification, SHRM – CP (Society of Human Resources Certified Professional) certification and is a certified Caliper Expert. She continues to work hard to strengthening connectivity and engagement at all levels and develop successful leaders through various HR initiatives.

Aiko Okamoto is originally from Yokohama, Japan, and began her career as a Digital Movie Editing Suite Coordinator at Sony PCL in Tokyo3.  Aiko joined the Humane Society of Charlotte in 2008 as an Administrative Assistant.  She was instrumental in establishing the Development Department’s CRM system and helped oversee all activities that were managed by the Executive Director. In 2010, Aiko had the opportunity to step into a lead management role and began overseeing all of HSC’s financial activities. She is now the Chief Administrative Officer overseeing five different shelter departments including Finance, HR, Volunteer programs, Facility and IT. Aiko is a Senior Professional in Human Resources, SPHR and a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional, CNAP.

Jillian Sergio is the Executive Director at Companion Animal Alliance, the open admission shelter in Baton Rouge, LA. Jillian started her animal welfare career at CAA, overseeing the adoptions, rescue, transport, and volunteer departments before moving to a Shelter Manager position in rural Colorado.

Katherine Shenar is the executive vice president for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. She has 30 years of experience in animal welfare, including serving as CEO for two animal welfare organizations and holding leadership roles with four others. Katherine became a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) in 2020.

Dr. Josh Fisher serves as the Director of Animal Services for the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, and as the Board President of the National Animal Care & Control Association. Josh he is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, Certified Customer eXperience Executive, and a graduate of the Animal Services Executive Leadership Certification Program. With 20+ years in the veterinary medical/animal welfare industry, Dr. Fisher has held a wide range of roles in private and corporate veterinary hospitals, higher education, and government.

Jen Hobgood is senior state legislative director of the ASPCA’s Government Relations Southern Division. In this role, she oversees the ASPCA’s legislative initiatives in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and also supports ASPCA’s efforts at the state level throughout the country to expand access to veterinary care such as telemedicine. Prior to joining the ASPCA, Jen was the Florida state director for The Humane Society of the United States, where she worked for twelve years.

Dylan worked as a (human) social worker in the mid-Atlantic after college for a dozen years before needing a break. He relocated to New Mexico in 2000. After a pause to catch his breath, he needed a job with meaning and started as a part-time adoption counselor at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter in 2011, in between stints as a hot air balloon wrangler and personal chef, both of which eventually fell by the wayside so he could focus on animal welfare. Dylan is the Senior Director of Shelter Operations.

After graduating fromIowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Emily Swiniarski went througha Shelter Medicine Internship with the University of Florida. She has workedfor a wide variety of organizations including large municipal shelters, smalllimited admission shelters, HQHVSN facilities, and lower cost veterinary careclinics in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles before landing in Chicago as MedicalDirector of Anti-Cruelty.

Dr. Roberta Westbrook is the Chief Animal Welfare & Medical Officer for Houston SPCA. She received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri in 2004. As an adjunct professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biological Sciences, Dr. Westbrook co-teaches an elective course and facilitates the 4th year, 2-week clinical rotation in Shelter Medicine. She serves her community as the 2024 President of the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association, and a proud board member of The Association of Animal Welfare Advancement.