Jim Tedford accepted his dream job when he joined The Association as President & CEO in June of 2015.  But Jim is no stranger to the organization.  He has been a member for more than 30 years and served as our Board Chairman some twenty years ago.  Jim has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for more than 40 years, having served as CEO for animal sheltering organizations in New York, Louisiana and Tennessee.  He served as a regional director for The Humane Society of the United States and then spent six years providing direct response marketing services to animal welfare organizations. Jim presents frequently at national and regional conferences on various animal welfare issues, organizational development and not-for-profit management. 

Meghan Lehman joined Hill’s Pet Nutrition in 2025 to lead the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program. Leveraging extensive experience across both the animal shelter and corporate sectors, she focuses on developing high-impact strategies that drive positive outcomes for shelters, strong partnership development, marketing engagement, and social good. 

Prior to Hill's, Meghan served as Senior Director of Marketing at Companion Protect, a national pet insurance and wellness company. This followed nine years in progressively increasing leadership roles at the Lawrence Humane Society and The Animal Foundation, where she was instrumental in boosting donor engagement, increasing media exposure, developing life-saving programs, and building sustainable revenue streams. 

Meghan lives in Kansas City with her two- and four-legged family.

Alison Fotsch is President & CEO of the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS), where she has worked since 2007. Prior to stepping into the CEO role, she served as Executive Vice President, supporting the organization's people & culture, communications, development, and shelter operations functions, as well as Vice President of Animal Sheltering, Racine Campus Director, Client Services Manager, and Adoption Counselor. She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA), a board member of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), a board member of Supporting People and Animal Relationships for Change (SPARC), and an advisory committee member for Shelter Animals Count (SAC).

Casey Brown is the Vice President of Animal Sheltering at the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS). Casey supports sheltering operations across WHS’s six sheltering locations, including animal care and client services, adoption programming, veterinary support, foster, and transfer programs. Her work focuses on efficient and effective systems and processes to support animals and the people who love them across our service area, strengthening collaboration and connection across teams, and contributing to a connected organizational culture. With more than 10 years of experience in animal welfare, her background spans animal sheltering and community veterinary services, including access to care and high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter programs. Casey’s work is grounded in finding meaningful ways to connect with people and recognizing the knowledge and experiences they bring. She is particularly interested in how those connections can help remove barriers and create change that better supports animals and people. Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Engagement and Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Kristina Wertz serves as Corporate Giving Manager at the Arizona Humane Society, where she leads strategic corporate partnerships and signature event fundraising, managing a portfolio of approximately $4 million annually. Since joining the organization in 2023, she has helped grow corporate partnerships through integrated fundraising campaigns, adoption initiatives, and signature events, including collaborating with Hill's Pet Nutrition on the Big Dog Campaign to increase visibility and reduce barriers to large dog adoption. Prior to Arizona Humane Society, she spent more than a decade in event production, sponsorships, and community engagement across Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Arizona State University.