Jessica Arias, CAWA, is Animal Services Director at Burlington Animal Services in North Carolina. She was recognized as one of Triad Business Journal's 40 under 40 for her work in Burlington, which included achieving and sustaining high levels of pet lifesaving and community support and spearheading a successful public-private partnership in the construction of a state-of-the-art Pet Adoption and Resource Center. Jessica holds a BA in conflict analysis and resolution from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and is pursuing an MPA at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Jessica is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).

Shafonda Allen, CAWA, has worked in animal welfare for over twenty years. She is the current Executive Director of the Animal Protection Society of Durham in NC. She serves on The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Animal Welfare, and is a former board member of the North Carolina Animal Federation. Shafonda, who identifies as a Black American, 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. Shafonda became a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) in 2020.

Patty Crankshaw-Quimby, CAWA, joined the Talbot Humane team in 1999 as one of 2 animal caretakers caring for the almost 2,000 animals that entered the shelter annually at that time. Holding most of the positions through the years, she worked up the ranks to animal control officer, humane officer, shelter coordinator and now, executive director since March 2011. 

Patty is the current president of Professional Animal Workers of Maryland, the state association of animal control agencies and shelters, a consumer member and Vice President of the Maryland Board of Veterinary Examiners, and sits on the Maryland Spay/Neuter Advisory Board. Patty is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).

Jerrica Owen, CAWA, joined the National Animal Care & Control Association in April 2021, as the Director of Partnerships and Programs and was named Executive Director in December 2021. She brings with her nearly 20 years of experience in emergent animal welfare, engaging and developing a diversity of staff, shelter operations, and leading successful initiatives in Animal Welfare in a cross-cultural environment. Previously the Director of Strategic Initiatives for San Diego Humane Society, Jerrica supported achieving success on the organization’s primary strategies.