6-18-24 The Roundtable: Setting Boundaries & Combating Burnout

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Caring for animals and helping the people who support them can feel daunting. Add in a staffing shortage and you’re officially overwhelmed. How do you prioritize when you don't have enough help or time? When should you take a break or push forward? How do you say 'no' to the next task so you can say 'yes' to your well-being?

Learn how panelists across different animal welfare sectors manage wellness and boundaries when staff and morale are constantly shifting. This roundtable is ideal for staff interested in adding coping strategies to their wellness toolkit. 

The Roundtable Panel:

  • Allison Cardona, California State Director, Koret Shelter Medicine Program
  • Jessica Umunnabuike, Senior Talent & Diversity Specialist, San Diego Humane Society
  • Kristen Williams, Community Events & Outreach Manager, Forsyth Humane Society

Moderated by:

  • Jasmin Robinson, Director of DEI Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

This roundtable has been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit.

Jasmin Robinson

Director of DEI Initiatives

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

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.

Allison Cardona

California State Director

Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Allison Cardona manages a $37.5 million grant fund for UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine that partners with animal shelters in California to increase access to care and increase foster, adoptions, and return to home. She has also worked as a Deputy Director for the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, and as a senior program director for the ASPCA. Allison is on the Leadership Council for the Downtown’s Women’s Center, an organization dedicated to providing services and housing to women in Los Angeles. The proud daughter of Colombian immigrants, Allison is deeply committed to racial justice and equity work.


Jessica Umunnabuike

Senior Talent & Diversity Specialist

San Diego Humane Society

Jessica Umunnabuike (she/her) is a first-generation Nigerian American from Ohio. As the Sr. Talent & Diversity Specialist at San Diego Humane Society, Jessica performs an array of employee engagement functions, with a focus on staffing and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Professional in Human Resources® (PHR®) certification.

Kristen Williams

Community Engagement and Event Manager

Forsyth Humane Society

Kristen Williams (she/her) is on year three as the Community Engagement and Event Manager at Forsyth Humane Society. She has 15+ years of experience teaching mindful movement while spearheading programs sitting at the intersection of wellness and social justice through the lens of radical self-care. She has harnessed those skills in the world of animal welfare to build sustainable event and development programs that keep the focus not just on the wellness of animals, but on the people who care for them. Kristen understands the connection between adverse childhood experiences and trauma, and couples that with a toolkit of mindfulness to create pathways to build and nourish authentic relationships through the community that work together as an eco-system of support and care.

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