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Is there a breeding ground for animal welfare leaders?
One thing seems clear. Some of the most innovative new leaders in both no-kill organizations and animal control agencies are coming from outside the movement. They are emerging from corporate offices, civic organizations, non-profit management, government agencies, law offices and small businesses. Unfamiliar with the history, politics and policies of the animal sheltering world, they are positive, upbeat and eager to try new things. They are motivated by deeply held beliefs and characterized by a no-nonsense attitude that scoffs at the notion, “it can’t be done.” They are strong managers who relish the challenge of solving difficult problems. They believe in running their organization like a business and their “bottom line” approach emphasizes accountability, achievement and measurable results.
Paula Fasseas had a twenty year career as a bank executive before she founded PAWS Chicago in 1998.The no-kill organization started by holding highly publicized adoption events, then went on to open an adoption center and Chicago’s first low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter clinic. Paula has made huge strides in only a few short years; PAWS has found new homes for thousands of homeless pets and performed more than 4,000 sterilization surgeries in the clinic’s first year of operation.
Richard Glessner was in non-profit development before taking the leadership at the no-kill Quad City Animal Welfare Center in Illinois. Since his appointment in 1998, Richard has quadrupled his budget, doubled his staff and increased adoptions by 40%.
Before he got into the sheltering business, Nathan Winograd was a criminal prosecutor. In June 2001 Nathan became Executive Director of the Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, New York. Since then, the death rate in Tompkins County plummeted by 78%, the number of animals sterilized prior to adoption went from 10% to 100%, the organization went from a dozen to 140 regular volunteers, and from a handful of foster homes to 196. Even with an animal control contract, TCSPCA saved the life of every healthy dog and cat that came to its shelter in 2001.
These three and many others like them are bringing much needed energy, enthusiasm and life-saving accomplishments to the animal welfare movement.
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