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 nearly 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 37 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.

Jim and his wife Ann share their world with three terriers and an immortal macaw. Avid lovers of the outdoors, Jim and Ann spend as much time as possible on the hiking trails or camping in their Casita (fiberglass “egg”), often accompanied by all three terriers.

Katherine McGowan Shenar serves as the executive vice president for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and brings experience in leadership development, organization culture, coalition building, marketing communications, fundraising, and emerging trends in animal welfare.

Katherine began her career working in the media and transitioned to an advertising agency before realizing her animal welfare calling. Her advocacy work started in 1996 when she led the public relations and marketing department for the Humane Society of Missouri. She has served as the executive director for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, the animal welfare issues consultant for The Humane Society of the United States, president and CEO of Asheville Humane Society, and executive vice president for San Diego Humane Society. She is the author of the book Coalition Building for Animal Care Organizations, a how-to guide for animal advocates to work collaboratively in communities and has written numerous articles for Animal Sheltering magazine. Katherine holds a Masters of Arts in media communications and served as an adjunct professor for the School of Communications at Webster University. She resides in Florida with her husband, four dogs and two cats. Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn.