The Association Blog

“I always look forward to sharing a message of thanksgiving at this time of year,” says The Association’s President & CEO. “This year I write with an extreme mix of emotions.”

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

I always look forward to sharing a message of thanksgiving at this time of year.  There is certainly never a shortage of people, places and things for which to be grateful.  In fact, the challenge is usually narrowing down the list so it fits into a blog post. This year I write with an extreme mix of emotions.  On the one hand, my heart is full as I can still feel the energy we all experienced in Atlanta just a few short weeks ago. Every year, I come home from our Annual Conference inspired — but this year felt different. Stronger. Deeper. More connected. 

On the other hand, the past few weeks have brought extraordinary losses for me personally and for our profession.  I’ll come back to that.

At the Conference I heard repeatedly that attendees felt a genuine sense of belonging. Not just welcomed, but seen. Not just included, but part of something. We have worked hard to build a professional association where leaders of every background, generation, and lived experience know they matter. Seeing that effort take root so visibly — through your conversations, your laughter, your vulnerability, and your eagerness to support one another — was one of the greatest gifts of my career.

This year’s event was also the clearest reflection yet of the direction we’re heading. From emerging leaders stepping boldly into the spotlight and seasoned professionals mentoring the next generation, to rich discussions around our strategic priorities — you could feel the momentum in every hallway, every breakout, every roundtable. The Association is evolving, growing, and opening its arms wider. And it’s all because of you.

Now back to “the other hand.”  In recent weeks the animal welfare profession has lost three extraordinary leaders. And I have lost three heroes, mentors and friends. First, we lost Don Mitton, who held a long tenure in animal welfare with the City of Toronto. Don and I served together on The Association’s Board.  He shared his extraordinary wit, wisdom and generosity with so many of us in this field. His contributions had a profound impact well beyond his retirement and will continue well after his untimely passing. 

In the past week alone we’ve experienced the passing of two more of my absolute heroes: Eric Sakach and Phil Snyder.

I met Eric Sakach when I attended my first HSUS (now Humane World for Animals) Conference in the mid-1980s. He gave a very compelling presentation on animal fighting investigations — a topic about which he remained the preeminent expert throughout his career. I sat transfixed in the audience that day, and when I met and worked with Eric a few years later I realized his passion for animal welfare was completely genuine.

I was a young shelter leader who knew far less than I thought I did when Phil Snyder saw something in me. Phil hired me to work alongside him when HSUS opened its South Central Regional Office in Knoxville. He quickly became a hero, a mentor and a friend. Phil’s lived experience had taken him through shelter work in Indiana, Texas and Florida before bringing him to the national stage. I learned so many valuable lessons from Phil and have carried them, and him, with me for the past 30+ years. His amazing wry sense of humor was like medicine on the tough days. 

Saying that we stand on the shoulders of giants seems too cliché in this moment. But giants these three leaders were. Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned from them is the power of mentorship. Ours can feel like a lonely profession, but with mentors like Don, Eric, and Phil, one is never truly alone. My wish for each of you this Thanksgiving is that you have mentors lighting the way for you and that you pay it forward by being mentors to those following in your paths.

The profession is better today because of you. And it will be better tomorrow because of what we’re building together.

Wishing you peace, joy, and a holiday season that fills your cup as much as you’ve filled mine.

With gratitude,
Jim