The Association Blog

“Lasting change isn’t driven by policy alone”

This year we once again invited senior leadership to nominate their organization’s emerging leaders to attend The Annual Conference on October 26–29. You did not disappoint—here are your 2026 Rising Stars.

From that already outstanding pool of 49, we designated 16 as Shooting Stars–whom we considered especially compelling examples of talent and leadership. Over the next month, we’ll be introducing you to many of them; you’ll hear first-hand about their accomplishments, plans for the future and thoughts about leadership. Next up: Brandais Pooley, Humane Society of North Texas, nominated by Michelle Pugh.

One accomplishment I’m especially proud of has been helping transform the medical operations and training infrastructure at Humane Society of North Texas. When I stepped into my leadership role, I saw an opportunity to build systems that would not only improve efficiency and regulatory compliance, but also create a stronger foundation for exceptional patient care and professional development. Over time, I led initiatives to standardize medical protocols, strengthen pharmacy and controlled substance management, develop scalable training programs, and improve operational consistency across multiple locations.

 

While I’m proud of the systems we built, I’m even more proud of the people behind them. Watching team members gain confidence, expand their skills, and embrace a culture of continuous learning has been the most rewarding outcome. The experience taught me that lasting change isn’t driven by policies alone, it’s built through trust, collaboration, and empowering others. Effective leadership means listening first, understanding the challenges people face, and creating solutions that help them succeed.

When you invest in people and create systems to support them, the result is better care for animals, stronger teams, and a more resilient organization. That lesson continues to shape how I lead today, and is one I hope to carry throughout my career.

– Brandais Pooley, CVT, CPhT, CAWA, Senior Manager of Medical Training and Compliance,
Humane Society of North Texas

Top photo: NASA Hubble Space Telescope