The Association Blog

When we did the math and realized that Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is currently the organization with the most staff who are members of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, we were thrilled. Intrigued, too. We wanted to learn more about their professional development program, and realized you might want to know more, too. Read on for the Q&A as HSPPR Pres & CEO Duane Adams kicks off a new column about pro dev at animal welfare orgs.

The Association: How many members of The Association are currently on HSPPR staff?   
Duane Adams: We have 16 active members.

The Association: What roles do these members play at HSPPR?  
Duane Adams: Management and Leadership positions in the organization.

The Association: Please feel free to give a team member a shout out and share a goal they’ve achieved this year.   
Duane Adams: Rhonda Weiss has been a member for several years, but this past year, she accomplished her CAWA Certification. We are very proud of Rhonda, as well as the four other CAWA members of our team.

The Association: What other professional development opportunities do you offer staff?     
Duane Adams: HSPPR believes in continuous learning and supports our team members in growing. We have a full-time Professional Development Manager who assists staff in learning opportunities and tracks CE credits. We have CE expectations for all levels of staff.

The Association: What are two things that you and HSPPR have gained from The Association this year?      
Duane Adams: We have gained a CAWA! Also, we have been able to follow challenges facing our organization and learn how others are managing these challenges. It really helps to know that others are facing similar situations and to hear how they are managing. The collaboration in animal welfare is incredible.

The Association: What is one challenge you are facing at HSPPR right now, and in what ways has professional development helped your team to identify solutions for this challenge?     
Duane Adams: TURNOVER! I wouldn’t say that we have solved this challenge, but we have gained a better understanding of how to improve. I have taken several webinars over this past year to better understand our culture and how to support our team members. These courses have helped us to reduce our turnover.

The Association: What are your professional goals as ED for the year ahead?     
Duane Adams: My professional goal as ED is to increase our donation support. As a Social Enterprise organization, we have done well with increasing our resources through earned income and service to our community. Next year, I hope to see us capitalize on this goodwill with increasing donor support.

The Association: Is there anything else you would like to share with the field?    
Duane Adams: Hang in there, and remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint. We have made incredible progress over the years, and COVID gave us a bump, but we can get back on track together.

Learn More about Members

How I Got Here: Sarah Javier
Meet a CAWA: Jeana Roth
Member Spotlight: Get to Know Pete Santana