Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach has extensive experience as a social work practitioner in the public mental health service system and is an avid advocate for the inclusion of human-animal interaction considerations within social work practice. Her current research is focused on: benefits of the human-animal bond; facilitators of mental health recovery among individuals living with mental illness; and the use of qualitative research to inform intervention research. She is on the board of the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS), where she developed and supervises MSW internship placements that facilitate benefits of human-animal interaction. She helped develop the TAHS Hope and Recovery Pet Program (HARP), which places shelter animals as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs); this is one of the only such programs in the United States. Dr. Hoy provides expert witness testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department on benefits of human-animal interaction.

Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach has extensive experience as a social work practitioner in the public mental health service system and is an avid advocate for the inclusion of human-animal interaction considerations within social work practice. Her current research is focused on: benefits of the human-animal bond; facilitators of mental health recovery among individuals living with mental illness; and the use of qualitative research to inform intervention research. She is on the board of the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS), where she developed and supervises MSW internship placements that facilitate benefits of human-animal interaction. She helped develop the TAHS Hope and Recovery Pet Program (HARP), which places shelter animals as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs); this is one of the only such programs in the United States. Dr. Hoy provides expert witness testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department on benefits of human-animal interaction.

Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

With work experience in three continents and over 10 years of operational leadership, Geraldine has a passion for building innovative community programs and strategic partnerships to bridge the gap between human and animal well-being, to increase access to care. She led a small non-profit through a merger & acquisition with one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the US, and over 8 years strategically helped integrate the services throughout the 140-year-old animal shelter, enabling it to pivot to the new community-centered model that is now unfolding. Brought up in India, she did her B.A. in Sociology which took her to remote villages to study the caste system and women’s empowerment. She has an M.B.A. from the Edinburgh Business School in Scotland and a background in research consultancy, advertising and branding.

Doug Plant joined the Michigan Humane Society in 2017 as senior vice president and chief operating officer. In these roles, Plant oversees and manages the daily operation of Michigan’s largest animal welfare organization. The departments reporting to him include Clinic and Shelter Operations, Facilities, Field Services, and Community Solutions. Plant has spent the past 30 years helping nonprofits increase their impact in Michigan communities. His experiences as a clinical social worker and program development have been instrumental in the creation of Michigan Humane’s focus on the human animal bond and its One Health Michigan initiatives to address the comprehensive needs of families.
 
Plant holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a master’s degree in social work from Wayne State University. Along with his wife, Paige, they reside in Canton, MI along with their two dogs, Marty the puggle and Scout the lab mix.

Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

Dr. Christina Avila holds a doctorate in business and brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in animal welfare. Her background spans veterinary medicine, kennel care, and—most of all—field work. Known for building strong relationships with both people and their pets, she works to bridge the gap between communities and the services they need. A passionate advocate for animals, Dr. Avila is dedicated to finding innovative, practical solutions to the challenges facing the field today.

Spencer Conover has dedicated his life to innovative, servant leadership at some of the top
animal welfare organizations across the country including, the Denver Dumb Friends League, Best
Friends Animal Society, the Humane Society of Utah and Pasco County Animal Services. Spencer is
passionate about leadership development and being surrounded with other progressive and
proactive lifesaving individuals. Spencer has a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Contemporary
Animal Services Leadership and Leadership Studies. He is a Certified Public Manager and certified
green belt in lean six sigma process improvement. He has had the pleasure to lead various shelter
operations teams including animal control, adoption, intake, customer care, foster care, volunteer,
education/outreach, transfer/rescue and animal behavior. Spencer is a certified animal control
officer, CPR and humane euthanasia certified with training in dangerous/fractious animal handling
and Florida SARC certified in emergency animal sheltering. Spencer currently serves on the Board of
Directors for the Florida Animal Protection and Advocacy Association and serves as the President of
the National Animal Care and Control Association. He has a passion for shelter operation, statistics,
data driven decision making and life-saving innovative community-based programs.

Accomplished animal welfare professional Jerrica Owen joined the National Animal Care & Control Association in April 2021, as the Director of Partnerships and Programs, was named as Executive Director in December 2021 and was named Chief Executive Officer in September, 2025.

Previously the Director of Strategic Initiatives for San Diego Humane Society, Jerrica supported achieving success on the organization’s primary strategies. In addition, she was the Senior Animal Response Team Leader for the San Diego Humane Society’s Emergency Response Team and has extensive experience in the field during some of our countries worst disasters supporting tactical and shelter operations for all types of animals including domestic, wildlife, and equine.

Jerrica has spent the past 2 decades dedicated to achieving lifesaving excellence and encompasses dynamic organizational leadership, charismatic characteristics, and an energetic passion that will complement the already remarkable work of the NACA. She will support driving the continued success of NACA as the national leader in professionalism and standard setting of the animal control and service profession. She is committed to inclusive engagement and resource accessibility for the industry.

Jerrica earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from California State University-Chico and holds certifications in Animal Welfare Administration (CAWA), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Organizational Leadership, and Modern Humane Resource Management. She lives in California and is a proud wife and mother to both human, fur, and shelled (Tortoise!) babies.

Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach has extensive experience as a social work practitioner in the public mental health service system and is an avid advocate for the inclusion of human-animal interaction considerations within social work practice. Her current research is focused on: benefits of the human-animal bond; facilitators of mental health recovery among individuals living with mental illness; and the use of qualitative research to inform intervention research. She is on the board of the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS), where she developed and supervises MSW internship placements that facilitate benefits of human-animal interaction. She helped develop the TAHS Hope and Recovery Pet Program (HARP), which places shelter animals as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs); this is one of the only such programs in the United States. Dr. Hoy provides expert witness testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department on benefits of human-animal interaction.

With work experience in three continents and over 10 years of operational leadership, Geraldine has a passion for building innovative community programs and strategic partnerships to bridge the gap between human and animal well-being, to increase access to care. She led a small non-profit through a merger & acquisition with one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the US, and over 8 years strategically helped integrate the services throughout the 140-year-old animal shelter, enabling it to pivot to the new community-centered model that is now unfolding. Brought up in India, she did her B.A. in Sociology which took her to remote villages to study the caste system and women’s empowerment. She has an M.B.A. from the Edinburgh Business School in Scotland and a background in research consultancy, advertising and branding.

Becca Britton, native to Cleveland Ohio, has been working in animal welfare since 2003. Outside of animal welfare, her work experience includes over ten years in the non-profit sector with a focus on community development, art-culture community programming, public art & program management. In 2003 Britton founded (2003) and ran Friends of the Cleveland Kennel, a non-profit organization that served as a support agency for Cleveland Animal Control. Through her non-profit, she funded supportive care and programming for animals in need. She also led the efforts to host large scale pet vaccine clinic events throughout the city of Cleveland.

In 2016, Becca founded Neighborhood Pets Outreach and Resource Center, a community based non-profit focused on supporting low income pet owners. Britton used her community outreach experience & training, certification from HSUS Pets for Life program, and experience in nonprofit management to create a dynamic & intuitive model based on relationship & trust building within the community, while providing accessible and affordable resources to low income pet owners. Ms. Britton is a graduate of the Leadership Development Program Initiative and has attended Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. She was recently awarded HSUS Humane Leader of the Year award and has been highlighted in various Northeast Ohio media outlets showcasing her work in the community. Becca’s focus as a “big picture thinker” is to create sustainable change in the animal welfare sector by being an advocate for animals and the people who love them.

Heather has twenty-five years of experience in community animal welfare, innovation and mission impact, with more than a dozen of those years as the chief executive of two non-profit organizations.

She has a Master’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and worked in both financial and social economics before devoting her career to the humane ethic. She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator through the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement, holds a graduate certificate in Wildlife Forensics and Conservation from the University of Florida and is a certified animal control office and animal cruelty investigator.

Heather is known for innovating efficient approaches to welfare challenges and developing strategic partnerships for maximizing impact. She is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and was the keynote speaker at the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association in 2018 following a collaborative effort with the NJVMA to respond to Hurricane Maria. She has served on the Thought Leadership Council of PetSmart Charities and was an early recipient of Maddie’s Fund’s Hero to Animals award.

Aimee St.Arnaud's focus is on increasing access to spay/neuter and veterinary care across the nation. Previously she was the Director of National Veterinary Outreach Programs for Best Friends Animal Society and Director of Programs at ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance where she oversaw spay/neuter training programs of 1,000 professionals a year. She is the founder of Humane Ohio, a spay/neuter clinic performing roughly 18,000 spay/neuters a year and Partner in two full-service access to care veterinary clinics in OH and NC.

Heather has twenty-five years of experience in community animal welfare, innovation and mission impact, with more than a dozen of those years as the chief executive of two non-profit organizations.

She has a Master’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and worked in both financial and social economics before devoting her career to the humane ethic. She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator through the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement, holds a graduate certificate in Wildlife Forensics and Conservation from the University of Florida and is a certified animal control office and animal cruelty investigator.

Heather is known for innovating efficient approaches to welfare challenges and developing strategic partnerships for maximizing impact. She is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and was the keynote speaker at the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association in 2018 following a collaborative effort with the NJVMA to respond to Hurricane Maria. She has served on the Thought Leadership Council of PetSmart Charities and was an early recipient of Maddie’s Fund’s Hero to Animals award.

Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach has extensive experience as a social work practitioner in the public mental health service system and is an avid advocate for the inclusion of human-animal interaction considerations within social work practice. Her current research is focused on: benefits of the human-animal bond; facilitators of mental health recovery among individuals living with mental illness; and the use of qualitative research to inform intervention research. She is on the board of the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS), where she developed and supervises MSW internship placements that facilitate benefits of human-animal interaction. She helped develop the TAHS Hope and Recovery Pet Program (HARP), which places shelter animals as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs); this is one of the only such programs in the United States. Dr. Hoy provides expert witness testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department on benefits of human-animal interaction.