Mark Hufford, Executive Director
Mark is a relative newcomer to the Northwest, having moved to Bainbridge with his wife, Leslie Bland, and four cats, in 2008. His experience with nonprofit management and animal groups stretches back about 15 years, initially as a volunteer poop-scooper and animal socializer at the Monadnock Humane Society near Keene, NH.
Mark founded the nonprofit Carolina Kids' Conservancy in 1995, serving for 9 years as its Executive Director. In addition to management and fundraising, he traveled throughout NC and SC presenting live native animal programs at more than 300 schools.
He also worked for three years as Senior Political Director for the NC Democratic Party. As a political organizer, Mark worked with 33 county parties in western NC to improve effectiveness through strategic planning, branding, messaging, and candidate training. Of 150 regions nationally, Mark's was among the five most successful in 2006 and 2008.
Leslie and Mark met at U.Va., where they adopted their first cat, Max, in 1981. They've had cats ever since, including the dozens Leslie has fostered for PAWS. |
 |
Marylou Zimmerman, Program Director
After graduating from Northeastern University, Marylou Zimmerman became involved with Animal Umbrella, a trap-neuter-release feral cat program in and around Boston, learning trapping procedures and feral kitten socialization. She joined PAWS as a foster home with feral kittens in 1997, becoming Adoption Program Coordinator in 1999.
During Marylou's tenure the Adoption program has grown from a small group of foster homes to a network of more than 20 foster homes, the adult foster center at The Cattery, and a stand-alone Adoption Center. Adoptions have increased from about 100 per year to an average of 350.
With Judy Hartstone's retirement in 2008, Marylou took on the role of Program Director, and now coordinates Adoption, Spay/Neuter, Veterinary Financial Assistance, PALS, Feral Cats and the Lost & Found programs.
In her spare time, Marylou breeds and shows Newfoundland Dogs and has been active for many years with the Newfoundland Club of America and the Newfoundland Club of Seattle. She lives in Poulsbo with her husband Dan, a son and daughter, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, and farm animals.
|
 |
Amy Munns, Director of Communications and Outreach
Amy Munns has loved animals her entire life. While owning her own pet sitting service, Leash4Lease, Inc., for almost 10 years in Kitsap County, Amy began volunteering with PAWS at various events and fundraisers and served a two-year term on the Board of Directors before joining the staff. Her many duties and programs include volunteer coordinator, managing the Pet Food Bank and coordinating the PAWS Buddy Brigade. Along with other committee members, she also works on all events and organizational outreach efforts.
Amy earned an MS degree from Capella University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a BA from the University of Washington in Business Administration and was a Kitsap Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient in 2009. She lives in Poulsbo with her husband, Tim, two sons, their dog, Chloe, and their cat, Turtle. Numerous feral cats call her front porch home too.
|
 |
Melissa Byrd, Adoption Program Co-Manager
Although she is PAWS' newest employee, joining us in 2011, Melissa is no newcomer to animal welfare in Kitsap County. Most recently, Melissa served as Animal Care Manager for Rescue Every Dog (RED) in Poulsbo. In that position, she was responsible for adoptions, as well as health and welfare of animals in the adoption program.
Prior to her tenure with RED, Melissa worked for 10 years at the Kitsap Humane Society, in a variety of increasingly responsible positions including Rescue Coordinator, Mobile Adoption Outreach Coordinator, Adoption Outreach Manager, and Animal Control Dispatcher.
As Co-Manager of Adoption Programs at PAWS, Melissa provides hands-on animal care, interacts with potential adopters and adoption volunteers, and will increasingly focus on adoption outreach and interagency coordination.
Melissa took courses at Iowa State University and lives with her husband Mike 2 dogs and 2 cats in Seabeck, and has two children in college.
|
|
Donna Walker, Adoption Program Co-Manager
Donna has been a reliable and wonderful member of the PAWS team since 2003. She served as a Cat Care Technician and Adoption Counselor from 2003 until early 2011, providing every aspect of animal care and interaction with the public, veterinary clinic staff, and volunteers. Donna was instrumental in initiating our adoption outreach at PetCo in Poulsbo, and has worked many extra volunteer hours as a founding member of the Kitsap Spay/Neuter Council.
In addition to her duties with the cats in the adoption program, Donna helps coordinate our foster program, Adoption Center scheduling, and our feral cat trap-neuter-release program.
Prior to working for PAWS, Donna worked as a veterinary assistant at Poulsbo Marina Veterinary Clinic, and for 15 years as a computer operator, programmer, and computer specialist for the Internal Revenue Service in Seattle.
Donna graduated from the ITT Peterson School of Business and has taken courses at Olympic Community College. She and her husband Doug live in Kingston. |
|
