Animal services is in a time of rapid growth and transition. More and Better Leaders are needed to see animal services through to it's next chapter of lifesaving.
Gina Knepp, Senior Specialist at Petco Love, focused on Petco Love Lost, joined the podcast to talk about her incredibly successful and influential time in leadership at Front Street in Sacramento. Gina discusses how she turned potential into promise at the shelter, how she makes time for her team to build relationships, and what she thinks animal services needs to succeed in the future.
In this season finale of Better Leaders, Gina provides a ton of practical tips that leaders across the country can implement right away in their shelters.
27 Jul 2026
S1 E12: Leading with Audra Michael
Pinal County Animal Care and Control Director, Audra Michael, joined the podcast to talk about her approach to leadership from her young days at McDonalds to making the career move to animal control then leading the entire shelter. On this episode we discuss how Audra has developed a family-style culture at PCACC, how she recruit leaders in her organization, and how she helps her team through change and difficult times.
13 Jul 2026
S1 E11: Leading with Dr. Kristin Barney
Dr. Kristin Barney, CEO, Humane Society of Southern Arizona joins the podcast to discuss leading through change, leading authentically, and building relationships for a more inclusive and enjoyable workplace.
22 Jun 2026
S1 E10: Leading with Tawny Hammond
Tawny Hammond, National No-Kill Advisor for Best Friends Animal Society, joins Meaghan to discuss her leadership journey through Fairfax, Virginia and Austin, Texas. In both shelters, Tawny led transformational change and needed to set a vision and build relationships to inspire people through change. A national though-leader in no-kill animal services, leadership has been a cornerstone of Tawny’s career.
Tawny Hammond Coaching:
https://tawnyhammondcoach.mykajabi.com (https://tawnyhammondcoach.mykajabi.com)
21 Jun 2026
S1 E9: Leading with Jose Ocano
Animal services veteran and CEO of Hatching, Jose Ocano, joins Meaghan to discuss leadership through the lens of self-understanding, self-reflection, and self-regulation. Mindfulness and work-life integration are keys to success as a leader in today's animal services landscape.
Check out resources for Jose's 333 Routine here: https://www.amazon.com/333-RoutineTM (https://www.amazon.com/333-RoutineTM)
25 May 2026
S1 E8: Leading with Dr. Ellen Jefferson
In this episode, Meaghan and Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of Austin Pets Alive! sit down for a conversation about thinking big in leadership, creating vision, filling gaps, and getting through critique and criticism.
11 May 2026
S1 E7: Leading with Josh Fisher
In this interview with Dr. Josh Fisher, Director of Animal Care and Control for Charlotte-Mecklenberg, Meaghan and Josh discuss the importance of having presence at your organization, building relationships, and recognizing when you are not the smartest one in the room. Josh has built a career on continuous learning and growth, a skill he encourages with his team through strategic mentoring for new leaders.
27 Apr 2026
S1 E6: Leading with Steven Martinez
York County SPCA (PA) Executive Director Steven Martinez is 6 years into this role and has seen his organization build from a 53% save rate to over 90%. In this podcast, Steven and Meaghan discuss what can be learned from the for-profit world, how to schedule team meetings for maximum impact, and the importance of strategic planning for the phase your organization is in.
13 Apr 2026
S1 E5: Leading with Ed Jamison
Ed Jamison, CEO, Operation Kindness has extensive experience in leadership in animal services. From his days in Cleveland to completely changing the culture in Dallas, Ed understands how to lead with intention. In this episode, Ed and Meaghan discuss the importance of data in leadership decision-making, leading by example, communication tactics, the value of promoting internally, and how to last in such a tough industry.
30 Mar 2026
S1 E4: Leading with Lawrence Nicolas
In this episode of Better Leaders, Lawrence Nicolas, CEO of Jacksonville Humane Society, sits down with Meaghan to discuss his approach to leadership as a new CEO. This conversation covers how to prioritize as a leader, the importance of relatability when leading a team, and how to make decisions with the organization and most animals in mind.
16 Mar 2026
S1 E3: Leading with Denise Deisler
Denise Deisler, former President/CEO and current Executive Advisor and CEO Emerita at Jacksonville Humane Society joins me to discuss her approach to leadership that saw her at the helm of three animal shelters. At Jacksonville Humane, Denise brought a straightforward and laser-focused approach to strategic planning, direct and candid conversations, structure within the organization, change management, vulnerability and transparency, and succession planning.
In our conversation, she references:
Good to Great by Jim Collins (https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html (https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html))
Radical Candor by Kim Scott (https://www.radicalcandor.com/the-book (https://www.radicalcandor.com/the-book))
#CEO
#animalshelters
#leadership
#leadershipstyle
#nextgenleaders
#betterleaders
#leadershipdevelopment
#leadershipskills
#professionaldevelopment
#leadershipmindset
#jacksonville
#directconversations
#radicalcandor
#vulnerableleadership
2 Mar 2026
S1 E2: Leading with Heather Owen
In this interview with One Tail at a Time Executive Director, Heather Owen, she shares what led her to create OTAT, what her leadership approach is, and how it has evolved.
16 Feb 2026
S1 E1: Leading with Spencer Conover
National Animal Care and Control Chief Operating Officer, Spencer Conover joins me to discuss his approach to leadership both at NACA and during his time as Assistant Director at Pasco County Animal Services in Florida. Spencer and I will discuss building relationships, professional development, personality typing, and different communication styles in this first ever Better Leaders interview.
References Spencer made:
Brene Brown, The Power of Vulnerability: https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=zr-DOToJ0lxUE-mx (https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=zr-DOToJ0lxUE-mx)
Eisenhower Box
https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box (https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box)
Radical Candor book by Kim Scott
https://www.radicalcandor.com/get-started?utm_term=radical%20candor&utm_campaign=Search+%7C+Brand&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=4005347441&hsa_cam=21788249238&hsa_grp=169660289658&hsa_ad=789535204280&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-295322973806&hsa_kw=radical%20candor&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21788249238&gbraid=0AAAAApALz1EN_TZat5wmjajDmmiznW3xg&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt5-9kvrdkgMVI3V_AB1j_C8XEAAYASAAEgJzRPD_BwE (https://www.radicalcandor.com/get-started?utm_term=radical%20candor&utm_campaign=Search+%7C+Brand&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=4005347441&hsa_cam=21788249238&hsa_grp=169660289658&hsa_ad=789535204280&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-295322973806&hsa_kw=radical%20candor&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21788249238&gbraid=0AAAAApALz1EN_TZat5wmjajDmmiznW3xg&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt5-9kvrdkgMVI3V_AB1j_C8XEAAYASAAEgJzRPD_BwE)
Simon Sinek
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action (https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action)
Crucial Conversations book by Joseph Grenny
https://cruciallearning.com/books/crucial-conversations-book/ (https://cruciallearning.com/books/crucial-conversations-book/)
Lean Sigma Six
https://leansixsigmainstitute.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23498323366&gbraid=0AAAAADsx0-oqU8bBgp6AEbE-_kdXcXv89&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoa2jhfrdkgMVny3UAR1YMxP_EAAYAiAAEgLWNfD_BwE (https://leansixsigmainstitute.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23498323366&gbraid=0AAAAADsx0-oqU8bBgp6AEbE-_kdXcXv89&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoa2jhfrdkgMVny3UAR1YMxP_EAAYAiAAEgLWNfD_BwE)
Enneagram Personality Typing
https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/get-started-with-enneagram-tests/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12254084806&gbraid=0AAAAABm9O_2yo3A8o10bJVJVN0B8sQ_eo&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-TOqfndkgMVaCrUAR1LUjc8EAAYAiAAEgKL0fD_BwE (https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/get-started-with-enneagram-tests/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12254084806&gbraid=0AAAAABm9O_2yo3A8o10bJVJVN0B8sQ_eo&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-TOqfndkgMVaCrUAR1LUjc8EAAYAiAAEgKL0fD_BwE)
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