Better Leaders

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...

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

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.

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 ne...

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.

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 i...

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.

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 manage...

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.

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. Ref...