HSC Celebrates Women’s History Month: HSC Changemakers
March is Women’s History Month, a 31-day celebration of the progress made by women all over the world, and for the Humane Society of Charlotte, we celebrate the great work that women have made in the animal welfare industry.
There are countless women who drive the efforts of our organization and this week, we celebrate and honor the women who serve on our leadership team and medical staff. These women are changemakers and lead our organization fearlessly. Due to their efforts, the Humane Society of Charlotte is considered a leader in animal welfare in the Southeast. Thank you to each of the brilliant and inspiring leading women listed here!
Shelly A. Moore, CAWA | President/CEO: Shelly Moore is the Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Society of Charlotte and has over 35 years of experience in Animal Welfare. Shelly holds a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Non-Profit Management Program. Prior to joining the Humane Society of Charlotte, she was the CEO of Asheville Humane Society in Asheville NC. Shelly has worked in all aspects of animal welfare and sheltering –as an Executive Director of non-profit humane societies and prior management experience at a D.C. metropolitan animal services agency. Shelly serves on the Board of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and obtained certification as an Animal Welfare Administrator in 2004. She is active in animal welfare on the state and national level. She is a founding member of the North Carolina Animal Federation and currently serves on the Board. She also serves on the Board of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. Shelly enjoys traveling, art, good wine, tracing her family roots (is the 11th great grand-daughter of Pocahontas), and spending time with her 4 beloved dogs, Joey, Dash, Scarlet, and Sergio Valente.
Libby Jones | Vice President of Operations: Libby Jones came to the Humane Society of Charlotte in early 2019. Upon arrival, Libby pushed HSC’s Operations efforts forward through innovative programming, high quality of care, and collaboration with local and regional partners. Libby graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors's Degree in Zoology and obtained a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Risk Assessment from North Carolina State University. Libby brings over 12 years of experience in the private and public sectors of zoology and animal welfare. Libby’s commitment to excellence and dedication to the community and its animals drives her to effectively lead her team and serve as a member of HSC's executive leadership team as its Vice President of Operations. Libby directly oversees the hardworking and dedicated Adoptions, Animal Care, Shelter Medical, Intake, and Behavior & Training teams. Libby currently lives in Charlotte with her husband, Chris, sons Christopher, Charles, and James, and three dogs Indy, Junior, and Shortie.
Aiko Okamoto, SPHR, CNAP | Vice President of Administration: Aiko has served in a leadership role at the Humane Society of Charlotte for well over a decade, and currently holds the position of Vice President of Administration, overseeing finance, human resources, information technology, and facilities. Aiko originates from Japan and is a graduate of UNC Charlotte where she studied Communications. Additionally, she holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification and the Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) certification. Her leadership and dedication to the Humane Society of Charlotte over the past 13 years have helped the organization grow into the community leader it is today.
Donna Stucker, CFRE | Vice President of Philanthropy: Donna has served the Humane Society of Charlotte for thirteen years and currently holds the position of Vice President of Philanthropy where she oversees Development, Special Events, Donor Relations, Marketing, and Capital Campaign fundraising efforts. Donna built her career in the non-profit sector, first at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and then at the Humane Society of Charlotte. Donna is a native of Queens, New York, and a graduate of St. John’s University. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive and her efforts alone have brought millions of fundraising dollars to the HSC organization.
Ellen Taylor, CDPT-KA, CDEP, CAWA | Vice President of Community & Strategic Initiatives: Ellen is an award-winning animal welfare leader who has served the needs of animals and people all over the United States. She currently holds the position of Vice President of Community and Strategic Initiatives where she leads HSC’s Clinic Services, Outreach, Youth, and Community Cat programs. Ellen is a Regional Representative for the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, she serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Animal Federation as Co-chair of the professional development committee, she is a Certified Dialogue Education Practitioner (CDEP) and Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA). Ellen spent a year working in South Mississippi helping the community recover from the effects of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. She has created educational animal welfare curriculum, has spoken at national animal welfare conferences, and has helped communities bridge their differences to help animals. Her passion is coaching and mentoring the next generation of animal welfare professionals.
Dr. Kimberly Ackerman: Dr. Ackerman is a High Quality, High Volume Spay Neuter & Wellness Veterinarian at the Humane Society of Charlotte and a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (Go Gators!). She worked in private practice and emergency medicine for several years before pursuing her passion for non-profit work in 2013. Since then, she has performed over 30,000 dog, cat, and rabbit surgeries. She joined the HSC team in the fall of 2018 and has continued to dedicate her life to improving the lives of animals and the people that love them in our community. In addition to being an integral member of the Clinic Services team, Dr. Ackerman and her rescue Dalmatian, Bodie, foster animals at HSC to help them get started on the right paw before finding their forever families.
Dr. Samantha Fulton: Dr. Fulton graduated from St. George's University of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical year of training at North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She joined the Clinic Services team at the Humane Society of Charlotte where she helps to perform life-changing surgeries as a High-Quality, High-Volume & Wellness Veterinarian. Love for the Humane Society of Charlotte runs in Dr. Fulton’s family as her sister, Sarah Hutchins, is also a volunteer and Board Member for the Humane Society of Charlotte.
Dr. Katelyn Molinaro: Dr. Molinaro, HSC’s Shelter Veterinarian, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a general practice & emergency medicine internship at Animal Medical Hospital shortly after graduation. Since joining the HSC team, she has examined every animal with special medical needs that arrives at the Humane Society of Charlotte in search of their new, loving family. Her efforts have saved the lives of numerous animals. While Dr. Molinaro focuses on special needs medical cases, she also performs surgery once per week with the HSC Clinic Services team, manages shelter medicine administrative tasks, and is always looking for opportunities to provide ongoing education and training for her team. She considers herself an "ophthalmology nerd" and often personally fosters HSC animals.
Dr. Maria Peoples: Dr. Peoples is a member of the Humane Society of Charlotte Clinic Services team where she holds the position of High Quality, High Volume & Wellness Veterinarian. She graduated from Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine and previously treated animals in general practice. She joined the HSC team in 2020 to join our mission of increasing access to affordable veterinary care in the Charlotte community. While her favorite part of the job is performing surgeries, her greatest joy and meaning comes from being a wife to an amazing husband and mother to two beautiful children.