Jennifer Hobgood
Director, State Legislation, Southeast Region (GA & FL), Government Relations ASPCA
Steven Hirano
Co-Founder Best Friends Animal Society
Steven Hirano helped turn a shared dream of saving animals into Best Friends Animal Society, an organization that helped inspire the nationwide no-kill movement. Arriving at Angel Canyon in Kanab, Utah, in 1984, Steven spent seven years helping construct the sanctuary’s original buildings and animal care areas.
In 1991, he brought that same dedication to publishing, beginning with the Best Friends newsletter and launching Best Friends magazine the following year. During his 17 years publishing the magazine, its membership and subscription community grew to approximately 250,000 supporters nationwide, with more than $100 million raised during that period.
Steven later returned to sanctuary construction, helping develop and improve facilities for cats, rabbits, pigs and veterinary care. His contributions reflect the hands-on commitment and compassion that helped build Best Friends from its earliest days.
Laura Littlebear
Executive Vice President of Field Operations Greater Good Charities
Laura Littlebear is a disaster response and animal welfare leader with more than 20 years of experience in veterinary operations and high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter programming. As Executive Vice President of Programs at Greater Good Charities, she oversees disaster response, humanitarian aid, transport program and wildlife response— leading field deployments across the U.S. and internationally in the wake of hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and winter storms. Laura works closely with state VOADs, emergency management agencies, and local partners to assess needs and move critical resources quickly and effectively. She also plays a key role in advancing animal transport initiatives, helping relocate vulnerable animals to safety while strengthening shelter capacity nationwide, and serves on the advisory board of the Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations (FAAWO). With a foundation in veterinary operations and a passion for scalable solutions, Laura brings both field expertise and strategic coordination to her work — ensuring response efforts are collaborative, dignified, and rooted in real-time community needs. She is deeply committed to strengthening preparedness, expanding access to care, and amplifying the resilience of the communities she serves.
Julie Levy, DVM
Juie Levy, DVM (links to full professional biography)
Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education Director, Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
My work focuses on the health and welfare of animals in shelters, feline infectious diseases, and humane alternatives for cat population control. I joined the UF College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997 as a specialist in small animal internal medicine. A year later, I founded Operation Catnip, a community cat trap-neuter-return program that has spayed, neutered, and vaccinated more than 100,000 cats in Gainesville since 1998. In addition to providing a vital community service, the program serves as the largest surgery training opportunity for our veterinary students.
A decade later, I joined Dr. Cynda Crawford to launch the Shelter Medicine Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This educational and discovery initiative has a global impact on the care of homeless animals and is the academic home of the Fear Free Shelters program. Later, I teamed up with Dr. Kate Hurley for the Million Cat Challenge, a shelter-based campaign that saved more than 5 million cats in shelters across North America. Our current project, Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge, aims to create transformative “communities of practice” that deliver access to care through humane community-centric programming—inside and outside of the shelter—to achieve the right outcome for every pet.
Jeremy Hillengas
Program Manager, Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FL SARC) Division of SPCA Florida
Program Manager of the Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FL SARC), a program of SPCA Florida, I work to strengthen animal disaster preparedness, emergency sheltering capabilities, and response coordination throughout Florida and beyond.
My role involves building partnerships between animal welfare organizations, emergency management agencies, and government entities to ensure animals are included in disaster planning and response efforts. I work closely with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, county emergency management agencies, animal services organizations, and national partners, including the ASPCA, Humane World for Animals, and Greater Good Charities.
A major focus of my work is expanding access to specialized animal emergency sheltering training and developing a network of trained volunteer responders. Through statewide training programs and partnerships, we help communities prepare for hurricanes, natural disasters, and large-scale animal cruelty and hoarding cases.
Beyond training, I coordinate personnel, equipment, and resources to support emergency animal sheltering operations, disaster relief efforts, and animal welfare agencies facing extraordinary circumstances. These efforts extend beyond Florida through collaborative response missions and training partnerships with organizations across the country.
As a member of the Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations (FAAWO) Advisory Committee, I bring a disaster preparedness and emergency response perspective to the broader animal welfare community. I believe that building strong relationships before a disaster is essential to protecting animals and supporting the people and organizations responsible for their care.
My goal is to continue bridging the gap between emergency management and animal welfare, creating stronger partnerships, better-prepared communities, and a more coordinated response when animals need us most.
Kate MacFall
Florida Senior State Director, Humane World for Animals
Kate MacFall is the Florida Senior State Director for Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. She works to advance animal protection through legislation, policies, local ordinances, and statewide initiatives.
Kate collaborates with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on issues involving captive wildlife, trophy hunting, wildlife trapping, and other wildlife protections. She serves on several FWC Technical Assistance Groups, including those focused on black bears and manatees.
She also serves on the board of Florida Animal Friend, whose specialty license plate funds grants for spay and neuter programs throughout the state. As an advisory board member of the Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations (FAAWO), Kate contributes to several committees, including the legislative committee. She travels extensively throughout Florida, building a grassroots network of animal advocates and connecting with shelters, sanctuaries, and wildlife protection organizations.
Kate lives in Tallahassee, where she co-founded the Animal Shelter Foundation, Inc. and continues to serve on its board. Her commitment to animals extends to hands-on care: she fosters for the Leon County Humane Society and volunteers and fosters for Tallahassee Animal Services.