People & positions, 1st quarter 2014

Cal Morgan,  Michigan Humane Society president since 2001,  on January 24,  2014 resigned to become president of the Atlanta Humane Society & Georgia SPCA.  Michigan SPCA chief operating officer David Williams was named interim president while the organization seeks Morgan’s successor.  Morgan at the Atlanta Humane Society & Georgia SPCA succeeds Rick Aiken,  interim director for a year after serving 20 years as executive director of the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia.  Aiken replaced William Shaheen,  who lasted less than nine months after the retirement of four-year president Carl Leveridge.  Before Leveridge,  Bill Garrett had headed the Atlanta Humane Society & Georgia SPCA for 30 years.

Brooke Chavez,  founder and for 12 years director of the Sunny Day Farms Animal Sanctuary in La Coste,  Texas,  was on February 4,  2014 named executive director of Primarily Primates,  in San Antonio.  Chavez succeeds Stephen Tello,  who had been on a two-month medical leave.  Tello,  longtime assistant to founder Wally Swett,  had headed Primarily Primates since it became an affiliate of Friends of Animals in 2007.

            Adam Roberts,  executive vice president of Born Free USA since 2002,  was on February 3,  2014 promoted to chief executive officer,  succeeding Will Travers,  who had served as CEO of both Born Free USA and the British-based Born Free Foundation. The son of Virginia McKenna and William Travers,  who co-starred in the 1966 film Born Free,  Will Travers started the Born Free Foundation in 1984.  Born Free USA in 2007 absorbed the Animal Protection Institute,  founded by Belton Mouras in 1968,  and the former South Texas Primate Observatory,  founded by Lou Griffin in 1980,  annexed by API in 2000.

The American Humane Association on March 12,  2014 announced the appointment of Kwane Stewart,  DVM,  as chief veterinary officer and national director of the “No Animals Were Harmed” and “Humane Hollywood” screen industry monitoring programs.  Stewart “will oversee the welfare and safety of 100,000+ animals on 2,000+ film and television productions each year, protecting animal actors in approximately 43 percent of films produced,”  said publicist Elizabeth Glazier.  Stewart succeeds Karen Rosa,  who has become senior advisor to the AHA Film & Television Unit.  “I have been with the Film Unit almost 22 years,”  Rosa told ANIMALS 24-7,  “and I am transitioning into a wonderful new role where I get to do research,  speaking engagements,  legacy history,  and some interesting cross-program projects.”

            The House Rabbit Society on February 5,  2014 named Anne Martin executive director,  succeeding Margo DeMello,  who remains as president.  Hired in February 2013 as director of the House Rabbit Society shelter,  Martin added a spay/neuter clinic for rabbits.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue founder Denise Bitz on January 8,  2014 introduced Paul Berry as executive director.  Berry and his wife Tamara started the Southern Animal Foundation in New Orleans in 1995.  They later served in various capacities at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab,  Utah,  from 2001 to 2009.  Paul Berry in 2013 was interim executive director at Alley Cat Allies.

The Worcester County Humane Society,  of West Ocean City,  Maryland,  on March 5,  2014 introduced as executive director Linda Lugo.  Lugo was formerly Humane Society of Wicomico County executive director and director of development.  Previous Worcester County Humane Society executive director Kenille Davis resigned on November 30,  2013,  after holding the job for 37 years.

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