Allison Cardona

Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, CA

Allison Cardona has been a Deputy Director of South County Operations for the Department since March 2017. As Deputy Director of South County, Allison oversees the Carson/Gardena, Downey and Baldwin Park Animal Care Centers along with special programs such as behavior and enrichment. Prior to joining the County of Los Angeles, Allison spent over 13 years as a program director for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). She holds a B.S. in Public Affairs from Empire State College. Allison is dedicated to keeping pets and people forever together, removing barriers so pet owners have access to care and services. Allison serves as the department’s liaison to the County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative, helping to integrate pet-friendly services into service planning and delivery.

Ed Jamison

Director of Dallas Animal Services, City of Dallas

Dallas has the third largest intake in the United States, with over 39,000 dogs and cats coming into their care in 2019. Ed Jamison has been tasked with increasing public safety by getting loose animals off the streets, while at the same time increasing positive outcomes. To accomplish that, Jamison is leading a staff of around 220 employees, maximizing relationships with the rescue community, rebuilding the volunteer base and instituting new, progressive programming. Prior to coming to Dallas, Jamison was the Chief Animal Control Officer for the City of Cleveland, Ohio, but he entered the animal care and control world in the mid-2000s while he was the animal warden for the City of Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. In his time serving Cleveland, Ed made a push to redefine the way animal control functions and re-brand the public’s perception of the industry, along with the perception of pit-bull-type dogs.

Jorge Ortega

Director, Guilford County Animal Services, North Carolina

Gabrielle Chapman

Senior Social Justice Analyst, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

Gabrielle Chapman is the former Executive Director of Call to Action for Racial Equality, West Virginia’s first professional statewide racial equity coalition. As HSUS’ Pets for Life Senior Analyst Social Justice, Gabrielle will lend her skill set to facilitate complex conversations ranging from criminal justice reform to racial and economic justice in the animal welfare world. She is a 2018–2019 Soros Justice Fellow with the Open Society Foundation and serves as a Board of Director for West Virginia’s Center on Budget and Policy and West Virginia Women’s Health Center. Chapman holds a BS in Applied Biology from Russell Sage College. During her college years, she interned at the U.S. Department of Defense, was an assistant with Sage College’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, and volunteered with the American Friends Service Committee.

Jim Tedford, CAWA

President & CEO, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

Jim Tedford accepted his dream job when he joined The Association as President & CEO in June of 2015.  But Jim is no stranger to the organization.  He has been a member for nearly 30 years and served as our Board Chairman some twenty years ago.  Jim has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for more than 34 years having served as CEO for animal sheltering organizations in New York, Louisiana and Tennessee.  He served as a regional director for The Humane Society of the United States and then spent six years providing direct response marketing services to animal welfare organizations. Jim presents frequently at national and regional conferences on various animal welfare issues, organizational development and not-for-profit management.